Today’s meeting opened with a brief welcome by President Titus Naftanaila, and prayer by Planned Giving and Trust Services Director Bill Ochs.
President Titus Naftanaila shared a devotional he titled “The Curse of Knowledge.” While knowledge is important, it can become a curse unless it transforms our lives, bringing a change of heart in us and those we witness to. He pointed out we need to remember that the essence of discipleship is transformation, not information overload, or just behavior change. It was a great reminder to focus our knowledge on knowing Jesus personally, and to share and learn in a transformational way.
The President’s report included several items including:
1. Camp Meeting Management Committee decisions. Read more.
a. We are adding a family bathroom to each block bathroom where the laundry rooms have been. (The goals is to have bathroom #2 and #3 converted by this year’s camp meeting.)
b. We are creating one large laundry room in the basement of Cedar Lodge with 12 washers and 12 dryers.
c We are updating and re-designing all block bathroom privacy entryways, beginning with block bathroom #2
2. The conference received an unexpected $1.5 million trust donation. Monies are to be divided between Wisconsin Conference, Camp Wakonda, and Wisconsin Academy per specification. Read more.
3. Conference-wide Prophecy Countdown is in process based in Waukesha Seventh-day Adventist Church, with 10 remote sites viewing by satellite. More than 200 non-members attended opening weekend. Read more.
4. Other items mentioned of news and upcoming events may be viewed in the news section of our Wisconsin conference website here.
5. Opportunities upcoming for 2022 were reviewed from the following slide.
Voted/Approved previous Executive Committee Meeting minutes.
Voted/Approved baptisms/membership transfers.
Executive Secretary/Treasurer Brian Stephan reviewed highlights from the operating budget for 2022 which was voted and approved. Stephan expressed his thankfulness to the Lord for His blessings, as in 2020 we had a tithe increase of 6.2%, and in 2021 we had another tithe increase of 9.3%. “This really helped replenish the bottom line in our conference,” stated Stephan. “We paid off our loans to others and ourselves, plus we are building back our required NAD reserves of three months worth of operating. We would like to be at 100% by the end of this year. God has blessed our church. He has plans for this church and I believe He is building our finances for something.”
At this point the meeting was switched from Executive Committee to the Board of Trustees, where Bill Ochs presented a request from the Delevan SDA Church to purchase a new building – the Lutheran Memorial Church which is in their community. The purchase was voted and approved, then meeting switched back to Executive Committee.
Superintendent of Education Sue Nelson reported on our 10 elementary schools here in Wisconsin. Students and teachers are dealing with several issues stemming from the recent COVID-19 school restrictions. A grant was approved last year to hire a professional counselor to give advice and guidance in managing these issues for teachers and families, which has proved very useful. They provide books, counseling, a website with teaching videos on bullying and other issues, and even a weekly newsletter for student’s families. At present, a grant is being written to help make this service available again this coming school year.
Enrollment is up. One school is needing to add one more teacher for next year, another school is adding a half-time teacher, and the Frederic District is looking to re-open their elementary school this coming year.
Many schools and educational highlights were presented by our Education Superintendent Sue Nelson. A few are captioned below:
Wisconsin Academy is partnering with elementary schools to provide advanced Math courses. 
Wisconsin Academy is providing English support to elementary schools to help them be better prepared for success in high school and beyond. 
The Waukesha students are learning to play ukulele and are performing for their church and community. 
SEE (Students Engaged for Eternity) is a school program getting students involved in community service projects.
Rosalee Rasmussen, Wisconsin Academy Principal, highlighted several student activities including a student week of prayer held in January, a recent student baptism story, students inducted into the National Honor Society, Student Association Banquet, a Student Leadership Retreat, a music tour to Missouri, WAY Team activities (Wisconsin Adventist Youth). She also reported that the Choralaires will be preparing a recording to be played during the General Conference Session this spring.
Youth Director Zack Payne reported he is close to having his full staff hired for summer camp at Wakonda this summer. He briefly mentioned new developments with Public Campus Ministries which is being coordinated by Joshua Guerrero. He then presented a draft of his new Wisconsin Conference Club Ministries Constitution which is currently under construction. The people named on the below slide were voted and approved for the positions listed.
Names and positions voted and approved.
Voted to adjourn Executive Committee and reconvene after lunch for a closed executive session.
Juanita Edge, Communication Director