A Letter to the Congregation
June 9, 2009

Greetings Payson Park Church Members and Friends.

We write to follow up on our Congregational Meeting and to let you know about the community’s decisions that day as well as those made in subsequent meetings of the Church Council and Personnel Committee.

The recommendations presented on Sunday, May 31 were overwhelmingly supported by the vote of those present. This means our new music program will include the combining of the Chancel and Pick-up Choirs and a decreased spending on soloists by 50%. It also means the staffing of our music program will change.

After a long discussion of the proposals, it was decided that one professional will be recruited and hired to handle all aspects of the music program, with the added provision, “with the possibility of an assistant,” so long as the proposed cost would remain as presented (the final vote was 54 in favor; 13 opposed; 0 abstentions). The Personnel Committee, working in conjunction with the chairs and members of the Diaconate and Music Committee, are now organizing a job description and recruiting plan.

Obviously, the congregation’s decision has serious implications. It means that the current positions of Minister of Music and Director of Music will no longer exist because a new, combined position is being created. With this staffing cut we recognize we’ll not only have a pared back program, but also face the need to recruit more volunteers and students to help with the program.

It also means the work of Terry Halco, as Minister of Music, and Cathy Meyer, as Director of Music, will be ending, even though, as presented through the recommendation of the Personnel Committee at the Congregational Meeting, current staff is encouraged to apply for the newly created position. Identifying the need to terminate our current program and to celebrate the many years of dedicated service of both Terry and Cathy, the Church Council voted to recognize the end of our current music program on Sunday, June 21. After discussion in the Personnel Committee, we have decided, then, to celebrate Terry’s 16 years here at Payson Park during and after worship on that day. With her involvement in the Vacation Bible School the following week under the auspices of our Christian Education program, it was deemed appropriate to celebrate Cathy’s nine years of service at the end of VBS on Sunday, June 28.

As we all know, this is an exciting time of growth here at Payson Park Church but also one filled with loss and a sense of sadness. Change is never easy, and the need to cut our budgets in all areas of the church has challenged us to make many sacrifices through the lay off of our Sexton and Youth Minister and now in our music program. We believe this is a time that we can come together in new and dynamic ways even as we grieve. We hope you’ll be a part of our celebrations on June 21 and 28 as we express our great thanks to Terry and Cathy. If you would like to be a part of the teams organizing these events, please contact us.

We thank you for your commitment to God and Payson Park Church in this challenging time, and ask for your prayers for us all as we move forward together.

Faithfully from,

Al Gledhill
Moderator

The Reverend Lael Atkinson
Pastor