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Monthly Executive Summary | Sept. 2025
Call to order – Chuck Devotional – Christy Members Attending: Chuck Hanrahan (Chair), Frances Bryniarski (Vice Chair), Christy Lesher (Secretary), Dawn Riedy (Treasurer), Jonathan Carroll-Nellenback, Wendy Featherstone, Tim Mahan, Peter Owh, Rev. Dr. Michelle Bogue-Trost (Sr. Minister) Absent: None Guests: None Reviewed / Approved Consent Agenda – Chuck Review/Approval of Governing Board Minutes of August 11, 2025 (Confidential) Review/Approval of Finance Committee Minutes of July 28, 2025 Review/Approval of Senior Minister’s Report of September 2025 Review/Approval of Property Stewardship Committee Minutes of August 13, 2025 Review/Approval of PPRC Minutes of September 4, 2025 (Confidential) PPRC Proposal on Name/Status Change – Frances The Pastor-Parish Relations Committee (PPRC) is being renamed back to the Staff-Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) as outlined in the United Methodist Book of Discipline, in order to foster a more cohesive and strategic approach to staff oversight and congregational visioning. Reforming the PPRC as the SPRC represents not a change in mission, but an evolution toward a more integrated and strategic leadership model – one that better supports the complex staffing needs of Asbury First and enhances our ability to fulfill the church’s vision to do more good. SPRC Reconfiguration of Staff – Michelle & Frances Reconfigured Staffing Structure document and spreadsheet was shared, and the GB walked through both. High level staffing changes, including role expansions, new part-time positions, and title updates were shared. Charge Conference/Town Hall/Celebration of Ministry Oct. 26 – Chuck The October 26 Town Hall will be combined with the Charge Conference and Commitment Sunday, focusing on nominations, pastoral compensation, and ministry celebrations. While the full budget will be finalized in January, we’ll share key updates in advance, and possibly an FAQ to help ensure transparency and clarity for the congregation. Discussion on Frequency of Town Hall Meetings – Chuck Board discussed whether to reduce the number of annual Town Halls from three to one or two, given improved year-round communication and transparency. In the name of transparency, we discussed polling the congregation for input, but ultimately decided to hold at three a year for now. Financial sustainability remains a key focus, with upcoming Town Halls scheduled for October 26 and January 25. Update/Tasks for GB Policy Book – Frances A small GB sub-committee lead by Ms. Bryniarski will coordinate with committee chairs to review their sections of the Policy Book. The aim is to align the Policy Book with current practices and ways of working on committees. GB agreed that for those committees that have charters, that the committee chair should ensure agreement between charters and Policy Book updates. Approval of Pastoral Staff Compensation – Frances Pastoral compensation for 2026 must be reported to the Conference by October 1. The SPRC discussed and approved a recommendation to the Governing Board and Charge Conference a base pay increase for two pastors in line with approved budget. Nominations Committee Update – Michelle The Nominations Committee is shifting its primary focus to staff disciplinary committees and the GB committee. Going forward, non-disciplinary committees will still get support from Nominations and Volunteer Engagement, and also be encouraged to fill positions as committees see fit given they know the work at hand and who best to fill positions. Nominations Committee will still seed the leadership of committees. Three Big Questions – Review and Discussion – Chuck, All What progress is the church making toward a sustainable financial model? (Tim) Financial Sustainability Task Force helped facilitate a path forward to address the deficit this year. For the cash shortage, we worked closely to support the Finance Committee for the 2026 budget. We have people working on the payroll / people and facilities / maintenance aspect of our Financial Sustainability plan. The big question we’re facing is, will the Generosity Team be able to raise the $1.6m needed to sustain us? How are we holding our committees and teams accountable to using the Dreamscape? (Chuck) To hold committees accountable to the Dreamscape vision, we’ll hold one-on-one check-ins with committee leads. Proposed using the Monday Reader to share updates, where each committee could take turns highlighting how their work aligns with the Dreamscape. How effectively are Asbury’s mercy and justice ministries connecting with and addressing the needs of Rochester and beyond? (Jonathan) Rev. Dupont highlighted changes and increases in the ways the COC is serving our neighbors. In terms of assessing if we're meeting the needs, teams are developing surveys for the neighbors they serve to see where we could / should add services. Efforts will be made this fall & winter to connect with other local groups who serve our neighbors. New Business – All None. Closing / Adjournment Meeting adjourned at: 6:35 PM Next Town Hall: October 26, 2025 (after 11 AM service, Sanctuary) Next GB Meeting: November 10, 2025 (5 PM, Red Room) Respectfully submitted, Christy Lesher
The following are highlights from the 09/08/2025 Governance Board (GB) meeting:
GOVERNANCE IN ACTION