2019 WTS Business Meeting Minutes

WTS Business Meeting

March 15, 2019

Wesley Theological Seminary

Washington, DC

 

2018-19 Budget

Last year’s conference was much more expensive due to last year’s location charging us for the use of their facilities.  We requested that information ahead of time and it was not provided.  We then received a large bill in July.  We reduced that amount by $5000 due to their error, but it was disappointing not to be able to have budgeted for that.  We were only $3000 negative for the year.  We gave $5000 to students to attend and participate.  Graduate students are deeply grateful for this assistance, and some of us were former recipients of this generosity.

AAR: the cost was similar, but they held the SPS meeting at a restaurant this year, which was enjoyable.  This is planned for AAR in San Diego this year.  The hotel catering costs are very high, so a restaurant was comparable. 

We put $35,000 in a CD for 2.3% interest.  It will mature in 2020.

Our numbers are down for this conference.  160 attendees.  Financially we will be in great shape.  The seminary is hosting us for free. 

Officers will be sending out a survey specifically about our relationship with SPS.  We have not really had joint meetings since 2008.  Executive committee is leaning toward no longer having joint meetings with SPS. Karen: We sent out something last year. Answer: we didn’t get a lot of responses. 

Randy Maddox: please send out in form “the current officers want to propose that we not have joint meetings (list some reasons). Please respond.”   Suggestion accepted by Executives.

Motion to receive treasurer’s report: passed.

 

We plan to keep using paperless options.  We can email things out ahead of time if you prefer paper.  We had some challenges with our wtsweb.org website—we were no longer able to edit it.  We have moved to wtsociety.com. It’s up and running but is bare bones.  Steve Hoskins will be trained on editing the new site.  Wtsweb.org will die.  There are a few costs with that but we will have more functionality and a stable system, and the app and the site link.

 

Justus Hunter is Book Review Editor.

Woodruff Tate and Jonathan Powers were elected as WTJ editors.

 

 

  1. Justus Hunter is doing a good job.  Send him an email if you’d like to review a book.
  2. Editorial Board: proposal approved by Executive Committee to change the make-up of the editorial board.  We’ve suggested a one-year transition period pending a constitutional change for next year’s business meeting.  The people elected today will serve their 3-year terms, but we will immediately change to having the section chairs be the acquisitions editorial board.  This ensures greater diversity, with all disciplines represented.  During the interim period, the board will serve with section chairs, and then when their terms are up, it will shift to only section chairs.
  3. Submissions remain strong, particularly from the meeting.  The Fall issue sometimes isn’t as strong, so submit! 
  4. Publisher: they are cheap but slow. Took two months to ship issues.  They will try to be quicker.  Jason did investigate other publishers.  Sage Publishing: we would get a big fat check, BUT our libraries couldn’t afford to purchase it. So we’re back to cheap and slow.  Spring issue is at the publisher. 
    1. Question: looked at an on-demand printer and third-party mailing?  Answer: the current publisher has very low costs regarding mailing, particularly internationally.
    2. Question: Digital editions: Wesley.nnu.edu has been wonderful, but they only go up to 2010.  It’s a godsend for those overseas.  Could we bring the digital copies to the new website?  Answer: a lot of the Wesley Center stuff is going to the Holiness Digital Library, and we’re still making that decision.  Usually we wait 5 years of print before we put online and we’re a few years behind. 
    3. Question: Gender parity in authorship in WTJ? Answer: that’s one of the reasons behind the change in the editorial board.  We have maybe 20% of submissions from women.   
    4. Question: maybe do an email blast when the journal is released, so that way we know.  Answer: Brent says he can do that; libraries have a season, and when they don’t get an issue, they complain to EBSCO.  The issue is also libraries getting it late.  We could advance the submission date, to a degree. 

 

  1. Wesleyan-Holiness Women Clergy
  2. Ecumenical Involvements
  3. WPS
  4. WHS
  5. WLS
  6. Charles Wesley Society
  7. Women’s Studies:
  8. Grad Student Association:
  9. Wesleyan Technology Connexion: Back in force next year. 
  1. Don Thorsen: If you’d like to join the dialogue, come talk to Don.  Discussing eco-justice, poverty, and racial injustice. 
  1. John Bechtold: great meeting; 30 attendees.  Next year, Audra Goodnight is 1st VP; her theme is ecological justice and philosophy of nature.  Thank you to Brent Peterson.
  1. Steve Hoskins: 43 attendees.  Centered around World Methodism; David Bundy put together the program.  Meeting next year, Randy Maddox will be in charge.
  1. James Pedlar: 13 attendees.  Keynote: Anna Petrin on baptismal advocacy.  Next year, Brannon Hancock and Steve ___ are organizing.
  1. Saturday afternoon meeting: Patrick Eby, Steve OMalley. 
  1. Paper turned into a book from WTS meeting at Asbury last year.
  1. Kara Lyons-Pardue met with students.  Tim Hahn is president next year.  Kaitlyn Haley-Deischer is 1st VP; Peter Smith is 2nd VP.   Very grateful to WTS.

 

The theme is “Powers and Principalities: Christian Complicity and Christian Confrontation.”  Dr. Rev. Randy Woodley is the keynote.  Dr. Joy Moore will be the program chair.  Meeting at NTS in Kansas City, MO next year from Marcy 6-7, 2020.  October 1st is the deadline for paper and panel proposals.

 

Wesley Fellows breakfast meeting 8am tomorrow in Refectory.

 

Meeting adjourned.

Respectfully submitted by Christina Smerick