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First Congregational United Church of Christ Asheville, NC • Home • About Us • Worship • Open and Affirming • Education • Children & Youth • Christian Action • Music & Arts • About Membership • Organization & Structure • Stewardship • Adult Opportunities • Directions • Sermons & News • Archives |
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In the United Church of Christ, the authority lies in the local church. We are in covenant with the churches of the Southern Conference and the national church, but they do not have any authority to structure our church life or tell us what to believe. In the local church, the congregation has the authority. The congregation meets at least twice a year. In November, we approve the budget and elect leaders for the coming year, and at our Annual Meeting in January, we review the work and ministry of the church in the past year. Most years we have one or more additional congregational meetings. Our Bylaws require congregational approval for the hiring or firing of a pastor, the yearly budget of the church, the selection of leaders for the church, and any expenditure over $4000. But it is not possible for the congregation as a whole to oversee the day to day operations of the church. Thus, the congregation has created an Executive Board to run the daily operations of the church and to oversee the vision of our ministry and help us live into it. The Executive Board consists of officers, the Chair of Trustees, the Chair of Deacons, committee chairs, and 2 at large members. The Minister and the Minister for Christian Education meet with the Executive Board as ex-officio members. The Officers of the church are led by the Moderator and Assistant Moderator, who also are the overall leaders of the congregation. The other officers are the Clerk, the Treasurer, and the Financial Secretary. The Executive Board meets once a month, normally on the 4th Monday of the month. The meeting is open to any and all members who want to attend. At this meeting, the Board reviews the financial reports for that month, hears reports from the different committees, and votes on any items of business that need to be approved. When the Executive Board meets, the officers and the chairpersons bring not only their own areas of interest to the discussion, but also have the responsibility to see the big picture of the congregation. Together, the Executive Board oversees the worship life, the program ministries, the administrative services, and all other functions of the church. The Committees of the Church are open to members, associate members, and friends who wish to serve. The Nominating Committee selects the chairs of each committee, which are approved at the Annual Meeting by the congregation. The committees are formed with the help of the chairperson and the Executive Board. Each committee has a budget to use for their ministry needs throughout the year. The following committees have a voting representative on the Executive Board: Arts, Christian Action, Christian Education, Communications, Finance, Hospitality, Open and Affirming, Membership, Personnel, Property, Stewardship, and Worship. There are also a number of important church subcommittees, including Music and Dance (subcommittees of Worship), and various Christian Education subcommittees. The Trustees consist of three members, all voted on by the congregation. The Trustees are responsible for the legal affairs of the church, our financial investments, and our insurance needs. The Deacons consist of 12 members who help the pastor care for the needs of the congregation. Each of the 12 is selected by the congregation. Following are the current Officers and Committee Chairpersons of the church. If you are interested in any of these areas, please contact the appropriate Chairperson. |
| Moderator | Jim Lowder |
| Assistant Moderator | Janice Buchanan |
| Clerk | Cara Pollard |
| At Large | Sandra Hoskin |
| At Large | Bruce Steele |
| Finance | Joel Storrow |
| Financial Secretary | Brian Alexander |
| Assistant Financial Secretary | Mary Weber |
| Treasurer | Mike Bircher |
| Arts | Janet Stephens and Peggy Hester |
| Christian Action | Dee Dee Allan and Virginia Himmelheber |
| Christian Education | Katherine Daven and Catherine Gibson |
| Communications | Ed McFadden |
| Deacons | Phil Sageser |
| Hospitality | Donna Jacobs and Judy Bircher |
| Membership | Terri McFadden |
| Open and Affirming | Mary Cowal |
| Personnel | Beth Allison |
| Property | Kathryn Cartledge |
| Stewardship | Chris Stockwell-Goring |
| Trustees | Cindy McMahon |
| Worship | Alice Martin-Adkins |