Alliance News
Castro's resignation: What it means
Feb. 19, 2008
By Stan Hastey
As much as I would wish otherwise, Fidel Castro’s resignation as Cuba’s head of state and commander in chief is unlikely to have much effect on our country’s longstanding sanctions against our Caribbean neighbor.
President Bush has made it clear that nothing will happen on his watch to change this administration’s new regulations announced in 2004 and 2005 eliminating as many as two-thirds of the number of travelers from the United States to Cuba. These new rules severely restrict travel by the three largest groups of U.S. citizens formerly able to travel – Cuban Americans; colleges and universities; and religious groups.
Thus far the responses to Castro’s announcement by the remaining presidential candidates of both parties have been disappointing. No matter who is elected president in November, those of us who seek normalized relations with Cuba have a lot of work still to do.
November 2007
Reflections from Broadneck
Broadneck Baptist Church in Annapolis, MD, just celebrated its 25th anniversary. The church's first full-time pastor, Debra Griffis-Woodberry, received salary assistance from the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. When that support ended, the Alliance stepped in to help, making Broadneck one of the first churches to receive pastoral salary assistance through the Bridges of Hope Mission Offering. Read the reflections that Debra wrote in honor of the 25th anniversary.
Sept. 15, 2007
Board report
Third staff position put on hold
By Sue H. Poss
The search for the third member of the Alliance’s leadership team has been temporarily suspended. The decision came at the Board of Directors Fall meeting Sept. 13-15 in Richmond, VA.
A committee had been at work since April searching for a minister of stewardship and development to join Stan Hastey, minister of mission and ecumenism, and Chris Copeland, minister of leadership and congregational life.
The board was clear that it is not abandoning the idea of its three-member leadership team and will revisit the issue at its late March meeting.
The board’s Executive Committee spent several hours discussing its perceived need to “pause” based on a lack in both the quality and quantity of applicants for the new position, and an unclear job description. The committee also felt that Stan, former executive director, and Chris, who began work in May, need more time to “work into” their new positions.
Another consideration is the work that Mary Pawlowski is doing as administrative assistant. Mary was hired on a temporary part-time basis in May and has demonstrated the need for office assistance, a position not included in the original staffing revision plan. The board approved continuing that position through 2008.
As an interim measure, the Executive Committee had recommended that a request be sent out inviting proposals for a temporary fund-raising position with a budget of $35,000. The board chose instead to budget $20,000 that could be used at the discretion of the leadership team and Executive Committee for fund-raising related activities. Some funds might, for example, be needed by the Fundraising Task Group already in place, could pay for a consultation with a fundraising expert, or could be used for a short-term fundraising project.
Finances
The board approved a 2008 challenge budget of $505,114, an increase over the 2007 budget of $54,866. The budget was termed a challenge because expenses are projected to exceed income by $35,996.
If income does not exceed expectations, the difference will come from two major gifts made to the Alliance earlier this year and were designated by the board in April to be used to undergird the new leadership structure until all three positions are in place and functioning.
The communications and development section of the budget was increased nearly $30,000 and includes the development funding of $20,000; $5,000 for the redesign of the Alliance’s website, and $2,400 to fund a new monthly email newsletter.
The board also heard a report from the Finance Committee that, through August, expenses for 2007 exceeded revenues by about $48,000.
Mission Offering
The 2008 Bridges of Hope Mission Offering goal was set at $131,000, an increase of $6,000 over 2007, and includes 30 recipients. Three of the recipients are new and a fourth is a previous recipient, though not included in the 2007 offering. One of the new recipients is the Women’s League of the Baptist Sangamaya of Sri Lanka. It will receive $5,000, while the Sangamaya, or Baptist Union of Sri Lanka, will receive another $5,000. During the past few years, all $10,000 has gone to the Sangamaya.
Joann Davis, chair of the missions committee, said dividing the funds indicates a desire on the part of the committee to direct funds to particular projects.
Also new to the recipient list in 2008 is Greensboro Abbey, a contemplative community in Greensboro, NC, $2,000, and the Institute of Higher Biblical and Theological Studies in Havana, Cuba, which offers theological education for laypersons, $3,000. Reconciliation, a prison ministry in Nashville, TN, has been added back to the list after a year’s absence, receiving $1,000.
Allocations from the offering will be made in full only if the goal is met. Otherwise, recipients will receive a percentage of the recommended allocation based on receipts.
2008 Convocation
Convocation co-chairs Lynn Hyder, a chaplain in New Orleans, and D.H. Clark, a doctor and member of Northminster Church in Monroe, LA, gave a brief report about the 2008 Convocation to be held March 28-30 at St. Charles Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans. The theme of the convocation, set several years ago, will focus on the arts.
Events for both children and youth are being planned.
An Alliance work project to help still recovering parts of the city will be organized prior to the Convocation. Following the convocation, Alliance endorsed chaplains will meet as will the network of children’s and youth ministers.
Miscellaneous
As is its custom at the Fall meeting, board members contributed to the Bridges of Hope Mission Offering. Their gifts totaled $5,700.
Board president Jim Hopkins appointed a committee to study the office space needs of the Alliance. Members are Joann Davis of Severna Park, MD; Carole Collins of Stone Mountain, GA; Brooks Wicker of Raleigh, NC; Stan Hastey and Chris Copeland.
The board decided that the Alliance should accept an invitation to exhibit at the January 31-Feb. 2 meeting of the New Baptist Covenant to be held in Atlanta. The New Baptist Covenant is being organized by former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton in an effort to bring Baptist bodies together.
Read the staffing plan previously adopted by the board.
Treasury department withdraws threat of fine for Cuba travel
May 17, 2007. From Stan Hastey.
In a letter dated today, the Department of the Treasury has notified the Alliance that the Pre-penalty Notice issued July 5, 2006, has been withdrawn. No monetary damages will be assessed. Our attorney, Kenneth A. Lazarus, called today to inform me of the disposition of the matter. Shortly thereafter he sent me a copy of the letter by facsimile. Mr. Lazarus told me that in a conversation this morning with his contact in the office of the general counsel of the Department he was told that a further review of the response he filed in our behalf last August 31 persuaded the government that all five delegations cited in the Notice had engaged in legitimate activities while in Cuba.
The concluding paragraph of the WARNING LETTER issued today reads as follows:
"After a careful review of the entire file, OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) has decided to withdraw the Notice. However, it is important for the Alliance to note that any transaction on the part of the Alliance, or on the part of persons who travel to Cuba under a travel license issued by OFAC, which involves a violation of the Cuba embargo administered by OFAC, may result in the imposition of criminal and/or civil penalties. In the future, please ensure that the Alliance checks with OFAC to track changes in the Regulations in order to comply with OFAC licensing requirements.
Additionally, OFAC publishes information concerning Cuba and other embargoes on its web site which can be found at www.treas.gov/ofac. Accordingly, this matter is now closed."
Despite this language, let me remind you that the Alliance no longer has a license to travel to Cuba, the result not only of the suspension of our previous license but of a new OFAC policy denying such licenses to national and regional religious bodies generally.
In my judgment, this result is about the best we could have hoped for. We owe a large debt of gratitude to Mr. Lazarus, a seasoned attorney who clearly knew what he was doing. His fees totaled $2658.86, plus a nice lunch I told him the Alliance would provide to celebrate!
The Treasury Department had threatened a fine of $34,000, alleging that five Alliance churches did not engage in full-time religious activities while in Cuba.
Read the Associated Baptist Press article.