East Coast Conference: ‘Adapting to Changing World’

KEENE, NH (May 4, 2010) – Adapting and thriving in a changing world was the focus of delegates to the 120th Annual Meeting of the East Coast Conference held Friday and Saturday.

The meeting was held at Monadnock Covenant Church. Attendance included 114 delegates from 48 conference churches.

Delegates received two churches into membership: Highrock Covenant Church in Brookline, Massachusetts, and The Valleys Evangelical Covenant Church in Halifax, Pennsylvania.

Two churches and three individuals were honored for being “…on the MOVE” this year. Bethany Covenant Church in Bedford, New Hampshire, and Highrock Covenant Church in Arlington, Massachusetts, were recognized for their involvement and investment in church planting partnerships with the conference. They have supported the planting of Highrock Covenant Church in Brookline, Worship Frontier Covenant Church in Lexington, Massachusetts, and the developing project for the Sudanese Evangelical Covenant Church in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Covenant ministers Nancy Ebner and Linda Williams were recognized for courageous leadership and compassionate service due to their investment in congregational vitality at Orchard Covenant Church in Indian Orchard, Massachusetts, and Covenant Congregational Church in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Four ongoing church plants were announced:

  • Life Covenant Church in Holmdel, New Jersey
  • Riverside Covenant Church in Washington, D.C.
  • A Sudanese congregation in Manchester, New Hampshire
  • The Promiseland Church in South Bronx, New York

The 2010 revised and 2011 proposed budgets were presented and approved. The revised budget is $511,329, which is down from the original $594,690. The 2011 budget is $541,100.

A “Step One Vision” budget of $862,018 was presented as a challenge to the churches of the conference – encouraging growth towards an average investment by churches in the mission of the conference reflecting four percent of church income by 2012, and five percent by 2013.

In other business:

  • Ten people shared testimonies that reflected on God’s work in the conference related to church planting, conference ministries, congregational vitality, and leadership development.
  • Delegates celebrated and prayed for 16 ordination candidates being presented to the Evangelical Covenant Church Annual Meeting in June.
  • A motion of grief and gratitude was passed regarding the pending closure of the Concord Covenant Church in Concord, New Hampshire.
  • Delegates unanimously re-elected Howard Burgoyne to a second four-year term as conference superintendent.
  • A special “Out of the Conference” award was granted to David Kersten, executive minister of the Department of the Ordered Ministry, for his work in advancing the holistic resources and vision for sustaining pastoral excellence across the denomination and its impact on the East Coast Conference.

It was announced that the 121st Conference Annual meeting will be held at Cape Cod Covenant Church in Brewster, Massachusetts, April 29-30.

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