At the Oct. 14 meeting of the Church Council, Robert Foster, chair of the Board of Trustees, said a mistake by workers who are replacing the roof allowed water to infiltrate the sanctuary through a portion of the northeast ceiling. Insulation above the ceiling had to be discarded, and a portion of the ceiling will need to be repainted, but the underlying wood appears to be fine. The project has progressed more slowly than the church would like, he said. To speed things along, Naylor & Breen, the chief contractor, has said it will add crews to do staging and non-slate work.

Moderator Leanna Maglienti asked Pastor Elizabeth Gleich to update the Council on her September arrest, along with six other pastors, on misdemeanor trespass charges after they participated in a demonstration at the Williston offices of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Pastor Elizabeth said she is due to appear in court Oct. 20 to enter a plea, and that she and others in the group are receiving pro bono legal representation. Someone asked if church members have responded negatively to her participation. Pastor Andy Nagy-Benson said he has had conversations with a handful of congregation members who’ve expressed concerns about her arrest; some wanted to know if Council had approved her participation. Council members repeated what they'd said previously: that both pastors are free to act on their personal convictions, and that church members are free to agree or disagree with them.

Pastor Andy said the Friday Night Community Supper Program is on firm footing now that Gus Jordan has agreed to spearhead the volunteers. He asked the Council to consider setting up an approval process for Art in Unity’s wall hangings in the church, not because there have been problems with the displays, but because there is no system now for reviewing them.

Michele Brown, a member of the Budget Team, said the church already has received $76,000 for the 2026 Capital Campaign, which seeks to raise $675,000 to replace the roof, repay two loans, and buy the leased solar panels on the roof of the new addition. The roof replacement is expected to cost up to $550,000.

Council members voted to allow May Poduschnick, director of Children and Youth Ministries, to continue her efforts to find a Middlebury College work-study student to provide adult supervision in the nursery during Sunday worship; to have Leanna sign a work-study agreement with the college; and to have the Board of Christian Development review the church’s Safe Church Policy to see how hiring a student would require its amendment. Bill Thurber, who chairs the board, said May has been unable to find enough volunteers to provide consistent supervision.

After emerging from an executive session, Council approved two motions:

“Having reviewed the self-assessment of our Senior Pastor, Church Council affirms that our church community continues to thrive under and benefit from Pastor Andy Nagy-Benson’s leadership, inspiration, and dedication. We are grateful for the devotion and care he shows to both the church and the greater community. We are blessed by his many talents including inspirational and timely sermons and teaching of adult education classes and we are continuing to benefit from his advanced education. We recognize his increased focus and commitment to Pastoral Care, the Youth Group and mentoring of Eliana. Other contributions include Vice Moderator of the Addison Association of the

Vermont Conference (UCC), continued active participation in the Middlebury Clergy Association, and leading Table 21’s effort to fund significant home repair/improvement projects for church families;” and

“Having reviewed the self-assessment of our Associate Pastor, Church Council affirms that our Church community continues to benefit from Pastor Elizabeth Gleich’s leadership, inspiration, and dedication. We are grateful for the devotion and care she shows to both the Church and the greater community. We are blessed by her many talents and appreciate her leadership of Parent Playdate, the College Ministry team, Taizè services and in her Pastoral Care. She is recognized for consistently thoughtful, faithful leadership of worship services and exceptional sermons. Her ministerial call to act on social justice issues has garnered her attention and praise.”

Respectfully Submitted,

Matthew Cox, Church Clerk

Poinsettias are available in 6½ inch pots in your choice of red or white for $25 each. You may dedicate your plant in memory of or in honor of a loved one. Dedications will be printed in the Christmas Eve bulletin.

Orders may be placed online using this link or in person during coffee hour on Sunday, November 8 and 15.

The deadline for all orders and dedication information is November 17. If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Evarts at 802-349-5788.

Thank you for helping us make our church beautiful for the Christmas season!