Business Meeting Agenda
Minutes
Letters
Financial Report
Screening Council Member recommendations for church officers
Personnel Recommendation concerning Life Pastor Job Description
Update Phase II building
Information concerning possibly joining El Paso Baptist Association (in addition to our current partnership with Rio Grande Baptist Association)
Other Business
Pastor’s Comments
Election of Officers
ELECTION OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS: In the regular Church business meeting on Wednesday, April 24, 2021, the membership will elect one Trustee and a Treasurer.
Election Process: The Screening Council, which includes representatives of different areas of leadership within the Church will identify and recruit potential trustees; interview all candidates, ensuring that they meet the qualifications; and present qualified candidates to the Church as nominees for each open position at the April 28 business meeting.
Positions Available For Election:
Trustee term expiring 2028
Treasurer term expiring 2027
Process Schedule:
February 21 Begin submitting names.
March 22 Last day to submit names to the church office.
April 11 Nominee bios with pictures available to church membership.
April 24 Business meeting and vote.
The Screening Council has broad latitude in determining the process for selecting the candidates presented for nomination. In addition to persons selected by the Screening Council, the Council will take under advisement names submitted by resident members on their own behalf or by others, including current Trustees who are eligible, provided that the proposed candidate has expressed a willingness to serve. Names of candidates may be submitted to the Church office beginning February 21.
Copies of qualifications and duties are available with this document. The Screening Council has the option to request that candidates submit a biographical sketch (no more than one page) listing their qualifications. All names are to be submitted to the Church office for delivery to the Chair of the Screening Council on or before Wednesday, March 17, 2021.
Bios with a picture of those nominees selected by the Screening Council are available in the Church office to the membership beginning Wednesday, April 14, 2021.
Submit nominations to the church office at Sonoma or emailed to Krista Wilson (kristaw@fbclascruces.com).
Current Trustees:
Terry Dean, Treasurer 2023
Ken Adcock 2025
Kevin Farrah 2023
Travis Tarry 2024
TRUSTEE QUALIFICATIONS
Trustees are in a fiduciary relationship with the Church. Their primary responsibility is to always act in good faith for the benefit of the Church. They should avoid over-involvement in day-to-day management, except when serious problems or potential problems have been identified, as charged by the governing body. Following is a brief description of the knowledge and experience base expected for those seeking the office of Trustee. Candidates should be aware that these are volunteer, uncompensated positions.
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All Trustees are, first and foremost, expected to be committed to the Lord and His ministry through the Church. They should be good leaders and willing servants, prayerful and diligent in fulfilling their responsibilities with a strong record of active service and involvement in the programs of First Baptist Church.
Qualified Trustees can have a variety of educational backgrounds and work experience. Desirable attributes include significant business and/or administrative experience, advanced education, knowledge in the areas of employment law, taxation, some level of financial expertise (budgeting, understanding financial statements, debt financing), knowledge about construction and real estate transactions, facilities management, human resources and personnel administration, risk management and insurance, board experience with other organizations and the like. No single Trustee would be expected to meet all such criteria, but collectively the Trustees must have qualifications that cover a broad spectrum of such types of expertise–plus a large measure of common sense.
Trustees must be knowledgeable about the Church bylaws, policies and procedures and should be familiar with the provisions of the NM Nonprofit Corporation Act and other regulatory requirements.
They must be willing to do the necessary “homework”, or seek expert counsel, when their job entails dealing with issues for which they are not well prepared by virtue of their education or experience.
Only Church members who have actively attended the Church for at least five years are eligible for nomination to any Trustee position.
OFFICER QUALIFICATIONS
Treasurer Qualifications:
The Treasurer should have the qualifications as previously listed for Trustees, and also must have a strong background in the areas of financial management, financial reporting, and accounting.
The Treasurer shall have broad oversight for the financial records of the Church and shall ensure that a full report of financial operations of the Church be made annually at the first business meeting following the end of the fiscal (calendar) year or as soon thereafter as possible. The Treasurer is expected to be an advisor and general resource person to the church business administrator and church financial secretary. Both of these positions report functionally to the Treasurer and the Finance Committee (administratively to the Senior Pastor). The Treasurer serves as an ex-officio voting member of both the Board of Trustees and the Finance Committee, participates in budget development, budgetary control, financial analysis, and must be knowledgeable about all aspects of the business operations of the church.
The Treasurer will, for example, be expected to have an acceptable level of financial and business expertise in areas such as the following: Housing allowances (manner of designation, amendment, notification); reimbursement of business and ministry-related expenses and related tax laws (e.g., IRS full accountable reimbursement plans); charitable contributions, designated contributions, and substantiation of contributions; insurance; self-employment taxes for ministers; payroll tax reporting; the unrelated business income tax; protection of tax exempt status, NM gross receipts taxes, and various other requirements related to church tax reporting and recordkeeping. A desirable knowledgeable base would also include some familiarity with: compensation planning, being able to distinguish between exempt and non-exempt employees, determining whether an individual is an employee or should be treated as self-employed, ensuring adherence to the Wage and Hour Law and the Fair Labor Standards Act, fringe benefits, ministerial exceptions to certain laws, and the like.
