Slideshow image

Church Family,
 
This week, we want to share how we will move toward a vote on March 29. The vote will be on whether to authorize the Leadership Board of our church to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Habitat for Humanity, Seattle/King and Kitattas Counties (Habitat SKKC or just Habitat). Our Superintendent from the Bishop’s Cabinet, Rev. Mark Galang will preside at an All Church Conference after worship on the 29th. In the United Methodist Church, an All Church Conference is a meeting to do the business of the church in which everyone attending has voice, but only full church members attending have voice and vote. Unfortunately, even though we love our visitors, affiliate members, and friends, we must follow the rules in the United Methodist Book of Discipline and only allow full members to vote in this situation. Those not attending, whether members or not, do not have voice or vote. There is no provision for absentee voting. We are working with Rev. Galang to make a way for those attending on Zoom to be able to vote. The details of that process are not known yet but we’ll let you know as soon as we have final word.
 
After worship that day, we will remain in the sanctuary and Rev. Galang will call the meeting to order. After a short presentation and the opportunity to address any questions, ballots will be distributed to church members who will be asked to vote yes or no to authorize the Leadership Board to sign the MOU. There will not be the opportunity to change the MOU on that day. Ballots will be collected and counted by non-church members. The counters in this All Church Conference will be T.J. Stutman, neighbor to the church, and Nancy and Norman Kwazinski, volunteers with Math Camp and Homework Helpers. While votes are being counted, there will be some time for fellowship and possibly some music. The results of the ballot counting will be announced and then the meeting will be adjourned. After the meeting concludes, we will have the opportunity to go downstairs to the Fellowship Hall for a delicious Soup and Bread meal together.
 
If there are those who do not wish to stay for lunch, they may leave at the end of the business meeting. If there are some who wish to have lunch but not participate in the business meeting, they are welcome to proceed to the Fellowship Hall immediately after worship and have some additional Fellowship Time. If there are any questions about who is a member and who is not, Michelle Manis is the current Membership Secretary for Haller Lake UMC and can resolve any issues.
 
The small group meetings this week and the congregational meeting on Sunday, March 15 after worship are the best places to provide input into any recommendations for changes, additions, or improvements to the MOU. There are several options being considered and Leadership Board will make a decision after next Sunday about how to proceed so that Habitat can prepare the best possible scenario for our congregation.
 
The main question that has to be decided before the March 29 Conference is whether the MOU will be about the west half of the property or the south half of the property. If the west half is developed, the existing parsonage will be removed and a new parsonage built as part of the development. If the south half is developed, the P Patch will be removed and the existing parsonage will remain. The sale price for the land is higher for the south half than for the west half. In both cases, the rental house and playground will be removed and parking will decrease. Also in both cases, there are possibilities for continuing to welcome Camp United We Stand periodically.
 
In last week’s newsletter, we shared that there are two other scenarios: to sell some part of the property at market rate, rather than for affordable housing, or to not sell any part of the property. Those other two scenarios are not the focus of our current work for several reasons. First, we have been working for four years to move toward affordable housing because that was been the task that we were charged to do and we are seeing our task to completion. Second, those options are not consistent with the goals that Leadership Board set for our work, which were to reduce the property management burden on our congregation and to understand and respond to the needs of our neighborhood and community. Those scenarios are not directions that the church can move in at this time, but would require another process like the one we’ve been through over the last several years to explore and determine their feasibility. We share them for full disclosure, not because we have the information needed to proceed toward them at this time. We continue to welcome your questions and comments.
 
Faithfully Yours, HLUMC Faithland Team: Jon Daniel, Carol Jaeger, and Pastor Laura