The Role of the Executive Committee

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Benjamin Kreps:

Hey everyone. And welcome to the Mark Prater podcast, where our aim is to connect our global family of churches with our Executive Director. Mark, you are traveling once again next week, headed to Colorado, I believe for the Executive Committee annual retreat. Let's talk about what you guys are going to be discussing next week, but before we do that, can you refresh our guys' memories on who's on the committee and what the Executive Committee's role is in Sovereign Grace?

Mark Prater:

Yeah, I leave Monday morning for Colorado Springs where the retreat is being held. It's going to be good to be together again because last year as an Executive Committee, we needed to meet via Zoom because of COVID. So it's really going to be good to be together with these men.

The men that serve on the Executive Committee, nine elders in Sovereign Grace: Ken Mellinger who's the Chair, Dave Odom who's the Vice Chair, Wayne Brooks, Andy Farmer, Bruce Chick, Abelardo Munoz, Brian Chesemoore, Steve Teeter, and Tony Walsh. Tony was chosen by the Executive Committee to fill Walt Alexander's seat who left that committee when he was affirmed by the Council of Elders for the Theology Committee. And Tony is being nominated by the Nominating Committee as a an Executive Committee nominee that the Council of Elders will get into in a few weeks here for a full four year term on the committee.

So those are the men that serve on the committee and they play a very important role in Sovereign Grace. They essentially oversee and evaluate myself and the Leadership Team. They also give me just wonderful input on a number of things that we will discuss next week and actually input throughout the year. And what I want our guys to know is that these men aren't just going through the motions, they are fulfilling their responsibilities very genuinely and work hard, and earnestly fulfill those responsibilities. And I just thank God for them. The input I'll get next week, the encouragement we'll get next week, the evaluation I'll get next week for myself and for the Leadership Team has always been helpful. And so I thank God for them and am grateful for that accountability and that oversight that the Leadership Team enjoys.

Benjamin Kreps:

Yeah. We all thank God for those men. It's not an easy job. I've observed. There's a lot of work, time, hours, and sacrifice to fulfill that role. So grateful for the Executive Committee guys. What kinds of things will you be discussing and working through at the retreat?

Mark Prater:

We have a full agenda. One of the things that I'll be doing is updating them on the five to ten year strategic plan that I presented to them last year. That strategic plan had a number of tactical steps that we've been able to accomplish over the last year. And so I want to give them an update on the progress of that plan. And in light of that progress, I'm going to also present to them an updated five to ten year strategic plan because of the progress we've made over the last year. So we'll talk about that. Every year I take them through the outline of my State of the Union, at least as I conceive it and have it put together right now and I'll get their input on that.

And then Ken has asked me as the Chair, to do a review of our departments in Sovereign Grace, there's seven departments: Administration, Music, Theology, Church Planting, Church Development, Communications and Emerging Nations. So I'll be giving department updates on each of those. And I'll also, in those updates, especially under the Emerging Nations update, be giving an annual update on each of our development funds. Well, actually just the Latin-America Development Fund because it's been established for a year. Now, that's a part of the accountability process we put in place for that development fund. So that will be reviewed by the Executive Committee.

They'll spend time also evaluating me and evaluating each man on the Leadership Team. And again, that's just very profitable and helpful. We will also review the next fiscal year budget. One of the things they're required to do according to the BCO is actually approve the next fiscal year budget. So Tommy Hill and I will be presenting that budget, answering any questions, and hopefully that does get approved. The other thing that will be discussed related to finances is that last year, the Council of Elders approved a new business motion, asking the Executive Committee to take a look again at our current giving plan in our partnership agreement where a church gives 10%, the first 5% goes to Sovereign Grace Central, the second 5% goes to the Region, and is that working? And do they have any recommendations for the Council of Elders for any potential changes to that plan will be discussed as well.

And then we'll do any legal updates. There's a number of BCO amendments that will be reviewed again. That's another responsibility of the Executive Committee, to review all the BCO amendments and give any input to those who have authored those amendments before they are submitted to our Council of Elders 60 days before the meeting. These BCO amendments really reflect the number of things we've been doing over the last year: the BCO amendments related to the global partnership plan, the BCO amendments that come from an ad hoc committee that looked at our adjudication process and are bringing a number of improvements there, and the Policy Committee's ongoing work. There was a three-year plan of updating the BCO in terms of its structure and language. No substantive changes in those BCO amendments, but that I think really does make the BCO a lot clearer. So that's just a partial list of the things that we will be covering next week. And these men do work hard.

Benjamin Kreps:

Wow. Well let me encourage guys watching us or more likely reading this, right? Let's be praying for Mark and the committee next week for God's blessing on you guys and for wisdom from above as you guys serve our family of churches. So thanks for the update, Mark. We may or may not do a podcast next week. It depends on how busy, or what time you can make during your busy schedule at the retreat. So if you don't see one in your inbox next week, you'll know why. So thank you, Mark. Thank you to the men serving on the Executive Committee. That's all for us for this podcast. So we'll see you next time. Bye for now.