By Hayley Beckett on 17th July 2024
EBA Council Summary 8 July 2024
EBA Trustees – with two apologies – met for the EBA Council meeting on 6 April 2024.
Andrew Wade (EBA Moderator) welcomed everyone. In opening the meeting Andrew read from Luke 14 reflecting on the need for us all to make time to meet with God, and not to let our busyness get in the way. and then he opened in prayer.
Council was brought up to date with 3 outstanding matters from previous meetings, which included an update on a legal situation with a member church, the progress being made on the group reflecting on regional minister appointment processes across the Union, and how the regional team have created opportunities for churches and ministers to engage with the recommendations from the Project Violet research.
David Mayne (RMTL) brought the next report that included HR matters, reporting to council that interest had been received for all 3 recently advertised roles and the small group delegated authority from trustees would be meeting soon to consider the applications.
The council was also asked to consider EBA becoming an Accredited Living Wage Employer with the Living Wage Foundation. The council unanimously agreed to register for the accreditation, and it is hoped that member churches will consider this path in the future ensuring good ethical and moral employer standards. Council also agreed a small change in the EBA staff handbook wording around staff appraisals.
Hayley Beckett (EBA Company Secretary) brought the Governance report which included an update on co-options to council, progress on the role of moderator following the closing date of 30 June, a need to find a replacement representative on the BMS council and a request from some of our minsters for the trustees to reflect on.
Sean Fountain (Acting Moderator of the grants committee) presented to council the recommendations of the grants committee who met in June to consider the Mission and Ministry grants awards for 2025 (formally Home Mission Grants). The recommendations from the committee were accepted by the council and award letters will be sent out to applicants in the next couple of weeks. Sean commented on the hard decisions that the committee had to make in the overall climate of reducing income so therefore, reducing capacity to offer grants. With a reminder that the process for awarding grants and the grants criteria will need to adapt over the next few years, with applicants needing to consider additional ways of raising income. Sean was thanked for standing in as Moderator with short notice.
Richard Lewis (EBA Treasurer) presented the financial position for the first 6 months of 2024 remarking that the picture is as forecast but just because we are not surprised by the figures does not take away the seriousness of the situation currently find ourselves in – decreasing income and increasing expenditure.
The accounts for 2023 were also presented to the council having been independently examined. The Council approved the accounts and thanks were offered to Julie Eady (EBA Bookkeeper) and Richard for their hard work in getting this completed.
Vicky Baker (EBA Safeguarding trustee) presented the report from Gillian Jones (EBA Safeguarding Lead). Safeguarding concerns and advice are continuously being raised with Gillian, and with her support churches are feeling supported in doing what needs to be done. Both David and Claire as regional ministers spoke of how they had heard from churches that the support given by Gillian helped them through difficult situations and that they had appreciated Gillian’s support.
The EBA Justice Hub had written a letter to council asking that the hub be considered a standing committee of the association. The council discussed this issue, and ways in which justice issues can be more at the heart of all the Association does. Further conversations regarding possible structures and ways forward are needed, and the regional team will work with the justice hub over the coming months to progress this further.
The final report of the meeting came from the team. The regional ministers have all been out and about visiting churches and ministers. One of the current biggest challenges is finding moderators for churches that are in pastoral vacancy.
The meeting closed in prayer.
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