At the December meeting of Church Council, Michele Brown said the submission of pledges for 2025 is lagging behind schedule. With three weeks left in the year, the church has received about 85 percent of the $495,436 its members pledged for 2025, leaving it $71,000 short of its goal. Moderator Leanna Maglienti said Church Financial Secretary Joe Smith is sending out reminders to those who have not yet fulfilled their pledge.

Pastor Andy Nagy-Benson said the Community Supper Program would like to set up a food shelf inside the church for people who attend the free Friday night dinners and who also want to take home food supplies.

Pastor Elizabeth Gleich said she has continued to meet with Middlebury College students who have been attending worship. The most recent meeting took place in the church kitchen, where she and nine students baked cookies that will be part of care packages they’re offering to Middlebury students.

Leanna reminded Council members that she recently signed a $20,000 contract with Naylor and Breen authorizing the firm to prepare a pre-construction proposal for replacing the church’s slate roof. Trustees have learned that the roof over the original church meeting house needs to be replaced as soon as possible. The proposal will provide a plan that will help companies bid to make the repairs in 2026.

Erika Garner from the Budget and Stewardship Team said the church has received 181 financial pledges so far for 2026, and she’s confident the church will reach its $510,000 goal. The 2026 budget includes approximately $10,000 from a special fund the church set up several years ago to soften the financial burden of hiring a second pastor, she said, and that fund will be depleted as planned in 2026. Last year at this time, the church had a $39,000 surplus, which it was able to apply to 2025 expenses. Erika said it’s not clear if the church this year will have leftover funds to roll over into the 2026 budget.

Michele Brown said next year’s budget includes $3,000 from the Ben and Lois Foster Family Music Fund to pay musicians who will play in a chamber orchestra during an Ash Wednesday performance of Fauré’s Requiem. The fund’s current balance is $43,432.

Council members approved several changes to the church’s endowment policy, which were explained by Ian Phair. One of them requires the congregation to vote on any proposal to withdraw more than 10 percent of the value of any of the church’s endowment funds. (The church has three: Restricted, Unrestricted, and Building Care and Maintenance.) The Board of Trustees previously endorsed the change.

Annie Moore-Cox, chair of the Nominating Committee, said that while she has found people to fill most open slots, there are vacancies on Church Council and on several church boards. The church also needs a church Historian and a second Auditor. Finding people willing to serve on boards has been challenging, she said. Some board members whose terms are expiring, and who would like to continue serving, are unable to do so because of a requirement in church by-laws that outgoing board members wait at least a year before returning to their position. Council members discussed removing that language, but decided to leave it intact. Council is empowered to fill vacant positions, without that restriction, through one-year appointments.

Nancy Lee Ross said the Board of Mission and Social Concerns is recommending the church donate plate offerings from the Christmas Eve services to two organizations, Charter House Coalition, which shelters homeless people, and Migrant Justice, which aids immigrant farmworkers. Council approved a motion dividing donations equally between the two groups.

Council members amended the church’s personnel policy to create a second category of full-time  employment. Previously the church had a single classification which applied to the two pastors, who are salaried and receive employment benefits. The new classification, which applies to hourly employees who work at least 32 hours a week, allows workers who fall within it to be eligible for health insurance benefits, the scope and cost of which would be decided through contract negotiations. The only position affected by the change is that of Church Administrator, whose current contract calls for a 30-hour work week. Council members said the church made the change because the Administrator’s responsibilities have expanded.

Respectfully Submitted,

Matthew Cox, Church Clerk