The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport is a faith-based, ecumenical social service agency with a 65-year history of working in partnership with local congregations and other community partners to educate children, feed the poor, support youth and families in crisis, guide ex-offenders to productive lives and build bridges of understanding and respect.   

Our mission is to turn faith into action by enabling congregations and community partners to combine resources and expertise to provide programs that help people at risk meet their urgent needs.

STATE OF THE COUNCIL/SELF-EVALUATION

Rev. Dr. Brian R. Bodt, President and Chief Executive Officer

Submitted to the Board of Directors

The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport, Inc.

June 18, 2009 

“The mission of The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport is to turn faith into action by enabling congregations and community partners to combine resources and expertise to provide programs that help people at risk meet their urgent needs.” 

INTRODUCTION

For 64 years The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport has, with congregations and community partners, “leveraged hope and changed lives” by providing direct service to people in need.  We do what every congregation would do if they could.

Today 86 member churches and eight affiliated agencies “leverage hope and change lives” through a staff of 16 and hundreds of volunteers, pastors, church delegates and community leaders. Funding from government and public sources (congregations, individuals, foundations and corporations) allows us to empower scholars for academic success; protect and help youth in crisis; provide second chances for ex-offenders; and network and support those who feed hungry people; all while knitting together faith and community groups on issues of common interest.

At month’s end I conclude three years as The Council’s seventh chief executive.   This report reflects on accomplishments and challenges that relate directly to my work. Direct program services are reported monthly to this Board under the supervision of our Chief Operating Officer.  Their absence does not diminish their essential importance.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CHALLENGES

Staffing:  Byron Crosdale completed a full year as Finance Director and Ana Cotto was promoted to Accounting Clerk.  With John Cottrell, finance, budgeting and audit were much improved.  Richetta Joyner became full time by adding “Receptionist” to her Trumbull Gardens Project Learn Center Director position.  A baby boom (three with a fourth on the way) brought our first babies in 21 years and coverage challenges to our programs.  The diligence of line and lead staff meant no interruption of services.  Jennifer Gonzalez-Smith concluded her leadership of “Work and Learn” as we closed that program due to lack of funding, but we have retained her in the first quarter of the 2009-2010 budget in the hope a federal grant will fund a new position in street outreach.

We celebrated 20 years of service for Dan Braccio, Imam Nasif Muhammad and Robert Jefferson, more on which is written in the Development section.  Our Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) contract for chaplain services at Greater Bridgeport Mental Health expired in December.  Concurrently we learned that Dr. James Cook, Sr. was ineligible to continue as a Department of Corrections retiree.  The contract was renewed in late May and we are now interviewing candidates to begin July 1st. 2009.

Audit:  The audit went much more smoothly resulting in reduced costs and a January presentation to our Board.  It was again an “unqualified” (clean) audit.  We have established regular contact with the auditors so that the process is even smoother this fall.

Funding: The economic meltdown of fall, 2008 has meant a new financial world for us all.  At this point we forecast a shortfall of $37,379 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009.  All services and staff remained intact through that time.  The 2009-2010 budget, as presented this afternoon, is mildly aggressive in public support (6% increase) but otherwise based on known contracted revenue.  It regrettably sunsets “Work and Learn” but otherwise leaves all services in place, all staff employed for the first quarter, and no increase in health insurance costs to our staff.

Development:  My roles in development are to cultivate individual and congregational donors; and to support the efforts of the Development Committee.  I met with many individuals, pastors, foundations and congregations, and the time from meeting to gift may be short or long.  Some of these contacts have been accessed by members of the Board.  Your leverage and intercession are key tools to unlocking development treasure!  I also preach regularly as noted in “Promoting the Council.”

The Development Committee continued a major spring fundraiser at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre, netting over $28,000 on March 26th as a sold-out house (260 people) listened to “Smokey Joe’s Café” and celebrated two decades of service each for Dan, Nasif and Robert.  Similarly, recorded attendance of 160 at Annual Meeting on May 14th matched last year’s as Desiree Fontaine of News Channel 8, New Haven, inspired us with her personal story of triumph.  $7,007 in tribute gifts were raised honoring “Great Friends” John Santa (Lurline W. Reid Award); Valzie Peterkin (Community Builder); Sandra Brown (Life Member); Roger Perry (Founders’ Award); and Rev. Marjorie Nunes and Summerfield United Methodist Church (Faith and Community Award).

Strategic Planning:  Our strategic planning was delayed in the fall but resumed with Allen Downs meeting regularly with program leadership to develop metrics for each program.  We expect to have renewed reporting categories, as well as a work plan, for the September, 2009 meeting of this Board.

Congregation Relations: “Council Sunday” was observed the last Sunday in September, 2008 with 40 congregations allowing recognition of The Council’s ministry through a brief script.  Some congregations also allowed an after-church forum, took a special offering, or expanded the presentation in some way.  We also had a September, 2008 delegate conference, attended by about 60 people, that educated delegates on The Council in general and specific programs.  Due to heavy program scheduling in the winter and spring, we put off a spring conference.  This initiative will continue under our new Board Vice-Chair, Fr. Demetrios Recachinas.

Bridge Building Ministry:  With Council Associate Jack Hickey-Williams, I am the primary staff person for Bridge Building.  BBM cooperated with CO-OP for a forum on criminal justice in October and a job fair for CO-OP and other organizations of the Reentry Roundtable in November; and cooperated with the Presbytery of Southern New England for an immigration forum all day on Feb. 21.  On March 15 a re-initiated Youth Conference (partnered with RYASAP, Stratford Community Services and Fairfield University) gathered 100 youth and adults on the theme of youth engaged in community and political action.  I actively participated in designing these events.

I am also active on the steering committee for the interfaith “Tent of Abraham” series with Jewish and Muslim partners.  We adjusted our theme to experience an immersion in one particular tradition on one particular theme, engaging “forgiveness” at Congregation B’nai Israel on October 17 and “pilgrimage” at Trinity Episcopal Church, Southport on March 8.  The Muslim immersion is scheduled for October 18, 2009.

In Stratford, the “Community Conversation on Race” initiative that continued our work dating to 1995 became “CARE: Citizens Addressing Racial Equity” with work teams on education, police and town government.  I periodically attend steering committee meetings and consult with Byron Crosdale, our designated representative.

Collaborations: We continue as a partner with the CT Sponsoring Committee, an interfaith community organizing initiative with its building block of the one-on-one meeting.  The collective collaborates on social issues of mutual interest.  I continue to serve as a Director on the Board of the Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition (BCAC) of which The Council is a member.  I am a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).  Their monthly meeting is first Thursday Noon in Norwalk, decidedly inconvenient when this Board usually meets at 4:30 that same afternoon.  I occasionally attend the Bridgeport Area Non-Profit Cabinet (BANC).  I am The Council’s representative to the FEMA Board of Greater Bridgeport, which makes funding decisions directly related to Hunger Outreach.

Promoting The Council:  The Council’s many services were promoted in the following ways: “Council Sunday;” staff members presenting programs to churches and civic groups; monthly “Council Highlights” mailed to our congregations; the CouncilNet electronic notice distributions; and www.ccgb.org.  Cindy Schofield-Bodt continues as our volunteer webmaster.  The program staff suggested and implemented a new, monthly “Success Story” on the web.  I still write for the Connecticut Post and preached or presented after-church forums in about 20 area churches, using a PowerPoint I designed early in 2008.  We are considering producing an inexpensive CD next program year.  With Reverends Hopeton Scott, Geoff Hahneman and Taka Ishii, I designed the annual Good Friday service at Golden Hill.  We designed eight “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” services held in Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Orthodox and Protestant churches.

Planned Giving: The committee did initial design work and continued conversation with a major donor.  A revised plan presented on June 30 will be implemented in 2009-2010.

Professional development and commitments: I attended the Connecticut Association of Non-Profits Annual Meeting (Nov.) and a Fairfield County Community Foundation seminar on the impact of the economic meltdown (Feb.).  I also spent ten days in Israel with colleague Laurie Gross under the auspices of the Jewish Federation (Dec); and three and one-half days at the Institute on Philanthropy at their Fund Raising School (May).  In each case the presence of one or more colleagues or volunteers magnified the impact by providing others with whom to reflect or collaborate.

I serve on our United Methodist Conference (regional) Board of Ordained Ministry which meets quarterly in addition to two three-day interview retreats.  I mentored a candidate for ministry who was ordained on June 13.  I presided or assisted at Holy Communion several times and conducted one wedding and two funerals.  I performed no baptisms.

Yale Divinity School intern:  In September I attended five half-day supervisor training sessions at Yale Divinity School.  Although we did not have an intern at that time, my hope was to become acquainted with the program and Yale with me and The Council.  As a result, Sandra Valdes-Lopez, a senior Yale seminarian, will be our intern in 2009-2010 with a concentration on Bridge Building and Congregation Relations but with exposure to other areas.  Carl Johnson, Rosa Correa, Don Gibson, Margaret Palliser, and Larri Mazon will serve as our Seminary Intern Committee.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH

The ministry and institution of The Council bring me great joy.  I work hard; have high expectations; communicate effectively; plan well; promote teamwork and mutual accountability; raise money; and love God, people and the possibilities God has for them.

My fundraising has improved but more is needed.  The same may be said of my business and financial understanding: improved but more improvement needed.

LOOKING AHEAD 

The program matrices arising from the Harvard project; a 3-5 year strategic plan; a 3-5 year development plan; and a planned giving campaign must be advanced with concrete plans.  We are closing in on some of these but have work to do on others.  Day to day operations intrude too often and I must raise these to a greater priority.

We have a highly effective staff.  I regret that the current economy allows no room to give even a modest compensation increase this year.  I hope we will find other ways to say “Thank you for a job well done.”

Our Board of Directors is active and must continue to advance its responsibilities to fund the mission and give governance oversight.

The challenges have been great, but so have the rewards.  It is a privilege, and a ministry, to serve as executive leader of The Council of Churches.

Respectfully submitted,

Rev. Dr. Brian R. Bodt

President and Chief Executive Officer