Yes. Budget breakdowns for each ministry department have been added to the documents on the voting page. 

Prior to 2020, voting was done in-person at a meeting that was limited to members. For the past two years we’ve invited members to vote prior to the in-person meeting for the following reasons…

• to allow people more time to consider voting items and ask questions

• to give opportunity for members to ask more thorough and nuanced questions than the large-group format lends itself to

• to be considerate of members who remain wary of attending gatherings, or are unavailable on the date of the meeting due to travel, illness, conflicts, etc.

• to include non-members in the meetings (meetings are an opportunity to cast vision for the months ahead, and we want to include those who aren't yet members to join in looking ahead)

Historically, voting has not been anonymous. Prior to 2020, votes were done by show of hands at a public meeting. Last year we did submit votes anonymously (last year's ballot only asked voters to check a box stating "I certify that I am a member of FBC Everett, and will submit only one vote"). Some concern was expressed about the integrity of that procedure, so this year's vote requires a name for verification.

[This question was asked at the Aug 6 q&a session]. Digital votes are submitted through an online form system that multiple office staff and elders have access to. Records of votes with associated names will be available for inspection at the August 20 meeting by anyone who wishes to verify their vote was recorded accurately.

[This question was asked at the Aug 6 q&a session]. The Lead Pastor was approved to be a voting member of the Elders in a 2018 revision of the bylaws. Any member of the Elder Team, including the Lead Pastor, is expected to recuse him/herself when their vote might represent a conflict of interest. Article 5.5.C in the bylaws stipulates: “To support impartiality, any Board member shall recuse himself/herself when there is a possible or perceived conflict of interest for issues requiring a board vote. A conflict of interest may be identified by any Elder. Any disagreement about the identified conflict of interest shall be decided by simple majority vote of the Elders.”

• Bryan Blair (elder since 2009)
• Jeff Cole (elder since 2020)
• Scott Goodman (elder since 2015)
• Mawete Luboya (elder since 2018)
• Ian Magnone (elder since 2020)
• Carol McKissick (elder since 2012)
• Brandon Wright (elder since 2019)

Our historical practice has been to limit voting to members physically present at the congregational meeting per Article 4.5 of the bylaws. During the pandemic, the bylaws were amended to allow “flexibility in meeting and voting methods” for times “when the church is unable to meet in person for worship or business meetings” (Article 4.8). Since 2020, as the DOH has continued to recommend temporary isolation/quarantine for those who test positive for COVID, the Elders have left the provisions of Article 4.8 in place to accommodate those unable to attend in person due to COVID or other health precautions.

Given the elevator's age it's proving difficult to find the needed parts for the fix. Our maintenance company had already conducted a national search attempting to locate the part, and is now searching globally. (Unfortunately, due to elevator safety standards, the part cannot simply be replicated by an engineer). If we're not able to replace the needed part, we will have to begin looking into partial or full replacement which would involve significant cost.

Discussion topics at the August 13 Q&A included...

• The possibility of making Q&A time more accessible to those unable to attend a session
• The process of Elders receiving and responding to questions submitted to the online question form
• How staff members contribute to the formulation of the budget
• Why we took a hybrid approach to voting (in person and online)
• Clarification on management of the voting process and suggestions for future process
• Whether/how maintenance and staffing costs can be reduced
• The importance of member engagement in growth/health of the church