Annual General Meeting - June 5, 2022 | 4:00 PM | Live and Online

Meeting Documents

Questions may be asked in person at the meeting or submitted online at [email protected]. Responses will be posted on this webpage.

As per Bylaws, members may appoint a proxy to vote on their behalf.

Electronic voting opens on May 19, 2022, at 5:00 PM and closes on June 5, 2022, at 4:30 PM (Ministry Corporation) and 4:35 PM (Property Corporation). Links to electronic ballots will be emailed on May 18, 2022. A paper ballot option will be available at the in-person meeting.

Members' Questions for Virtual Meetings and Electronic Voting

1. Q: A family member and I share the same email address – will we each receive an ID, password, and link for electronic voting?

A: Yes, each Met Member has a unique personal ID number and will receive a unique electronic voting ID, password, and Simply Voting link, regardless of email address.

2. Q: How will quorum be calculated?

A: Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, government regulations have allowed quorum to be calculated using total number of votes cast electronically plus paper ballots. Based on membership figures as of May 19, 2022 quorum is 192 votes.

3. Q: Using the electronic voting system, can the church see who I voted for or is my vote anonymous?

A: Your vote is anonymous. The Met is employing Simply Voting, an independently managed server and service, for electronic voting. The Met does not have access to your vote; election results will not be known until the election is closed.

4. Q: How can I ask questions at the Members' Meeting?

A: Questions may be asked in person at the meeting or submitted online at [email protected]. Responses will be posted on this webpage.

5. Q: According to the information on the CRA Charities website, the Met supports 48-52 missions organizations. However, the amounts seem very stable over many years. Does the Board review these amounts periodically to ensure the missionaries are appropriately (some may need more, some less) supported?

A: In short, yes. The Missions Committee has in fact undertaken a recent comprehensive review of all of our missions giving, and meeting individually (digitally, in most cases) with missionaries for an update on their work. What is very clear at the moment is that we have a significant number of key missionaries who are at the latter end of their service, and not enough younger missionaries coming up to replace them. As such, we face not only a flattening of our missions giving potential, but quite likely a decline over time. It is something that concerns our Missions Committee, who are considering what steps they might take to help to turn this around.

6. Q: Who serves on the Missions Committee, how are they selected and appointed, and for how long has each member served?

A: Committee member selection is a work in process and will be finalized to align with the focus of the missions committee being on providing exemplary missionary care. The current members on the Missions Committee are Kevin Ferguson (1 year, Board representation), Morris Repeta (10 years), Shayna Winn (7 years), Manasseh Muvandimwe (2 years), Catie Clarke (1 year) and the XDO (3.5 years).

7. Q: Can a member receive a copy of our current missions policy to better understand how our missionaries are supported?

A: The Board is happy to share details on the process of support for our missionaries. It is not typical for us to share specific policies on sensitive issues like compensation, and the details of how a missions program is implemented at the grass-roots level. At the same time, if there are any specific issues or concerns regarding missions support that arise, members are free to raise these with the Missions Committee and/or the Board at any time. Both bodies are passionate about our missions program, and want to ensure that we are doing the best we can for our Met missionaries and their work.

8. Q: Properly maintaining a $20 million facility will require at least $500,000 to $1 million per year, based on engineering studies. Are we saving funds for these expenses, and where are the funds held?

A: We are anchoring our calculations on the capital needs of the facility in the initial 2014 engineering study. That study gave a meticulously detailed overview of the needs of our facility through to 2038, and tallied the total needs over that timeframe. This work has also been updated by technical assessments of certain of our major assets, which in some cases have extended the life of assets and the need for repair or replacement under the original schedules. The Ministry Corporation makes monthly lease payments to the Property Corporation that are largely put aside to cover the future needs of the facility. The primary expenses that are anticipated are the roof, the HVAC system and the parking lot. We have increased our lease payments this year by over 10 per cent to augment the flow of funds needed to cover future repair and replacement of these key assets, and the aim is to further assess and agree between the Property and Ministry Corporations on a stream of payments that will make available the funds that are needed at the time they are needed. It is important to note that of the total spending on upkeep of the facility, roughly one-third is assumed by the Ministry Corporation, and is conducted on an ongoing basis per the schedule determined in the original engineering study, or as deemed necessary by ongoing wear and tear. It is also important to acknowledge a key group of volunteers who quietly show up to take care of day-to-day maintenance and repair issues in the church – they keep it looking great week to week, and we are very grateful to them for their dedication!

9. Q: The Met was split into two corporations in 1999 to best manage risk. According to a legal opinion recently obtained by the Met, are we organized and operating in the most optimum way to manage risk? If not, what changes are being contemplated?

A: The Ministry Corporation began looking into this issue about two years ago, as it was thought wise at the time to reassess the suitability of the current structure against today’s legal framework and other considerations regarding protection of Property Corporation assets. A chronology of our interactions with legal firms is included in the report of the Chairman of the Property Corporation. An initial legal assessment suggests that there are items that should be considered, and we will imminently be receiving a proposed process for engaging with our lawyers in an effort to best determine options for a more secure structure. No changes are being contemplated ahead of understanding the options presented by our lawyers, and the time needed for internal consideration of these options. At the same time, our desire is to work as expeditiously as possible so that any needed changes to our structure are implemented as quickly and as effectively as possible.

10. Q: There is about $105,000 in the Vision Fund for Reproducing Church. Are there plans for how will these funds be used?

A: In keeping with the Met’s purpose to engage people with the gospel, we continue to keep the Vision Fund active. The pandemic has caused our focus to be trained on the immediate needs of the church body and the community at large, expanding our reach through digital broadcasting of our ministries. Over this time, the Board’s focus has not been on planting new churches, as in the past. However, we have allowed the Vision Fund to build up over this time as we have not ruled this out in the future. This approach is likely to continue until the Board is in a position to contemplate possible future plans. We are grateful for the congregation’s faithfulness to this fund, your understanding of our current situation, and patience as we wait for the Lord’s leading in this matter.

11. Q: There is a long history of the Met's choir, orchestra, special ensembles and concerts. Can you share what direction are we going with the Met's music ministry?

A: We wait on the Lord for guidance as we continue to build the music and worship ministry coming out of the pandemic. Worship leadership and discipleship of the worship team members is important and intentional, and we are thankful for the Lord's provision in enabling us to continue and grow this ministry.

12. Q: In staffing, some positions are filled with trained pastors and some with non-pastors. How does the Board determine which approach to take?

A: Ministry priorities and openness to the Lord's leading and provision is the approach taken by the board in meeting staffing needs. Over the years the Lord has graciously provided the Met with trained pastors as well as non-pastors to staff ministry needs.

13. Q: Will you please give an update on the piano purchase and picture in memory of Randy Jost.

A: The piano is expected to arrive imminently. We are working with the Jost family on posting a picture of Pastor Randy.

14. Q: Can you please ask Pastor Jonathan if he can discuss or do a future sermon on how we should respond as Christians to the Culture Push of the Gay Lifestyle acceptance and the Gender Dysphoria.

A: This is a vitally important issue. It has been one reason why we have initiated the Canadian Religious Freedom Summit, and why Pastor Jonathan has spoken there. We are mindful of the need to weave teaching on this issue into our teaching programmes across the various age-and-stage ministries – and Pastor Jonathan is mindful of the need to speak into these matters with clarity and sensitivity from the pulpit as well.

15. Q: Could you please describe the approval process undertaken by the Board with respect to filling the Missions Pastor position.

A: For all pastoral hires we have a robust credentialing and screening process. We cast a very wide net (at least across North America) then the strongest candidates are put through assessments with a ministry consultant, reference checks are undertaken, the AGC embarks upon a detailed doctrinal credentialing process, and there are multiple levels of interviews including with the Board.

Director Nominations 2022 – Ministry and Property Boards

This is a notice of the Annual General Meetings scheduled for Sunday, May 29, 2022, for both the Ministry and Property Corporations. As per the bylaws, the Nominating Committees have been struck.

The Ministry Corporation Nominating Committee members are:

Doug McLellan (Chairman)
Andrew Harwood (Secretary)
Andrea Nicholls
Jonathan Griffiths
Linda Lim
Steve Andrews

The Property Corporation Nominating Committee members are:

Jonathan Griffiths (Chairman)
Andrew Harwood (Secretary)
Andrea Nicholls
Linda Lim
Steve Andrews

Members and adherents of the church may now propose names for directors for both corporations. The deadline for submitting names is February 28, 2022. The criteria for directors of both corporations are listed in the bylaws (Ministry Corporation Bylaw, Article 7.2(i); Property Corporation Bylaw, Article 3.2). Names can be submitted at the church office or via email at [email protected]

Please specify the Corporation (either Ministry or Property) for which you are submitting a name. Thank you.

Bylaws

Bylaw Highlights Regarding Members’ Meetings:

1. Proxy Voting - A voting Member may appoint another voting Member of the Metropolitan Bible Church Ministry and Property Corporations (a Proxy), to attend and vote in their place. Proxy votes count towards quorum.

2. Quorum (minimum number of members present in person or by proxy) of 35% of total voting members is required to transact business at a Members’ Meeting. If quorum is not present at the start of a Members’ Meeting to transact business/vote, the business meeting is adjourned but may continue as an information session.

How many Proxy appointments can one Member have? A Proxy may represent a maximum of 2 other Members per meeting.
What is the Met’s quorum? Quorum varies depending on number of Members.

Prior to a meeting packets of information containing proxy and electronic voting links are sent to all Members via email or mail. Meeting agenda and documents are posted on the Member page of the Met’s website. It can be easy to discount the importance of voting – active participation in the Met’s corporate governance is the privilege and responsibility of a Member. If you cannot attend a Members’ Meeting, or friend or family member cannot attend, please take the time to complete a Proxy Voting Form.

If you have any questions please email [email protected] or call 613-238-8182.

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