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Latest Consultant Leadership Updates

for Saturday, November 19

Update on Saturday, November 19, 2022

From CHBC Leadership

Email to Members from Elder Chair, Steven King:


Dear Church Family,


I am writing to you today about the GRACE Final Report and Recommendations document we received on November 5th. 


The Elder Oversight Team, Elder Board, Deacon Board, Advisory Team, and the Consulting Working Group have read the 64-page document. 


This document was difficult to read, with important and heart-wrenching stories from former staff members and church members who have felt hurt over the years, but it was important for the leaders to read about the hurt experienced in our recent past. Your leaders have spent countless hours over the past two weeks processing and trying to discern how best to shepherd our church in light of the report, which we have anticipated for some time. 


Because of the level of detail and the nature of those stories, from which the interviewee and subjects of the stories were easily identifiable, we asked Layla Dowdy and Margaret Faircloth, the non-elder, non-staff members of the Consulting Working Group, to select a committee to provide an accurate and representative summary of the full report. During the writing process, the names of the writing committee were kept confidential so there would be no perception of influence on those writing the Summary. The committee writers were Kim Barrier (Deacon), Michelle Kirtley (Advisory Team Member), and Rick Hove (Elder, LPST).


After receiving the 18-page Summary document from the committee, the Elders, Deacons, Advisory Team, and Consulting Working Group have affirmed this statement regarding the Summary and the GRACE Final Report and Recommendations:


This summary accurately presents the stories, teachings, and findings of the GRACE report. We recognize that any summary in nature is not conclusive, but this summary document seeks to communicate each aspect of the report, including tone, and does not add to nor correct aspects of the GRACE Final Report and Recommendations.


The GRACE Final Report and this Summary document are helping us to see our previous faults and issues and will help us apologize, care for, and reconcile with those hurting members. These documents will also help us better shepherd our church body now and in the future.


[LINK TO THE SUMMARY OF THE GRACE FINAL REPORT]


As you read the Summary document, it may bring up questions and personal concerns. We want to talk through these as a church family during our Members' Informational Meeting at 4 pm tomorrow, Sunday November 20. Jay and I, on behalf of the elders, will discuss many of the issues raised in the document, give you a chance to ask questions, and spend some time praying and lamenting the hurt.


Please pray for our church and those hurting as we prepare for the meeting tomorrow afternoon.


In Christ,


--

Steven King

Elder Chair @ Chapel Hill Bible Church


Updated on Sunday, November 10, 2022

From CHBC Leadership

Email to Members/Regular Attenders from Elder Chair, Steven King:


Dear CHBC family,

I want to update you on my message from last Sunday afternoon.


This week, our various leadership teams, about 50 people, have been prayerfully working through the 64-page cultural assessment from GRACE. We said this past Sunday that we would not work in haste, and we have since discerned that we need more time to work through the report and each of its recommendations. Because of this, we are postponing our planned Members’ informational Meeting by a week, from this Sunday, November 13, until the following Sunday, November 20 at 4 pm.


Thank you for your patience through this process, and we look forward to sharing more with you in the coming days. 


Thanks,


--

Steven King

Elder Chair @ Chapel Hill Bible Church


Update on Sunday, November 6, 2022

From CHBC LEadership

Email to Members/Regular Attenders from Elder Chair, Steven King:


Dear CHBC family,

Early Saturday morning, we received the GRACE Final Report and Recommendations. Fifteen people made up of the Elder Oversight Team, the Pastors, Erin Bethany, Ginger Carnahan, Margaret Faircloth, and Greg Omland, met from 8 am to 4 pm yesterday to read and work through the 62-page document.


This week about 50 people, made up of the elder board, deacon board, advisory team, and consulting working group, will be working through the report and recommendations, and we will present that to you next week.


We will have a Members' Informational Meeting next Sunday, Nov 13th, at 4 pm to discuss the report and to answer questions. We hope you can be there. I am guessing many of you are wondering if or when we will release the report. The small team yesterday decided we should not make such an important decision so quickly without having time to pray and consider all the possibilities and implications. 


It has taken a long time to get to this point, and I am thankful we finally have the report. We will not work or communicate in haste. We will continue to be prayerful, thoughtful, and compassionate. We have a lot of work to do this week, and we will talk about that work next week and answer your questions. I encourage all of our members to join us next Sunday evening.


On behalf of the CHBC leadership, 


--

Steven King,

Elder Chair @ Chapel Hill Bible Church


Update on Friday, August 24, 2022

From Consultant Working Group

It was great to have such a prayerful and enjoyable business meeting last week to call new ministers to serve our body.


As we had also hoped to have a members meeting in September to bring forth bylaw changes, we wanted to update you on our ongoing work with our consultants.


  • First, we are still collecting input for our True North process and working through additional details with the new policy governance structure.
  • Second, we have been informed by GRACE that we should expect their cultural assessment report later this Fall.


While these updates have a theme of “delay,” we still are on track to meet our overall timeline of finishing this work by the end of the year. Thank you for your prayers and partnership as we work through these last steps.


Update on Wednesday, June 8, 2022

From Consultant Working Group

In our communication, GRACE has described that their assessments produce a "final report," which is typically 40-60 pages. The report includes an introduction on the scope and process of the assessment, findings, analysis, and recommendations. GRACE said, "Typically the nature of the recommendations will include any identified training and education needs, policies and procedures and various ways that a church can improve its care for abuse survivors."


"It is not GRACE's practice to tell a church to change its theology, or its governance structure or to remove staff. Those are treated more as 'givens'. Therefore, recommendations in GRACE assessments have addressed improving staff knowledge, behavior or communication or being aware that theological beliefs sometimes create risks or misunderstandings that can be mitigated or addressed in positive ways."


Update on Saturday, June 4, 2022

From CHBC Leadership

Email to Members from Elder Chair, Steven King:


Fellow Members,


We are looking forward to seeing you at the Annual Business Meeting this Sunday afternoon at 4 pm. I have a few updates to share with you.


I. The Elders are withdrawing our proposed Bylaws amendment for consideration at our Annual Business Meeting.

Yesterday afternoon, we were made aware of a legal hurdle with the proposed Bylaws amendment. In order to change the Board of Directors, we must follow a specific protocol that is defined by the North Carolina statute that includes a specific series of steps to enact a board change that we are unable to complete in time for a vote. With the Annual Meeting only a day away, we are not able to propose a new motion that would be in accord with the statute. Therefore, we are withdrawing the Bylaw amendment and it will not be part of Sunday’s agenda. 


The elders still believe the proposed Bylaws amendment is best for our church. We intend to propose the Bylaws amendment (with slight modifications) as part of a more comprehensive set of Bylaw changes for your consideration in the coming months.


II. Two amendments to the 2022-23 Proposed Budget have been proposed by CHBC members. 

These proposed amendments will be discussed and presented for a vote at the Annual Business Meeting prior to a vote on the overall 2022-23 Proposed Budget. The two proposed amendments are as follows:

  1. “Use of the $100,000 consultant fees/implementation funding in 2022-2023 budget is contingent on church leaders release of all unedited reports received from GRACE and LFM to the congregation (by email or url link) within 3 days upon receipt of those reports. This includes any reports received during or after 2022.” (proposed by Naoshi & Debbie Yamauchi)
  2. "There will be specific details and an exact accounting of how the $100,000 for implementing the recommendations from the consultants is spent. The spending of this $100,000 will not create an on-going line item for future CHBC budgets without approval from the full congregation in a congregational meeting." (proposed by Nina Morley Daye and Wayne K. Daye)


III. Prior to the meeting, we will host a SOCIAL TIME starting at 3:30 pm, giving us a chance to live into our 3 Themes for next year (Reconnection, Care, and Celebration) as we spend some time in fellowship with one another. CHBC will provide all food and drinks, so just bring yourself!


It is important that we have a quorum at our Annual Business Meeting for the votes on elders, deacons, the budget, and the proposed budget amendments, so please make plans to attend at 4 pm THIS Sunday afternoon.


Thank you for your feedback and engagement in this process.


--

Steven King

Elder Chair


Update on Tuesday, May 3, 2022

FROM CONSULTANT WORKING GROUP

We last gathered together on February 13th for a debrief of the recommendations we received from LFM concerning our governance structure. Our Vision Team so appreciated the input we received during that meeting and have spent the last two months working through that content and refining the proposal. 


As a result of those efforts, our Vision Team produced a document which was shared with the Board of Elders on April 27th. We look forward to sharing those recommendations with you


Please register to attend our next Member Meeting on May 15th in the Sanctuary from 2-4 pm. We will lay out the proposal as approved by the Elders and will introduce one necessary bylaw change which will be voted on at our annual meeting on June 5th. 


NOTE: You may be wondering if we are getting ahead of the process by voting on this prior to receiving the report from GRACE. While the work of both firms is happening concurrently they are not dependent on each other. Per GRACE, their report will not address church governance structure. We are confident that we can continue the governance work while we await the GRACE report. 


Update on Thursday, April 28, 2022

FROM CONSULTANT WORKING GROUP

Thank you for your prayers for the Vision Team retreat that took place on April 23-24. The team spent 8+ hours preparing a document with a proposal for the new governance structure for CHBC, as recommended by LFM.


The document was presented to the Board of Elders on April 27. If approved by the Elders, these recommendations will be presented at our next Member Meeting on May 15th. 


Update on Wednesday, April 13, 2022

FROM CONSULTANT WORKING GROUP

The Vision Team will have its next retreat the weekend of April 23-24. We will continue to discuss LFM's proposal for policy governance (shared with the membership on February 13th). We will also review and discuss the proposed new Elder and Deacon roles, presented by two working groups from within the Vision Team. Please pray for our team as we continue to work through these important issues. 


The next membership debrief is scheduled for May 15th.


Update on Monday, March 28, 2022

FROM CONSULTANT WORKING GROUP

GRACE has informed us that they will not be able to deliver their report to us in May, as previously hoped. They now expect it to be finished and delivered some time this summer. Click here to read their letter, written on March 25th. 

Letter from GRACE on March 25, 2022 Letter from GRACE on March 25, 2022



Update on Friday, March 11, 2022

FROM CONSULTANT WORKING GROUP

Dear Bible Church, 


We are writing to provide you with an update on our work with the consultants we have contracted to help our church thrive as we embark into our next 50 years of life and ministry together.

Highlights from February

Feb. 13 Member Meeting: Members were invited to share their impressions of the governance model proposed by LFM. In general, comments were supportive of the proposed updated roles of elders (Protect, Direct, Connect) and deacons (expand role and numbers to include congregation care) if they will improve and clarify communication, provide accountability, improve congregational care, and promote diversity in leadership. Members were also concerned about adequate training and a transition plan for these revitalized roles. 


Some members highlighted the need to integrate the expected GRACE report into our planning and wondered if we need to wait for it before proposing a governance model to the congregation. The CWG has since consulted with GRACE who informed us their assessments primarily speak to policies, which will be developed later. The nature of the recommendations made by GRACE should not affect our forward progress on structure and governance changes. 


Feb. 19-20 Vision Team Meeting: The Vision Team reviewed team reports from the Member Meeting, worked to further clarify elder and deacon roles, and tested the effectiveness of the new roles using various hypothetical scenarios modeled on real-life situations. On the whole, there was a lot of synergy and unity around the proposed recommendations at this point, and we felt like we were on the right track and making good progress. 


Update on Sunday, February 27, 2022

From CHBC Leadership

Email to Members/Regular Attenders from Elder Chair, Steven King:


Dear Bible Church family,


This morning, I took a couple minutes during both services to address the email announcement on Monday, February 14th regarding the resignation of 4 of our 38 elders - Young Whang, Walker Hicks, Gary Cuddeback, and Joo Lee. 


You can watch the video from this morning and/or read my script of what I said below. 


"This past year has been filled with hard moments in our church body and today I would like to follow up on my email from last week.


All of your leaders, especially myself, are imperfect people trying to serve a perfect God, and we are all thankful for His grace and mercy. In all of our decisions in leadership, we strive to keep Scripture as the line and our guide. When we have differing opinions on the application of that Scripture, we seek the Holy Spirit and pray for consensus and direction. But sometimes we disagree on the application and priorities. 


Earlier this month, 4 of your 38 elders choose to resign, and I recently shared those letters with you. Those letters provided a difficult critique of the leadership (including myself) and brought up some important topics that we need to discuss.


I understand and respect the decisions of Young Whang, Walker Hicks, Gary Cuddeback and Joo Lee and commend them for honoring their convictions. I am thankful for their service to our church over the years. During the past 18 months, I have had numerous conversations with each of these men on various topics, through which it became clear to them that the rest of the leadership has a different perspective than they do.


One of the topics mentioned in the letters was the release of the GRACE Cultural Assessment. The elders commissioned this report to help us better understand and better serve our church. We will use that information to help us improve the health of the church and to better engage with our community. I and the other elders are committed to receiving the information and taking any necessary action needed. I promise that if action is needed, we will take it.


We expect to receive the assessment in May and we will share a summary of the report with the congregation. The Elders do not intend to release the full text of the assessment, as was requested. The elders are charged with the health of our church, which includes everyone, including those who work in the church. We expect this assessment will be difficult, valuable, and provide helpful, actionable information that, when used in the proper context, will help us to better serve our church. That said, we are choosing not to share the detailed document as it could be used to cause harm to our staff.


I also want to take this moment to share a little about our staff. This has been quite a difficult year for them and many have recently received hurtful, anonymous comments that have made some question why they continue to serve here. Having met with them multiple times and seen them working so hard to serve you, it breaks my heart to see how much they are hurting. So, the elders and deacons want to say this to you and to our staff: We, the elders and deacons, affirm and support our pastors and the church staff. We have been encouraged by the servant-leadership and their commitment to this body of believers through difficult times. We pray God will continue to bless their work as they lead our church body for God’s glory.


Another criticism of the letters was the leadership’s engagement on Racial Diversity. One of the letters explained that, despite the efforts of the last two years, we are less diverse than we were before. Though we’ve seen great growth and encouragement with our brothers and sisters in español ministries, and I don’t have numbers that confirm that fact, I personally know that Amy and I have seen many of our Asian brothers and sisters leave our church for other fellowships. Our once thriving Korean and Chinese ministries are not what they once were. I have also met with some of our black brothers and sisters who shared with me they feel more comfortable worshiping in churches other than ours. It breaks our hearts to know some people have not felt welcome and some have chosen to worship other places.


This must not be the case. God’s Kingdom is diverse and we must be a diverse fellowship that reflects the Kingdom of God. I want our brothers and sisters of color to not only feel welcome, but to feel God’s love. I want them to know and join us in the mission as we share the gospel to everyone in our community. But, I don’t know the best way to do this. I don’t have all the answers, but I know God is providing the people we need to be the church He desires. For example, in the last elder meeting, Michelle Smith, who serves on the Advisory Team, gave a passionate call to action among the elders that we prioritize this and take tangible and gospel-edifying steps towards being a more diverse community. One of those first steps is that ethnic diversity will be a major part of the True North discussion in the coming weeks as we work with our consultants.


We have a lot of work to do, and being a diverse church is part of our mission as we share the Gospel in our community. This is Made for Mission week, and this week has helped me realize just how much we have been focused on certain issues and neglected others. Our ultimate mission is to glorify God and to see the Gospel go forward. Yes, we have things to learn and issues still to work through. But we - the elders, deacons, staff, and entire congregation - need to be on mission together, both in these ultimate goals and in our willingness to work together on others. We need to be caring for each other. We need to be serving each other. We need to be welcoming to each other. We need to be on a mission, together, for God’s glory."


Please continue to pray for our church as we seek unity and God's direction for CHBC. 


--

Steven King

Elder Chair


Update on Monday, February 14, 2022

From CHBC Leadership

Email to Members/Regular Attenders from Elder Chair, Steven King:


Dear Church Family,


The past year has been tough for our church. The elders have worked through many complex issues and made some difficult decisions. I am saddened to share with you that Gary Cuddeback, Walker Hicks, Joo Lee, and Young Whang have resigned from the Elder Board this weekend out of concerns that church leadership, specifically elders and staff pastors, have been delinquent in shepherding the church well.


Though I am saddened by this step, I understand the decisions of these individuals. I respect each of my brothers for honoring their convictions and I am thankful for their service to the Lord and church over the years. Each one of these men has contributed through their leadership over the years and the elders will miss having their perspective. I am also grateful for the contribution and ministry of their wives who have loved and served our church throughout these years.


The Hicks and Lee families are choosing to continue their membership here at the Bible Church. The Cuddebacks moved to Richmond, Virginia this past fall and we send them off asking God to bless their transition and search for a local church. The Whangs will be looking for a new church home and we also ask God to bless their search and we know that God will continue to use their gifts for His Glory.


This open letter as well as four individual letters were submitted to the Elder Board Saturday night, and we are sharing them here if you are interested in reading them. 


If you have questions about these letters or other issues, I encourage you to have a conversation with us. Please contact an elder or you can call the church at (919) 408-0310 and an elder will be happy to meet with you. Additionally, we will be organizing a time for our church to gather and talk about the important issues mentioned in the letters. The goal of this time is to workshop together how to grow our body to be representative of God's kingdom, and how to be inclusive of all members. Look for more information in this week’s Weekly Digest on Friday.


Though this is a difficult moment for our church and these families, I pray God uses this moment to refine His church for His Glory.


--

Steven King

Elder Chair


Update on Tuesday, February 8

From Consultant Working Group

Email to Members/Regular Attenders from Missions Pastor, Rodrigo Dinsmore:


Dear Bible Church Family, 


Our Vision Team had its first meeting this past Sunday to review and discuss governance recommendations from Leighton Ford Ministries (LFM). We had wonderful and productive conversations around what LFM is proposing. Now we’d like to invite the members of our church to hear those same recommendations and provide your impressions and feedback. Your input is critical to this process as we shape, together, the future direction of CHBC.To that end, a debrief and input session will be held this Sunday, February 13th from 2-3:30 pm in the Sanctuary. Kevin Ford, our LFM consultant, will lead our gathering. He will remind us of the process we are undergoing, share LFM’s recommendations based on the work they have done with us, and provide us with content to discuss.Discussions will take place at tables and will be facilitated by members of the Vision Team. The facilitator’s role will not be to guide these breakout conversations, but rather to listen, ask clarifying questions, and to collect input to be brought back to the Vision Team.


Following this Sunday's input session, the Vision Team will use this feedback during their first retreat on February 19 and 20, where they will continue their work on recommendations for governance changes at CHBC.In preparation for this gathering, we ask that you do the following:

  1. Please register for this members-only meeting so we can know how many people will be coming and can prepare accordingly.
  2. We also encourage you to read this LFM Governance Report document ahead of time. It will give you some helpful context for the meeting.
  3. This article on church size dynamics is also helpful in thinking through governance structures.


On behalf of the Consultant Working Group, 


--

Rodrigo Dinsmore

Missions Pastor


Update on Thursday, February 3, 2022

From Consultant Working Group

Email to Members/Regular Attenders from Missions Pastor, Rodrigo Dinsmore:


Dear Bible Church,


On behalf of the Consulting Working Group (CWG), I wanted to provide you a brief update on the consultant process. 


GRACE’s survey was made available in early January and is open to participation through March 7th. If you haven't already, we encourage everyone who considers CHBC their home church to fill out the survey and to help us assess the current cultural health of our church. GRACE is concurrently in the process of conducting a few interviews with individuals. 


Leighton Ford Ministries (LFM) has asked the Consultant Working Group to assemble a Vision Team, representing a cross-section of our church, to work through governance recommendations and to clarify and codify our "True North."


VISION TEAM COMPOSITION

LFM instructed the Consultant Working Group (CWG) to invite up to 25 individuals to comprise the Vision Team. The guidelines we were given can be found below.

  1. People who are recognized as helpful leaders and influencers in the church, including longer term members who are respected
  2. Pastors/ministry team leaders who are strategic thinkers
  3. Discerning elders/deacons who will be helpful contributors based on their service to the church and professional experience
  4. Members who can be counted on to speak with one voice after the retreats
  5. Members who can participate in all three meetings/retreats

In nominating members for the Vision Team, it was important for the CWG that the team have broad representation from our congregation. The Vision Team is thus comprised of members who meet the criteria above. SEE THE VISION TEAM ROSTER HERE >


This small group cannot contain everyone who would want to be a part of it. Yet our hope is that along with input and feedback from the congregation, and with prayer and discernment, our work would prove to be fruitful and helpful as we look to the years ahead. 


UPCOMING MEETING SCHEDULE FOR VISION TEAM:

  • The Vision Team’s first meeting will take place on Sunday, February 6th, where LFM will lead them through their recommendations for governance roles.
  • The Vision Team will work on a first draft of proposed recommendations to be presented at a LFM Members Meeting from 2-3:30 pm on February 13th in the Sanctuary. The purpose of this gathering is to share progress and to receive input and feedback. REGISTER FOR THE MEMBERS' MEETING >
  • The Vision team will reconvene for a retreat on February 19-20th to continue working on governance roles, informed by congregational input, and will begin working on our True North.


PLEASE JOIN US IN PRAYING THAT:

  • Jesus would be glorified and that his Bride would be presented as beautiful to Him;
  • We would be faithful in our calling to shepherd the flock and to reach the lost;
  • We would achieve clarity in our structures and direction;
  • We would be united in this process.


In Christ,


--

Rodrigo Dinsmore

Missions Pastor


Update on January 7, 2022

From Consultant Working Group

June 2021 marked the beginning of our work with our consultants, Leighton Ford Ministries and GRACE, and we are eager to continue in that important work in 2022. We encourage you to visit the consultant updates page on our website for the latest information on the work they have been doing, and the roadmap for the months ahead. Please mark your calendars for a Members' Meeting on Sunday, February 13th, 1:30 pm in the Sanctuary.


A survey developed by GRACE is also posted on that page, which is open to anyone affiliated with our church to take. This is an important part of our process. The more participation we receive, the better we can understand opportunities to strengthen the health of our church, so please take the time to complete the survey (30-35 minutes)GRACE has informed us that the survey will be available until March 7th. Have questions? Email cwg@biblechurch.org.


Update on December 7, 2021

From COnsultant Working Group

Email to Members/Regular Attenders from Missions Pastor, Rodrigo Dinsmore:


Dear Bible Church, 


I hope you and your loved ones enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration and that your hearts are filled with joy for the Christmas season ahead. 


As we enjoy this sacred season, we wanted you to know that we will be pausing our work with the consultants to help us celebrate and focus during the Advent season. 


In early January, we will be giving you updates on our Spring roadmap working with Leighton Ford Ministries and with GRACE. As a part of this roadmap, we will tell you more about a series of 3 retreats led by LFM to further clarify CHBC's "True North”, delving into our Values, Mission, Vision, and Strategy. We will also share a survey we just received from GRACE which plays an important part in their assessment. We hope that, in pacing the consultant work to after the Advent and Christmas celebrations, we will both be able to focus now on Advent and then our work to grow as a church (as helped by the consultants). We are hoping for full participation in the survey process and believe we can best achieve that after the holiday season.


May the love of Jesus fill your hearts as we celebrate his coming to dwell among us!


On behalf of the Elders of CHBC and the Consulting Working Group, 


--

Rodrigo Dinsmore

Missions Pastor


Update on Tuesday, October 26, 2021

From Consultant Working Group

Email to Members from Rodrigo Dinsmore, Missions Pastor:


Brothers and sisters, 


Our process with Leighton Ford Ministries (LFM) has been underway for a few months and is now coming to an important juncture. We are calling all members to join us this Saturday, October 30th from 1-4 pm in the Sanctuary.


What can you expect at this meeting?


LFM will provide us with a congregational debrief on the work they have done over the last several months. Additionally, members will have an opportunity to interact with the content in small groups with elders/deacons who will collect input to give to LFM. This is an important part of the process as LFM solicits feedback on their report. (Click here for more info on the process.) 


Please click here to register for this event, as it will help us to plan accordingly. Please note that this meeting is for members only*.


We look forward to this time together as we trust the Lord to guide us well. 



On behalf of the Elders of CHBC and of the Consulting Working Group,

 

Pastor Rodrigo Dinsmore

Missions Pastor and Elder


Update on Monday, October 11, 2021

FROM CHBC LEADERSHIP

Email to Members/Regular Attenders from Missions Pastor, Rodrigo Dinsmore:


Dear Bible Church Family, 


As an update to last week's communication, we would like to let you know that elders, deacons, and staff of CHBC will be meeting with the concerned members who sent us the initial letter a few weeks ago. This gathering is open to anyone who calls CHBC home and will take place at the church on Thursday, October 14th from 7-8:30 pm (either in the chapel or the sanctuary- there will be appropriate signage). A member of Leighton Ford Ministries will be present to moderate the conversation and will use content from our time together in their assessment and debrief.*


This gathering is a change of course from previous plans as discussions have developed. We believe this evening will be a helpful step in building trust and unity in our church. 



Blessings, 

Rodrigo Dinsmore, Missions Pastor


Update on Monday, October 4

From CHBC Leadership

Email to Members/Regular Attenders from Missions Pastor, Rodrigo Dinsmore:


Dear Chapel Hill Bible Church family,


After a difficult season culminating in the resignation of our former Executive Pastor, the Elders of CHBC contracted two external consultants to examine the health of our organization. The scope of their work involves direct engagement with the staff, with elders, with deacons, and with many other members of CHBC. They will primarily be looking into our organizational structures and into the health of our staff and leadership and church culture.


GRACE

GRACE offers a variety of services to churches who are addressing trauma and abuse at any level. They will be providing an independent assessment of our church culture. The word “independent” is an important descriptor because, while GRACE is contracting with CHBC, they will be conducting their assessment free from direction from CHBC. The work with GRACE is just now gearing up as they had some internal issues that delayed the start of their work with us. 


Leighton Ford Ministries

The other organization is Leighton Ford Ministries (LFM) and they offer a variety of services to churches and individuals. They will be consulting with us on church culture and governance. Their process will take us through two phases: Discovery and Development.


LFM started their work with us a couple of months ago and have conducted a staff survey, have reviewed our governance documents, employment handbook, and have held focus groups with about 45 people. There was a focus group just for women, one for newcomers, one for those who have been here for many years, one for elders, one for the pastors, and one for the Ministry Leadership Team of our staff. There were also 13 individual interviews conducted. 


LFM will be sharing a debrief with the congregation on Saturday, October 30th from 1-4 pm at CHBC. This will be led and facilitated by LFM and you will have an opportunity to hear from them directly on their assessment and recommendations. We urge every member of CHBC to attend, if possible. 


Letter from Concerned Members

You may also have heard that the elders, deacons, staff, and several others in our church were sent a letter from some concerned congregants. We have responded to each person who signed the letter and our elders are reaching out to every individual on that list to hear more about their concerns. We also have published a webpage where their concerns were addressed in case others might have some of the same questions.


If you have questions about these concerns, please contact one of our elders. We want to hear from you and we want to be able to address any questions that you may have to the best of our ability. 


We are committed to being as transparent as we can during this process. We are being advised by LFM and by Grace in how to address the concerns raised and we request your patience as we work through all of this. 


This is not and will not be a quick or easy process. We want to allow the consultants to do their work at the pace and direction they see fit. We would love for at least some significant part of the process to be concluded by our annual meeting in June, but we cannot make any promises. 


I’d like to encourage us as a church to pray for a few things:

  • Pray for the Lord’s will to be done.
  • Pray that we would love each other and be patient and gentle with each other during this process.
  • Pray that we would grow in our trust and dependance in the Lord.


In Christ,


--

Pastor Rodrigo Dinsmore

Missions Pastor and Elder


Update on September 9, 2021

From CHBC LEadership

Email to Members/Regular Attenders from Elder Chair, Steven King:


Greetings Bible Church family,


I want to update you on the progress since our Annual Business Meeting in June. After Jay read his letter to the congregation, I shared our next steps on behalf of the elders and we committed to several items for the health of our church.


Care, shepherding, and counseling have continued for those in need.


We have also contracted with two consulting groups to help us become a healthier church. 

  • GRACE will be conducting a church-wide assessment to ensure we are a safe and healthy place to work and worship. GRACE's work includes a church-wide survey and interviews with individuals. After the assessment is complete, GRACE will share the recommendations and provide trauma training to some of our staff and elders. You can expect more information and a link to the survey sometime in the next four weeks. 
  • Leighton Ford Ministries (LFM) is focused on helping us better understand our church, specifically looking at organizational structure, culture, and governance. They have already completed a staff survey which will be benchmarked against thousands of churches across the country. They have scheduled several focus groups and individual interviews. We have shared numerous documents with LFM, and when GRACE finishes its assessment, we will share it with LFM.


This past Spring, the elders committed to working with Jay to give him the real-time feedback, coaching, and ongoing support he requested. That is underway in various ways, with a professional coach/counselor provided by LFM and the Lead Pastor Supervisory Team (LPST, made up of three elders) meeting, encouraging, and communicating regularly with Jay on various topics. The LPST is encouraged by Jay’s leadership growth to date and will continue to actively work with him.


Healthy growth takes time. This ongoing process has taken longer than I had hoped, but this is necessary and cannot be done in haste. It is vital that our congregation is heard and the full voice of our Body is reflected during this process. 


We will keep you posted throughout this process and if you have questions please let me know. 


In His Grace,


--

Steven King

Elder Chair


Update on June 11, 2021

From CHBC Leadership

Email to Members from Elder Chair, Steven King:


Dear CHBC Family,


Thank you for attending the Annual Business Meeting last Sunday afternoon. We had over 200 people attend the meeting and all voting items easily exceeded the required percentages for affirmation. 

  • We heard a personal reflection moment from Pastor Jay and also answers to common questions I've been receiving over the past couple of weeks from our membership.
  • We thanked Walker Hicks, Rick Hove, Ray Esclamado, Doug Marchuk, Bill Reedy, and Eric Rodgers for their service as elders and deacons over the past three years.
  • We voted to affirm:
  • Six new elders: Mike Dial, Tao Huang, Aaron Kirtley, Kyle McManamy, Jason Portnoy, and Robert Smith
  • Three new deacons: Ginger Carnahan, Adam Sawyer, and Carol Younkin
  • We voted to reaffirm:
  • Three elders: Branson Page, Ben Thomason, and Roger Van Dyke
  • One deacon: Jay Baas
  • We also voted to approve the Operating Budget for 2021-22 of $3,822,000.


The original purpose of this note was to follow up on a few items I mentioned in the meeting. Those items are below but as we were looking at records, we noticed an oversight that I need to share with you and we need to resolve.


REAFFIRMING STEVEN KING FOR A SECOND TERM

I am sorry, but I did not realize that my current elder term is officially scheduled to end later this month. If I am to continue serving for a second term and as the chair of the Elder Board, I will need to be reaffirmed by a vote of the congregation. In keeping with our bylaws, the Board of Elders has called a special business meeting with the sole agenda item of reaffirming me, Steven King, to a second consecutive term as an elder. The meeting is scheduled for Sunday, June 27, 2021 at 10:30 am (between services, both in-person and online) and our deacon chair, Jay Baas, will preside. At the bottom of this email is my short biography for your review. If you have concerns or questions about me or my service as an elder, you may raise those privately with Ben Thomason (elder vice-chair), who will deal with those accordingly.


FOLLOW-UP ITEMS FROM LAST SUNDAY'S ANNUAL MEETING

Here is a list of the various teams and current members:


Current Board of Elders

VIEW ENTIRE ELDER BOARD >


Oversight Team

  • Steven King (Chair)
  • Ben Thomason (Vice Chair)
  • Jay Thomas (Lead Pastor)
  • Michael Carnahan
  • Mike Dial
  • Scott Thompson
  • Robert Smith III
  • Roger Van Dyke


Leadership Transition Team

To lead the Board of Elders in selecting the next class of elders including leadership positions. 

  • Ben Thomason (Chair by charter)
  • Alan Bell
  • Hugh Jones
  • Matt Smith
  • Jay Thomas
  • Young Whang


Lead Pastor Support Team (LPST)

To provide supervision, accountability, coaching and support to the Lead Pastor

  • Steven King (Required by charter)
  • One Oversight Team member (TBD in late June Meeting)
  • One Elder Board Member (TBD in late June Meeting)


Executive Pastor Support Team (EPST)

To provide supervision, accountability, coaching and support to the Executive Pastor

  • Inactive due to open position


Advisory Team

A woman-led team to inform and advise the elders on various topics and issues 

  • Erin Bethany (Chair)
  • Amy Huffman
  • Steven King (Required by charter)
  • Michelle Kirtley 
  • Matt Smith (Listening member)
  • Michelle Smith


Medical Advisory Team (MAT)

To advise church leadership on matters of health and safety

  • Laine Stewart (Chair)
  • Alan Bell
  • Don Ellis
  • Sarah Whang


Elders on Sabbatical

Sabbaticals are required for one year after two successive three-year terms and can be requested for various reasons such as health or lack of availability during a season of life.

  • Walker Hicks
  • Rick Hove
  • Joo Lee
  • Kuo-Ping Li
  • Bob Portman
  • Doug Shackelford
  • Dwight Thomas


Personal Reflection Statement by Jay Thomas

If you would like to get a hard copy of Jay’s letter, you can come by the church office anytime after Tuesday, June 15 or email info@biblechurch.org and we will mail it to you. 


Elder Listening Session / Wednesday, June 16, 6 pm (Room 306)

The Elders want to hear from you. Please come to ask any question you may have or to share your thoughts and ideas with several elders on Wednesday, June 16th at 6 pm in Room 306. Thank you again for your involvement in the ministry of our church. 


Sincerely,


--

Steven King

Elder Chair