Report of the
Board of Directors of Bible Fellowship Church
The Board of Directors of the Bible Fellowship Church held four regular meetings to attend to corporate business related to Annual Conference, to agencies, and to the churches.
The Board provided oversight and advice in respect to fiscal, legal, and property acquisition in the following areas:
Annual Conference: medical insurance, administrative budget. Pinebrook Junior College property.
Agencies: Victory Valley Camp
Once again this year the Board of Directors changed medical insurance companies. This was due tot eh changes in coverage and a proposed 30% increase in premiums growing out of the acquisition of US HealthCare by Aetna Insurance Company. A plan offered by Inter-County Hospitalization-Health Plan was adopted and became the medical insurance plan offered to employees of Bible Fellowship Church and agencies as of January 1, 1997. The new plan brings significant financial savings when compared with terms offered the Bible Fellowship Church by Aetna Insurance Company for 1997. Higher life insurance benefits and dental coverage are also now included in the plan. Bible Fellowship churches and agencies now using other plans might be wise to take a close look at this plan.
The Board of Directors assisted the Board of Victory Valley in the acquisition of property consisting of acreage which enhances the integrity of present holdings, as well as a house dedicated to the use of the director.
During the 113th Annual Conference a faxed proposal to purchase part of the property formerly occupied by Pinebrook Junior College was received from Seniorcare Service Group, Incorporated, Lansdale, PA. Although the informal offer was good, and this group continued to express interest in purchasing the property for several months, no agreement of sale was ever received from that corporation. On December 3, 1996 the Board of Directors received a fourteen page proposed agreement of sale for the 5.711 acre parcel of the property containing the buildings for $330,000. Discussions which followed led to that agreement, as amended, being signed on December 20, 1996. Matters which must be resolved before sale is consummated are: removal of asbestos and certification thereof; approvals relating to zoning and sewer from the municipality of Coopersburg, and State and Federal approval to use the property for assisted housing. Closing is proposed to be no later than June 30, 1997, but there is provision in the agreement for the purchaser to extend that date for two additional 30 day periods with prior notification of 10 days.
Sale of the parcels previously used as soccer field and park is made difficult because there is now a moratorium on sewer connections due to a dispute between Borough of Coopersburg and Upper Saucon Township. Until this issue is resolved, interest in, and value of, the property is seriously diminished.
The final chapter on the sale of the Coopersburg property remains to be written, but it is clear that the best that can be hoped for from proceeds of the sale is payment of loans made from banks and partial payment of loans by individuals. Decisions will need to be made by Annual Conference concerning the repayment of remaining debt to individuals, to the Trexler Foundation, to the Fund to Promote Church Extension, and to funds supervised by the Pinebrook Educational Foundation.
Last year when the Board of Directors issued its report to the 113th Annual Conference it was not clear that brother Jansen E. Hartman’s years of service to the Board of Directors would come to an end. We now express our appreciation for his 45 years of faithful and fruitful service and wish him God’s blessing as he continues to serve our conference in less formal ways.
During the year Jay H. Fasnacht resigned from the Board of Directors after over 19 years of service due to relocation to Florida. His contribution to the board has been significant and he will be missed.
The Board of Directors wishes to inform the 114th Annual Conference that at a properly-called meeting of the congregation of Salem Bible Fellowship Church, Allentown, PA the congregation voted to cease public meetings on February 28, 1997 and close its books as of March 31, 1997.
All funds are deposited in the Farmers First Bank, Lititz. Accounts were audited by Charles Albert.
We recommend that 114 Annual Conference adopt the following:
1. Resolved, that the rate of mileage reimbursement remain at 22¢ per mile.
2. Resolved, that the Administrative Budget for January 1, 1997 to December 31, 1997 be adopted.
3. Resolved, that the proposed Administrative Budget for January 1, 1998 to December 31, 1998 be approved for submission to the churches for their pledges.
Pledges for the 1998 Administrative Budget shall be received by the Financial Secretary by September 1, 1997
Board of Directors: James A. Beil, President; Carl C. Cassel, Vice-President; David J. Watkins, Secretary; Horace A. Kauffman, Financial Secretary; Robert W. Gehret, Treasurer; James A. Beil, Hospitalization Secretary; Bert N. Brosius, Randall A. Grossman, L. James Roberts