Final Report
Temporary Implementation Task Force
To
Presbytery of Coastal Carolina
December 2, 2004

The Presbytery of Coastal Carolina elected a Temporary Implementation Task Force at its December, 2003 meeting. The assigned task was: "to oversee the timely implementation of goals and objectives from the strategic Planning steering Committee, the five Action Planning Teams, the Reorganization Subcommittee and other entities; to oversee the appropriate transition from the current organizational and staffing structure to revised structures as approved by Presbytery, and that this task force function through December 31, 2004." The following persons were elected to serve on the task force: James Bartlett, Douglas Hix, John Howard, Mozell Howie, Meredith Hudson, J.Ernest Johnson, Kenneth J. Lynde, John S. Monroe Jr., Eduardo Moreno, Ellen S. Newbold (convener), A. Helen Williams, Mamie L. Wilson, John R. Goodman (Staff) and Kaye Bledsoe (Staff). At its initial meeting on January 17, 2004, the group elected Ellen Newbold its permanent chair and Ernie Johnson, vice chair. The group has met ten times during the year plus carrying out various assignments between meetings. The group has been faithful to the task.

Tasks accomplished are:

• The completion of revising / redefining operational and program committee responsibilities.

• Position description for the Associate Executive Presbyter was written. It was approved by Presbytery at its March, 2004 meeting and a Search Committee was elected.

• Position descriptions for the Regional Coordinators and descriptions of the Regional Councils were written. Presbytery approved both of these at its June 2004 meeting.

• Worked with the Budget and Finance Committee of Council on budget implications for 2005. The budget has been proposed to accommodate the new committees by reallocation of funds from old committees and new monies are proposed to finance the "regional concept". Work still needs to be done by the Presbytery to explore further financial support for the plan.

• A plan was devised and presenters were recruited to visit congregations in the Presbytery. Eighty people were recruited and trained at one of four training sessions held across the Presbytery. The purpose of the visits was to say to folk, "we asked you how the Presbytery could be stronger and more helpful, now we want to share the exciting new plans the Presbytery has approved". Our hope was to build excitement as we move into 2005. About 140 churches have been visited through November and reactions to the visits have been positive. We will continue to make visits until the end of the year. *
   
• One question often asked was "when will the regional councils begin to work?" It is the hope of the Temporary Implementation Task force that the work of the search committee for Regional Coordinators will be finished in time to make recommendations for employment of Regional Coordinators at the June, 2005 meeting of Presbytery.

• All the recommendations of the Action Planning Teams not included elsewhere in the structure have been assigned to various committees for their consideration. These documents have been given to the committee on Strategic Planning and Organizational Review for distribution.

• The new committee, Committee on Strategic Planning and Organizational Review, has already met and is planning the training for committees early in 2005.

• The committee on Nominations has been diligently recruiting members for committees in their new configuration so they can begin to function in January 2005.

• Work was done on the revision and development of position descriptions for staff under the new structure. This work will be finished by a special task group to include a member of the Personnel Committee, the Presbytery Council, the Temporary Implementation Task Force, and the Committee on Strategic Planning and Organizational Review with the Executive Presbyter giving staff support, appointed by the chair of Presbytery Council.

• The task force spent a lot of time talking about the question, "Is Transformation our Goal?" The task force will refer this paper to the chair of Presbytery Council, the Executive Presbyter, the Associate Executive Presbyter and the Committee on Strategic Planning and Organizational Review to use as a basis for designing an occasion for envisioning their life as Presbytery leaders in a Presbytery with a transforming culture.

Respectfully submitted,
Ellen S. Newbold, Chair
Temporary Implementation Task Force

* Note: If your congregation has not been visited, please call Kaye Bledsoe in the Presbytery office
(910-862-8300, 800-277-7479) and one will be scheduled.