Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry
Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry
January 24, 2014 - Florida Conference Building, Lakeland
Meeting Minutes
Members Present: Mike Crawford, Melynne Rust, Cynthia Sucher, Melissa Stump, Mike Fordham, Jim Manuel, Will Finnin, Josh Bell, Lyndol Loyd, Patti Aupperlee, Paul Aupperlee, Jon Tschanz, Dick Scheaffer, Glenn Bosley-Mitchell, Bob Douglass, Nathan Adams, Yvonne McShay, Stacey Thompson, Willie A. Miller, Jr., Drew Dancey
Campus Ministers Present: Erik Seise (USF Crosswinds), Paul Massingill (FIU-MDC), Cindy Guiles (Stetson), Derrick Scott (CCW) and Vance Rains (FSU)
Executive Director: David Fuquay
Members Absent: Charissa Jaeger-Sanders, Jim Divine, David Allen, Allen Johnson,
Call to Order at 10:05 am - Rev. Lyndol Loyd, Chair
- Introductions
Devotion - Rev. Nathan Adams
- Matthew 16:21-26; "Background" by Lecrae - our job is to "play the background" and let God lead in our lives
Approval of Minutes from September 27, 2013
- Motion: Cynthia Sucher
- Second: Yvonne McShay
- Minutes Approved
Executive Director's Report - David Fuquay
- Meeting Evaluation form - please fill out by end of meeting to make sure BHECM meetings are as productive as possible
- Correction: Agenda lists Erik Seise as FIU/MDC director, he is at USF Crosswinds.
- Fall site visits went well
- Meeting with Trustees went well
- Took a group from Florida to Exploration event and the office of clergy excellence was able to pay for many of their plane tickets.
- FSU Wesley Search process update - (see Executive Director Report dated January 24, 2014) Expectation of decision by February 4 with general announcement to be determined.
- FSU Facilities update - new goal is a metal building on current site of "Chapel of the Upper Room" (concrete building); four sources of funding outlined in Exec. Dir. Report
- Nominations - participation from BHECM membership continues to increase; we need to fill positions with a particular need for people with expertise in finance.
- Wesley Student Leader event at Warren Willis
- Campus Minister Retreat at end of May
- Response to questions: Conversations will begin in January 2015 regarding ministry at FAMU. Exploring ministry possibilities at Nova Southeastern and FAU, with support of Nova Southeastern President.
Committee Working Groups 10:45-11:50
Finance Report - Dick Scheaffer
- 2013 report (see annotated Consolidated Report dated 12/31/13) - Currently we are "in the black" but have to factor in additional $15,000 for FSU planning processes and $15,000 in maintenance fees requested in 2013 and approved retroactively in 2014
- 2014-15 Budget (see "2014-15 Budget (Higher Education and Campus Ministries) Preliminary" dated January 15, 2014) - we submit a budget request to Conference which is reviewed by CF&A with a summary of budget voted on by Conference.
- 2015 increase in Campus Unit Grants due to going from 8 to 9 campus ministries with addition of FGCU
- Motion to approve proposed budget for 2015 - Dick Scheaffer
- Second - Cynthia Sucher
- Discussion: Does it appear the Conference will approve such an increase? Initial responses from Mickey Wilson are positive, but CF&A usually suggests a small reduction.
- Motion Carries
Lunch at 12:12 pm
Reconvene at 1:05 pm
Feedback regarding working groups - felt that this was an effective use of time, but perhaps spend larger portion of our time together in working groups with more time to prepare for those meetings in advance.
Conversations with Campus Ministers
Vance Rains
- celebrations: strongest freshman class in a long time; 220 to Winter Retreat; feel like the ministry is preparing well for a healthy transition, strong Board, strong student leadership; cancelled Monday night service for community service on Monday - partnering with Joe Lewis housing development, having 40-50 students every Monday working with children
- Greatest challenges - "in-between" time for Vance regarding current/future decisions regarding building and other planning decisions; financial commitments today that will affect future of ministry; Vance will prioritize urgent repairs and give broad strokes direction to new building design
- Sabbatical last summer was very restorative - increase in self-care, prayer, rest, led worship at biker church
- Responses to questions: student counseling load has decreased this year; we are on front edge of new generation; best practices include great location, hard work on part of leadership, clarity of priorities (community, maturity, impact), intentional discipleship, highly experiential - events/mission trips,
- Prayers for Vance and family - Vance's mom's eye surgery, dad's advancing Alzheimer’s,
- BHECM would like David Fuquay to engage in conversations with FSU Board regarding how local board and how BHECM would like to recognize Vance's service.
Erik Seise
- Erik arrived July 1, 2013
- Celebrations: 20-25 leaders identified for next Fall, lots of conversations about future.
- Where God's moving: opportunities to engage students in conversation in non-confrontational ways, including a Sunday morning service, pieces are really falling into place.
- Challenges: starting a fundraising model, location not near center of campus
- Next year, I hope to report: we have a Sunday morning worship for 100-150 students, further conversations with Hyde Park and Anona UMC regarding multi-site campus ministry, expanded small group discipleship
- How is it with your soul?: Doing well - praise for wife's clean bill of health after cancer, self-feeding with more spiritual reading, very happy spiritually and with new location
- Responses to other questions: community for Erik is developing, possibly small group with Matt Horan, getting to know local pastors;
- Prayers for Erik and family: growing family, one year of being cancer free; being open to God's movement
- Follow-up: looking forward to hearing personal community develop for Erik, he's doing good work; follow-up with pacing/self-care; clergy care aspect, follow-up regarding wife's health; how is he doing with preaching/pastoral care?
Cindy Guiles
- Celebrations: son's 26th birthday today; this month marks 17 years of serving at Stetson; "Lunch Crunch" outreach lunch on campus being funded 100% by student government and volunteer support from Trinity UMC and First UMC
- Where God's moving: student leaders of different Christian organizations coming together for worship night and other collaborative efforts (Wesley and Catholic Student center Valentines event)
- Challenges: Cindy meeting spiritual needs of / connecting with / discipling male students; discipling non-churched students - need a Christianity 101 course;
- Responses to questions: good relationship with faculty members in Religious Studies; great relationship with student government - potential of $20K from Stetson this coming school year;
- How do you stay fresh / adapted to generational change? - having children the same age helped keep current; Catalyst Conference, staying informed; alumni working in higher education;
- How is it with your soul? - Cindy feels the need for some renewal leave; direction from Board that Cindy work with David and local board to put together a proposal including a timeline
- Praying for Cindy: praying for son's salvation, daughter's career, Cindy's growth and healing and new positive friendships
- Follow up: David/Trustees/Cindy should all be on the same page regarding next steps for parking lot issue; follow up regarding Cindy's renewal leave; discipleship process questions
Other Business - no other business at this time
Meeting Evaluation - everyone was requested to fill out Meeting Evaluation forms
Closing Prayer - Rev. Mike Fordham
Adjournment at 3:17 pm
Respectfully submitted, Josh Bell, Secretary
NOTE: All reports referenced in minutes are available for download at