April 26, 2020

The Session began their meeting over “Zoom” at 1:00 PM. Ruling Elders Present: Ruthie Buck, Jim Cauthen, Wayne Cilimberg, Hal Collums, Dana Eastman, John Echeverri-Gent, Anne Hedelt, David Heflin, Dan Heuchert, Will Hochstetler, Rebecca McGregor, Mike Moore, Alyce Outlaw, Meredith Powell, Nadine Roddy (Stated Clerk), Candace Spence, Ellen ThomasClarke, Sabra Timmins, Irene Townsend, Ken Young. Teaching Elders Present: Dorothy Piatt, Lynne Clements, Ken Henry. Also present: Barry Parks, Recording Clerk; Megan Sharp, Director of Fine Arts; Sandy Wilcox, Church Administrator.

Key:  M/S/C (Moved/ Seconded/Carried)

Action—Westminster Child Care Center.  A written request for rent relief from the WCCC Board of Directors was presented by Sandy Wilcox.  Nadine Roddy moved to waive the rent for the month of April 2020 and postpone a decision on the following months until the May 17 Stated Meeting of Session. (M/S/C) 

Action—Worship at WPC. Hal Collums made the motion that WPC continue the suspension of in-person worship services from May 1 through June 7, 2020. (M/S/C) In lieu of in-person worship during this period, pastors and staff will continue to use video and audio technology to provide a weekly worship experience on Sunday mornings. The Session will re-evaluate the situation at their May 17 Stated Meeting to determine whether it would be advisable to resume in-person worship (in some form) on June 14. 

Action—Paying our Hourly Employees. Anne Hedelt moved that we continue compensation for our laid-off hourly employees (nursery workers and Assistant Sexton) from May 1 through June 7, based on the hours that would normally be worked during this time period. (M/S/C)

Action—Rugby Entrance Improvement Project. Wayne Cilimberg moved that the session allocate approximately $5,500 of previously approved funds to pay for additional costs associated with plan/permit revisions and, if necessary, the removal of the stump of the large ash tree that was recently cut down. (M/S/C)

Dorothy Piatt closed the meeting with prayer at 2:23 p.m.

The Alliance for Interfaith Ministries (AIM) is a part of the ministry of Westminster Church as we seek to support important work beyond our church walls that fulfills our mission, sustained by grace, to serve Christ, share God’s love and work for justice in a complex world.

The Alliance for Interfaith Ministries (AIM) was formed by a group of Charlottesville churches years ago to centralize requests for assistance. Westminster’s Pastor Bill Smith was a founding pastor of AIM. Currently, Westminster Church is grateful to have member, Rich Gregory, actively involved as Interim Treasurer and serving on the AIM Board, and to Crystal Steiger-Smith, immediate past Board member.

For the last several years including in 2020 Westminster Church contributed $10,000 annually to AIM’s work.

AIM works with the working poor in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. AIM’s purpose is to provide temporary emergency assistance to families threatened with homelessness, loss of power or fuel, or other temporary financial crises.

AIM has developed a domestic violence fund to help victims of violence get new housing.

AIM and PACEM have started a senior housing fund that helps homeless people older than 55 get permanent housing.

In 2019 AIM served over 1,500 people in Charlottesville and Albemarle County with various needs, primarily housing-connected.  AIM “moves mountains for the needy” and finds housing for threatened families within hours.  AIM found housing for 30 potentially homeless seniors, and a number of threatened families and children. 

AIM advocates with the city, county and UVa for more safe affordable housing. They alerted the community about issues such as the Belmont Apartments where affordable units were threatened with demolition.

Through direct financial assistance, AIM provided funds to pay utility costs preventing evictions and loss of service to approximately 300 households. 

AIM advocates for the residents in our community in need by helping them work through the social service network, linking them to appropriate service providers, helping them get a handle on their finances. AIM is a last resort committed community resource and advocate for our neighbors of individuals and families, but it is also usual  – before even the pandemic – that AIM is long on needs and short on funds.

For further information contact:

Rich Gregory, Interim Treasurer

(434) 989-8857

Kimberley Fontaine, Director 
(434) 972-1704

Alliance for Interfaith Ministries (AIM)
Located at:
1807 Emmet Street North, Suite 6A
Charlottesville, VA  22901
Mailing address: 
PO Box 7331, Charlottesville, VA 22906

Website: www.aimcville.org

While self-isolating and working from home for several weeks, I’ve found myself thinking about
the environment. Of course, primarily I’ve been thinking about the pandemic and its devastating
impact on our health, our economy, our society. But in what perhaps represents a tiny glimmer
of hope, the worldwide measures to contain the pandemic have resulted in reduced carbon
emissions and better air quality.
This is not surprising, you might be thinking – people all over the world are staying home, after
all. That is certainly true. And it’s not that I’m naive enough to think we’re going to continue
staying home to this extent once the danger from the pandemic is over. But, the glimmer of hope
I see is that perhaps this will get us all to realize that our actions truly have a profound effect on
the environment. More importantly, perhaps we will all realize that we really do have some
control over the rate at which climate change occurs. After all, if humanity doesn’t come
together to reduce carbon emissions, who will?
Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22. As people of faith, let’s come together to care for the Earth.
Doing so is one step we can take to help ameliorate the disproportionate impact global warming
will have on those who are least able to weather its effects.
My vision is that Westminster will become a leader on this front in the local community. While
action needs to be taken on the local, state, national, and international fronts by individuals,
governments, and businesses, we all can start somewhere.
The Charlottesville Climate Collaborative is a great resource for getting started. Its website –
www.theclimatecollaborative.org – is full of ways to engage in this critical fight for our planet.
I encourage you to sign up for the Household Challenge. There is already one team at
Westminster participating – it would be great if more households did as well! And, the
Collaborative even has a virtual climate camp with activities and ideas for all ages while we are
staying at home.
You also might want to consider joining a group such as The Sierra Club, League of Women
Voters, or Friends of the Earth. They have climate newsletters full of useful information.
Remember – We Have No Other Earth!

Ruthie Buck
Chair, Peace, Justice & Inclusion Division
On behalf of The Green Team

A Summary of the March 29, 2020 Session Meeting

The Session began their meeting over “Zoom” at 1:45. Ruling Elders Present: Nadine Roddy, Anne Hedelt, Dan Heuchert, Will Hochstetler, Rebecca McGregor, Candace Spence, Ellen ThomasClarke, Wayne Cilimberg, Hal Collums, Dana Eastman, John Echeverri-Gent, David Heflin, Alyce Outlaw, Meredith Powell, Ruthie Buck, Jim Cauthen, Mike Moore, Ken Young. Recording Clerk Barry Parks. Teaching Elders present: Rev. Lynne Clements, Rev. Dorothy Piatt, Rev. Ken Henry. Staff present: Sandy Wilcox, Megan Sharp. Invited guest: Kobby Hoffman, Chair of the Benevolence Committee.

Highlights

• Ken Henry, Moderator, summarized a pastoral letter from the Presbytery of the James, dated March 27, 2002. In light of this global health emergency, the POJ has acted in the following ways. 1. An Inspire Gift of $2,000 is being given this coming week to each of the 101 churches, five campus ministries, two P.C.(U.S.A.) mission co-workers supported by POJ, and 26 validated ministries. It is the desire of the POJ that churches and ministries use the Inspire Gift as they see fit.  2. Advance Fund for Pastors and Certified Christian Educators. Among many of the churches in the POJ, financial resources are being stretched, slowed, or drawing to a small trickle. Members of congregations are doing their best but, as employment is threatened and investments are fluctuating, the source of giving in our churches is being strained.  Therefore, the POJ has established an Advance Fund ($50,000 so far) . . . to be used solely to sustain pastors’ and certified Christian educators’ salary, housing, and benefits during these days. 3. Video or Audio License Reimbursement. The Trustees are announcing that any of our smaller churches who may need to purchase a license for audio or video conferencing can be reimbursed for the cost of the license. Such expenses will be reimbursed to the churches upon completion of an Expense Report with supporting receipts
• Hal Collums, Worship Chair, made a motion to continue the suspension of all “in-person” worship services at Westminster Presbyterian Church from April 6 through April 30, 2020. M/S/C (Moved, Seconded/Carried)
• Ruthie Buck, Peace, Justice, and Inclusion Chair, made a motion that WPC distribute $75,530 in benevolence gifts to our non-profit partners in the community. M/S/C.  Kobby Hoffman and the Benevolence Committee will seek the guidance of the WPC Budget Committee for how and when to distribute these funds. An additional $13,550 will be held back and hopefully distributed in the future. “We aspire to give, but we cannot responsibly give with so many unknowns.”
• Session concurred with the Budget Committee that the Rugby Entrance Redesign project should be deferred. Dominion Energy has already taken down the canopy of the tree, so it is no longer the threat to passers-by it was.  We do not want to take funds out of our endowment funds when the market is so chaotic. M/S/C
• Session also concurred with the Budget Committee’s recommendation that disbursement of the remaining Session-designated benevolence funds of the 2019 surplus be deferred until later in the year. At its Stated Meeting of March 8, 2020, Session approved distributing the funds among 3 recipients: (1) the POJ; (2) our own University Mission, and (3) the Voices of Jubilee ministry. At this March 29^th Called Meeting, Session adjusted the amounts to be distributed as follows:  $6,900 to POJ as a one-time gift; $900 to University Mission; and $900 to the Voices of Jubilee. M/S/C
• Anne Hedelt, Personnel Chair, made a motion to immediately close the WPC Sanctuary, Fellowship Hall, office and Common Grounds through April 30, with the exception of special permissions granted by Ken or his designee for selected individuals to enter or work at WPC properties. M/S/C
• Anne Hedelt also moved on behalf of the Personnel Committee that the compensation of the church’s hourly employees (the Assistant Sexton and the nursery workers), who are prevented from working by the suspension of worship services and the closure of church property, be continued through April 30, 2020. M/S/C
• The Session decided to cancel its Stated Meeting of April 5, 2020, but to keep the Stated Meeting of May 3, 2020, on its calendar for now. The moderator will likely call a meeting later in April. M/S/C