Attendees: Bonnie Bates, Convenor; David Southard, Recorder; Clarence Price, Lawrence Gilley, Nathan Wright, Ginger Comstock, Deanne Bellinger, Vatsala Ponnuraj, Melva Victorino, Peg Mainusch, and Rick Cowles, Upstate Regional Conference Minister.

Bonnie opened our Meeting at 11:15 AM. Bonnie welcomed all and asked us to be patient as there was another meeting going one which some of us would have to attend, since some of us were members of the Commission and, also, representatives of our respective Associations. She provided us with copies of today’s meeting agenda. Lawrence provided an opening prayer. David provided a sign-in sheet and asked attendees to add their e-mail addresses.

Minutes from the July meeting were reviewed. (Rick made copies for those needing them). Melva requested a change from the original minutes and Dawn and Jon Brown should have read Barnes. The minutes were accepted, by consensus, with these changes.

Web Site was next discussed. Lawrence reported that a lot of work needs to be done. He said a page for the Barnes has been added. Notification for Mission Possible II and MMI (Mission) Training is now on the Web.

Ginger provided a handout which brought us up-to-date on NY Help issues and talked about the visit to Honduras on August 13. The next visit may go during school vacation in February, 2008. She had some wonderful pictures from the trip that indicated some of the work that had been accomplished.

Bob Welcher was not able to attend this meeting. We discussed Missionary partnerships, however, and were provided with background info on Bruce and Linda Hansen (in Honduras). The Barnes, present partners with our Commission, are in Southern Africa. Bonnie said that we should consider partnering with someone from Mision Cristiana, in Nicaragua and with the Hansens. Information will be gathered about the Hansens impending return to the US and Bonnie will ask Bob Welcher to research a possible partnership through Global Church Ministries. Ginger will contact the Hansens to find out about their plans.

The Black River-St. Lawrence Association, in conjunction with the NY Conference Commission on Stewardship and Mission Interpretation, will host a meeting, on Saturday, October 27, in Madrid. The theme is “Let it Shine”. Bonnie asked the Commission members to be panelists for the Global Mission and Local Mission workshops. Rick, Ginger, David and others have volunteered to facilitate the workshops. Bonnie has offered her guest room for anyone who will need overnight accommodations.

Mission Possible II has invited three (3) people from Mision Cristiana. Felix Ortiz-Cotto will attend, also. (Rick will follow up on this). Our focus will be on Latin America. Registration will be through the NY Conference Office. David volunteered to help with registration. He will be the Registrar and registration and payments will go to Gloria Halko at the Conference Office. Individual registration charge for Mission Possible II is to be $60, motioned and approved by the committee The fee will include accommodations, meals and materials. Gloria will provide a list of registrants to David, who will prepare partner bios, folders of handouts and nametags. We revamped the wording on the Mission Possible II flier and Rick will ensure it is sent to each NY Conf. Church. Date for the Mission Possible II meeting is November 2 and 3, starting with dinner at 6 PM, on Friday the 2nd & ending on Saturday afternoon at Christ the King Retreat House in Syracuse.

Next on our agenda was the Disaster Response Team (DiRT) discussion. . Clare reported that Antoinette Montgomery has come up with a plan to load our Disaster Response Booklet on the computer. Pastors were, originally, meant to receive a copy of the booklet. How many DiRT reps do we need? Clare will get a team together and call a meeting on November 12, including Regional Coordinators. It was recommended that some regions have more than one coordinator because of distance and local contacts. Many suggestions were made to Clare for adding to his list of contacts. Funds for training and counseling might be available from UCC Hq. Claire will contact Florence Coppola. Bonnie suggested we get a “collection” of people, based on their region of the conference, trained in Disaster Response techniques, who would be willing to contact pastors for the purpose of disaster counseling. Much discussion ensued. Rick spoke of our response to disasters and planning trips to the disaster area.

We offered a “Concert” prayer for grace at lunchtime.

Rick showed us a laptop presentation of his and Nathan Wright’s recent trip to Nicaragua. David suggested that consideration be given to translating Rick’s travelogue into Spanish and provided to the pastor at Mision Cristiana, which Rick said was already in the works. Nathan gave us a few personal perspectives of the trip. A “Cattle Project” was introduced to them; in essence, higher quality cattle were now being purchased to breed with the present cattle to produce higher quality offsping, with funds provided by Common Global Ministries. According to Nathan, even ‘though Mision Cristiana is a Pentacostal church, he and Rick saw some similarities between Mision Cristiana’s approach and attitude of trying to help the situation by attacking “real life” things which are causing poverty and how the UCC Justice and Witness Ministries efforts are promoted. They are taking a realistic approach to planning to overcome the “crushing” poverty, such as the 98% unemployment rate.

Nathan’s Church, Clinton Heights UCC, has donated $1,000 toward our partnership with Mision Cristiana. Our Commission attendees expressed our sincere and profound “Thank you” for the donation.

Rick and Nathan presented to us, from their trip, a manual of ceremonies (in Spanish), and a letter, expressing our Covenant, plus a jointly-signed document of Covenant. Rick communicated, at a closing meeting with the Nicaraguan hosts, that we will need to have a “better” place to stay, especially upgraded toilet facilities. Nathan expressed a need (for those of us traveling to Nicaragua) for a chance to rest when we arrive in Managua, BEFORE being transported to the interior. Nicaraguan officials at the meeting acknowledged those requests and will make an effort to satisfy them.

Nathan will be preparing a bulletin insert to distribute to churches which will be used to promote a special offering for Hurricane Felix Relief in Nicaragua. If our churches wish to donate to Nicaragua, they should endorse the check to the New York Conference, UCC, with a statement on the “purpose” line something like: “Donation toward Mision Cristiana Covenant”.

Bonnie intends to involve Bob Welcher in the decision of where visitors from Mision Cristiana will visit during their November trip to the Mission Possible II meeting and the NY Conference. Rick said that our Nicaraguan visitors MUST have a Spanish translator with them at ALL TIMES.

Bonnie stated that there are people from our Conference churches who wish to attend MMI Training and are requesting funds for that and others who are requesting funds to perform mission projects. Melva moved, 2^nd by David, to provide $250 for Kay Woike to attend MMI. After discussion, the motion was unanimously approved.

Peg moved, 2^nd by David, to provide Tony Green with $300 toward his travel expenses to Topaloga. After discussion, the motion was approved, unanimously.

Meeting adjourned before 3 PM, closed in prayer by Peg Mainusch.

Our next scheduled NY Conf Commission on the Global Church Meeting will be: Saturday, January 12, 2008, 11 AM to 3 PM, at the NY Conference Office, with a snow date of January 19.

Respectfully submitted by Recording Secretary David G. Southard.