With the election of three new officers, the November meeting of the Pacific Union Executive Committee was far from ordinary. All voting was by secret ballot, but the discussions were open and frank.

Committee members first voted a treasurer to replace Leon Sanders, who retired at the end of the year. Two names were placed in nomination; Ted Benson, who has worked in the union IT and treasury departments since 1976, was elected. A major consideration in Benson’s election was his training and experience in writing and managing accounting programs. During the next two years, the Pacific Union office, and all the local conference offices within the union, are expected to convert their accounting to a unified program recently adopted by the North American Division.

The committee next selected the union executive secretary, replacing Ernie Castillo, who was elected a vice president of the North American Division at the end of the year. In addition to participating in union decision-making and working with conference administrators, the secretary is responsible for union records and statistics. Three people were nominated; Ricardo Graham, president of the Northern California Conference, was elected.

And finally, the committee appointed the union vice president to replace Wayne Shepherd, who retired at the end of September. In addition to union decision-making, the vice president assists conference administrators with planning and leadership challenges. Three people were nominated; Arnold Trujillo, president of the Hawaii Conference, was elected.

It seemed like a good day's work, but the committee was not finished. In an unusual action, the committee voted $20,000 from Project: Providential Openings funds to the East Central African Union to enable them to build a very large church building. This was done in appreciation for that union’s gift of $10,000 to the North American Division to assist with Hurricane Katrina disaster relief efforts.

In his final financial report, treasurer Leon Sanders reported that the union’s tithe increase so far in 2005 has been 9.23 percent. Expenses are on budget. This, combined with the union’s usual conservative budgeting, meant the union had a financial gain for the third quarter. During the previous two years, the union’s gains were retained to rebuild the Economic Recovery and Emergency fund, which provides money to conferences and colleges during times of special need. But during 2005, with those funds replenished, the gains have been distributed quarterly to the conferences and colleges. At the November meeting, the union distributed gains totalling more than $1 million for local conference and college operations.

Two people were approved for ordination/commissioning to the ministry: Richard Lee and Bret Poynter, both from the Southern California Conference. Robert Hancock, from the Northern California Conference, was approved to pursue the Doctor of Ministry degree, and Raewyn Jean Hankins, from the Southeastern California Conference, was approved for a ministerial scholarship.

Ernie Castillo, union secretary, reported that during the first three quarters 9,727 people have joined the church in the Pacific Union: 4,962 by baptism and profession of faith and 4,535 by transfer (plus 351 from updating the records). During the same three quarters, 8,180 were removed from the books (apostasies and missing, deaths, and transfers out), so the membership at the end of the third quarter was 209,325, up 1,547 from the beginning of the year.

Several loans were approved for building or improving churches and schools: Beacon Light (Arizona Conference), $437,000; Gila (AC), $300,000; Chandler Spanish (AC), $57,500; Tucson South Spanish (AC), $156,200; Clovis (Central California Conference), $100,000; Fresno Northwest (CCC), $200,000; Del Rosa (Southeastern California Conference), $594,558. In addition, three loans were approved for refinancing: South San Francisco Samoan (CCC), Lakeport (Northern California Conference), and Oakland-Elmhurst.

The next union executive committee meeting is scheduled for March 15.