Historic Moment at Central Conference Meeting

CHICAGO, IL (May 3, 2005) - Historic votes were made during the Central Conference 2005 Annual Meeting on Saturday, when delegates elected the denomination's first African American superintendent and approved a new constitution. Delegates also approved a new budget.

Following his election, Supt. Jerome Nelson told the delegates, "I can't tell you how grateful I am to be standing here and for you to believe that I can do this." Nelson said that when the history of the conference is discussed, he hopes the current delegates will be proud to say, "I was there at that meeting."

Nelson has been acting superintendent following the retirement of Herbert Freedholm at the end of December. Nelson had been an associate pastor at the Church of Gary Covenant Church in Gary, Indiana, and associate pastor at Cuyler Covenant Church in Chicago. For the past five years, Nelson has worked at the conference office as director of Church and Society Ministries and has been an adjunct professor at North Park Theological Seminary, teaching spiritual formation as part of the Covenant External Orientation Program.

Nelson has degrees in finance and worked extensively in the banking industry, serving as vice president of a large international bank. His wife, Joanne, works in the Department of Church Growth and Evangelism of the Evangelical Covenant Church. The couple has three children.

The new constitution incorporates some language found in the denomination's constitution and clarifies certain issues that were considered to be vague by definition. However, the new document also addresses and makes provision for conditions that often change rapidly, said Herb Hedstrom, who served on the committee that wrote the new constitution.

Delegates approved the budget, which reflects a projected deficit of $113,865 as the result of the conference's strengthened commitment to church planting. The conference was able to balance the budget by using some of the reserve funds that have accumulated over the years.

Conference leaders describe the budget as an expression of faith in church planting. Leaders are optimistic that the deficit can be overcome in the years to come through growth in giving from new churches as well as increased support from established churches as they engage even deeper in conference ministries. Church giving increased 2.6 percent in 2004.

The meeting finished early, even before lunch, leading conference chair Doug Johnson to quip, "This is historic."

In other news from the meeting:

• Marilee Backstrand, Janet Borggren and Edward Coleman were elected to the Conference Executive Board. Janet Muzatko and Peter Frisk were elected to the Harbor Point Ministries Board.
• It was reported that 15 churches participated in the Natural Church Development program, an assessment and development tool designed to help revitalize established churches.
• Delegates approved the conference's long-range plan.

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