STATED MEETING OF THE PRESBYTERY OF MN VALLEYS –

May 5, 2007

GATHERING/COMING INTO GOD’S PRESENCE

The Stated Meeting of the Presbytery of MN Valleys was called to order on May 6, 2007 by Moderator, Elder Kathy

Terpstra at 10:00 a.m. with prayer at the First Presbyterian Church in Lake Crystal, MN.

COMING INTO GOD’S PRESENCE

The Call to Worship was led by Bob Williams, Lake Crystal.

The opening hymn was “Today We All Are Called to Be Disciples.”

The prayer of confession and declaration of pardon were led by Cindy Peterson, Blue Earth.

We shared the peace of Christ and sang the Gloria Patri.

The Rev. Randal Lubbers welcomed us on behalf of the First Presbyterian Church, Lake Crystal, MN.

A quorum was declared.

PRESBYTERY VOTED to approve the agenda

PRESBYTERY VOTED to seat the following corresponding member:

The Rev. Doug Kelly, SeattlePresbytery

The Rev. Kathy Michael, Twin Cities Area Presbytery

The first time commissioners and guests were introduced.

The Rev. Kathy Michael, Associate Pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota,

and member of the Twin Cities Area Presbytery spoke on spiritual growth and stewardship.  Then the mission

group from the First Presbyterian Church, Willmar who went to Louisiana shared a power point report which Arlen

Sjerven led.  This mission group was endorsed by the Presbytery and people from various congregations in the

 Presbytery went on the trip; the Willmar church organized this effort.  They worked with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

 in the Louisiana Bayou.

Ruby Kleymann, Committee on Preparation for Ministry gave the following report.  She reported that Ruth Goldthwaite

has been examined by the Boise Presbytery where she has received a call as chaplain pending her ordination here.  Her

ordination service is being planned for Sunday, September 16, 2007 at the First Presbyterian Church, St. Cloud.  The Committee

on Ministry will help her in putting together her administrative commission for ordination.   She also reported that Sara

Stegemann has been certified ready to receive a call.    The full Committee on Preparation for Ministry report is found in

Appendix A.

Vern Maxa from the Nominating Committee brought forth an oral report.  He reported that the one of the General Assembly

clergy commissioners needs to be replaced as the Rev. Chris Herring will be leaving our Presbytery.  Clergy are encouraged

to fill out an application available online and return to the Presbytery office by August 1.  Also they are looking for alternate

General Assembly commissioners, two elders and two clergy.  A Youth Advisory Delegate is also being sought; if you have a

 youth who would be interested in serving in this capacity please let the Presbytery office know.  Also he reported about the

readers for ordination exams who were Charles Moore and Dawn Linder; they had a positive experience.  If anyone would be

interested in being a reader for ordination exams, please let Vern or the Presbytery office know.  In our packet was included a

nomination form for Presbytery service.  We are encouraged to fill it out and send to the Presbytery office.  The Council will be

assigning a new person to the Nominating Committee in place of Amanda Smith who will be moving.

The Nominating Committee placed the following names into nomination:  Grayson Osteraas for Council and Cindy Matthews

 Rosa for the Self-Development of People.  The moderator asked for nominations from the floor.  PRESBYTERY VOTED

to close the floor to nominations and cast a ballot by acclamation.

Rob Bellin from the Congregational Resources committee shared about the Pentecost offering. An offering of $500.80.00

was received which will go towards the denominational Pentecost offering.  The Doxology was sung.

We broke for lunch at 12:00 p.m.  During lunch a video about immigrants was shown by the Social Action Ministry committee.

We reconvened at 1:00 p.m. by singing the hymn “As Those of Old Their Firstfruits Brought.”

A time of Speak Out and announcements was shared.  Jim Krapf gave an update on the immigrant situation in Worthington. 

Isabella Davis gave an update on the Self Development of People grants through the One Great Hour of Sharing.  Rallah Madison

 told us to save the date for the Clearwater Conference, April 18-20, 2008 at Clearwater Forest.  Leonard Sweet will be

the speaker.  Karen Woehler talked about the World Missions Celebration 2007.  In October a mission worker is coming to

our Presbytery.  Ray Larson talked about the maple sap harvest at Clearwater Forest which will be on sale at the camp.  Bev Raske

talked about the Leadership Development for Ministry program which has another program in June.  Kathy Terpstra shared  an

invitation from the Occidente Presbytery to their Women’s Presbyterial.  If you are interested, please contact the International

Partnerships or the Presbyterian Women.

Carolyn Schultz from Madelia shared the Scripture readings of Deuteronomy 14:22-29, Matthew 6:25-34 and Acts 20:35. 

Don Crissinger-Clark shared a meditation entitled “pihsdrawets.” Chris Conlin shared joys and concerns and then led us in

 the pastoral prayer and the Lord’s Prayer.Eunice MacFarlane, Committee on Ministry presented a written report found in

Appendix B.  She shared that Chris Herring, Edgerton/Lismore,  Kathy Schuler, interim at Osakis, Amanda Smith, Brown’s

Valley and Mark Winther, Wheaton will all be leaving their positions.   PRESBYTERY VOTED to receive the report.

Doug Kelly our new regional representative from the Board of Pensions introduced himself and talked about the Board’s

programs.Roger Grussing chair of the Council gave an oral report.  LeRoy Ennenga, co-chair of the Budget and Finance

Committee First Presbyterian Church, Brainerd requesting a loan of up to $40,000.00 to upgrade their building to bring it

up to fire code.  PRESBYTERY VOTED to concur with the request of the First Presbyterian Church to take out a loan of

$40,000.00 to upgrade their building to bring it up to fire code. Roger talked about the upcoming Council meeting where

committee chairs are invited to share about their work.  He gave certificates to churches that paid their mission funds in

full for the year.Sue Coller gave an oral report.  She is planning on doing cluster visits this summer; if your congregation

would be interested in hosting this event, please talk with her.  She talked about the General Assembly moderator visiting

our Presbytery in September at the Presbytery meeting as well as a prayer retreat.  The pastor and commissioned lay

pastor’s retreat will be in October.  In the works is a Presbytery-wide, week long/10 day mission trip for the Gulf region. 

She celebrated with Ray Larson and Candace Adams who will be receiving their doctorate of ministry.  Frank Brown was

congratulated for his 50 year ordination; he was ordained in June, 1997.  She gave certificates to those congregations who

had an adult baptism in 2006.  Pamela Prouty submitted the following report:

STATED CLERK’S REPORT

TO THE

MINNESOTA VALLEYS PRESBYTERY

MAY 5, 2007

1.The 2006 official minutes of the Minnesota Valleys Presbytery were submitted to the Synod of Lakes and Prairies for

review in March, 2007.  There were approved without exception.

2. The number of ministers of Word and Sacrament and elder representation in the Minnesota Valleys Presbytery is in

balance as of January 1, 2007 and no adjustments are needed at this time.  The congregations are entitled 68 elder

commissioners to the Presbytery.  We have 65 congregations with three congregations having more than 500 members

(Luverne, Mankato and St. Cloud).  There are 10 elder members of Council, 12 Commissioned Lay Pastors, two

committee chairs who are elders and the Presbyterian Women moderator who is an elder.  We have 85 ministers

 of the Word and Sacrament on our rolls and 75 reside within the Presbytery.

3. The votes for each of the proposed amendments to the Constitution were transmitted to the General Assembly. 

We voted on these proposed amendments at the February Presbytery meeting.

She also reported that Session Record Reviews have been set for June; these meetings will happen by cluster.  And on

November 8, 2007 the required Boundary Training will be at the First Presbyterian Church, Willmar.  This is required for

all minister members, commissioned lay pastors and certified lay pastors.

The Consent Agenda as follows was presented by Pamela Prouty, Stated Clerk:

CONSENT AGENDA

FOR THE

MINNESOTA VALLEYS PRESBYTERY

MAY 5, 2007

1.                  Receive the Report of the Council (Appendix C)

2.                  Approve the minutes of the February 13, 2007 Stated Meeting of the Presbytery of Minnesota Valleys.

3.                  Receive the Committee on Ministry report (Appendix B)

4.                  Receive the Stated Clerk’s Report (above)

5.                  Receive the Executive Presbyter’s Report (Appendix D)

PRESBYTERY VOTED to receive the Consent Agenda.

Jim Krapf chair of International Partnerships Ministry Action Team gave an oral report.  LeRoy Ennenga recently attended

the Clean Water School, Jim attended the Guatemalan Network meeting.  The next water installation will be going out in late

June, early July.  This will be the third installation; the people who are going are Harold Kampa, Edith Alverez, Heidi Chapman,

LeRoy Ennenga, Jan Prehn.  If you would like to be included in one of these delegations, talk with someone on the

International Partnerships team.  They are looking at having a delegation from the Occidente Presbytery here in 2008.  Also we

hopefully will have a group of women go to the Occidente Presbyterial women’s gathering in February 2008.

Laura Hollister from the Social Action Ministry gave an oral report.  This committee is issuing a challenge to each congregation

to meet the needs of a group within our communities which is needy.  She shared stories of congregations in our Presbytery

who are reaching out to the needy in their communities.  Also she shared about grants which are available through the Social

Action Ministry. A group of women Judy Larson, Lynne Osteraas and from Cluster 2 were commissioned to go on a mission

trip to Guatamala led by Karen Woehler.

Dawn Carder, vice-moderator of the Presbytery led retirement services for the Rev. Les Winters and the Rev. Bob Maharry

who will be retiring at the end of the month.

We sang the closing hymn “God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending.”

Our next Presbytery meeting will be on Saturday, September 15 at the First Presbyterian Church, Brainerd.

Ruby Kleymann and Bob Maharry served as parliamentarians.

Kathy Terpstra led us in the Benediction.

Presbytery was adjourned at

Respectfully submitted,

Pamela Prouty

Stated Clerk

APPENDIX A

COMMITTEE ON PREPARATION FOR MINISTRY
Report to Presbytery ~ May 5, 2007

Doug Dent, Ruby Kleymann, John Lindholm, Gerald Olson, Clay Rosa, Iris Stevens, and Donna Buell (chair)