Report on PCC meeting Tuesday 8th July

• After the meeting was opened in prayer, the initial administrative items were discussed – apologies, declarations of interest, confirmation of the previous minutes and discussing the notes of the Standing Committee, which focused on how best to use this PCC meeting to address the issues surrounding the property at 5 St Minver Road.

• Once these administrative tasks were completed, we began a discussion on the most critical item on the agenda, the options available for 5 St Minver Road. Lucy began by thanking the team responsible for gathering and preparing the information and options available, particularly Andy Redfearn for utilising his skillset, the Finance Committee, and the Church and Centre Maintenance Committee. After clarifying the relationship between the curacy and housing, Lucy asked the PCC to gauge the strength of their feelings regarding the decision about St Minver Road, whether we should keep or sell St Minver Road and whether St Minver Road should be used for mission or for ministry; Andy Redfearn then went through the options paper he had provided to PCC, which gave five potential choices for 5 St Minver Road’s future:

1. Retain the property and let it commercially

2. Sell and reinvest in a smaller/newer property

3. Lease the property to a housing charity

4. Sell the property and use the subsequent funds raised for mission

5. Sell and invest in a property fund

Options 1. and 5. had been dismissed due to the size, age and works required to the property as well as renting liability, and the capital being retained in a restricted fund, respectively; option 4. was subsequently dismissed due to St Andrew’s already having large reserves available, leaving options 2. and 3. – selling the property and reinvesting in a smaller property, or leasing the property to a housing charity.

After deliberation, following the discussion of the outcome of the property survey and the recommendations of the CCMC and Finance Committee, as well as Andy Redfearn’s exploration of the options for leasing to a local housing charity or the council, it was decided that option 3. – leasing the property to a housing charity – would be the most appropriate option; using the house as home for a vulnerable family felt like the correct decision and it was felt that the Holy Spirit had steered us in that direction.

In addition to a resolution to pursue this option, a resolution to form a working group to undertake the next stage of the process was proposed; this group would be comprised of Revd Lucy Davis, Ian Riches, Michele Swales, Lionel Mayoh, Harry Bagnall, Andy Redfearn and Alan Colley, the chair of CMCC.

• Following on from the Mission Action Plan information from the last meeting regarding the recruitment of a Youth Minister, it was confirmed that the interviews for the Youth Minister would take place on Thursday 10th July.

• Jo Newton reminded PCC members to undertake the mandatory Safeguarding Training if they had not already.

• The Finance Report, Mission and Outreach Team Report and Diocesan and Deanery Synod Reports (including the latter’s neurodiversity inclusion presentation feedback) were all recounted and accepted; it was noted in the Mission and Outreach Team Report that the Pajule lunch had been very successful, raising £180, and Andy Redfearn and Rebecca Stockman were given special thanks, along with the volunteers from Emmaus – Rebecca will visit Emmaus to pass on St Andrew’s collective thanks.

  
  

It was also highlighted that St Andrew’s relationship with World Vision would be ending this year in December, with £17,500 having been donated to World Vision by the church in three years; it was noted that thanks to World Vision’s support, no child involved with the project in Pajule has died from a preventable disease since its inception, and Crystal from Word Vision had passed on her appreciation for St Andrews in helping them achieve this amazing outcome. The congregation has chosen ‘Meeting Basic Needs’ as the theme for our next international partnership.

• The Risk Register has been updated by the Standing Committee to include cyber threats, with a view to continue undertaking further work regarding this concern.

• There were two final resolutions that were voted on and approved electronically after the meeting; supporting Kelly Agler Good training on the Diocesan Enabling Ministry Course with a view to becoming a Reader and authorising Pamela Gorringe as a Eucharist Minister.

At the end of the meeting, the assembled PCC members reflected that the discussions of the evening had been extremely positive, finding the approaches taken and the resulting dialogues very helpful in addressing the difficult questions discussed. Overall, it was a very positive and productive meeting that had managed to grapple with a difficult decision in a constructive and encouraging way.