Learning more and more about this podcasting business.
Still not sure if it is working correctly.

This morning's sermon from Pastor Lynice, I See Dead People, is here.

Fixed the problem with Nichola's photo on her page for her sermon from yesterday, Love's Labor. I still don't get why sometimes an image I save has a JPG extension instead of a jpg extension, but CMSimple (the content management system used on the website) doesn't like the uppercase extensions.

Last week Pastor Lynice preached Solitary Confinement.

At around 2:30 pm this afternoon, at the end of a duly called congregational meeting, First Congregational Church of Oakland, United Church of Christ, Reverend Lynice Pinkard was called as Senior Pastor

The vote was unanimous, with 56 members voting.

To voting members and friends of First Congo:

This is a reminder to attend the September 14 congregational meeting whose ultimate outcome is for voting members to vote whether to call Pastor Lynice Pinkard as the church’s Senior Pastor.

Our bylaws require having at least 30% of the voting membership present. We hope to exceed that requirement substantially. Please come!

Our bylaws also require that actions of the church such as calling a Senior Pastor are taken by voting members present at duly-noticed congregational meeting.

Our denomination advises that voting be done by confidential ballot in the case of calling a Pastor.

For those reasons you must be present at the meeting to cast your ballot.

We deeply regret that this means voting members who cannot attend the September 14 meeting will not be able to vote.

Please come! All of us want to know that the decision made on September 14 represents the will of a substantial portion of the congregation’s membership.

The meeting is on September 14, in the sanctuary, 1:15-3:30 pm.

With thanks and blessings,

Pat Bruce-Lerrigo, Moderator

Board of Trustees

I just now noticed that the latest sermon, Family Feud preached by Pastor Lynice Pinkard, ends abruptly on the website.

Probably because the file became split in the recording and I didn't catch it when I uploaded it. I'll look into it tonight.

9:49 pm: Fixed!

Dear Members and Friends of First Congregational Church of Oakland,

Since May of this year, the Rev. Lynice Pinkard has been our Acting Senior Pastor. After prayerfully and deliberately considering this congregation's hopes and needs and Pastor Lynice's gifts, the Pastoral Search Committee recommends that she be called as Senior Pastor of First Congregational Church of Oakland, United Church of Christ.

According to our bylaws, that decision must be made by a duly-noticed congregational meeting. This is your official notice of that meeting, which will be September 14, 2008, in the Sanctuary from 1:15 until 3:30.

At the meeting:
1. The Pastoral Search Committee will review the steps it has taken in its deliberations, and the reasons for its recommendation.
2. The congregation may share its questions and reflections with the Committee or Pastor Lynice.
3. Voting members will vote whether to call Lynice Pinkard as our Senior Pastor by secret ballot.
In the United Church of Christ, it is the congregation that calls the church's Pastor. Our bylaws require that at least 30% of the voting membership be present at a meeting to call a Senior Pastor. We hope many more than that will attend. The bylaws also specify that the candidate must be elected by a minimum two-thirds majority. Both Acting Senior Pastor Lynice and the Search Committee have agreed in this case that her call by the congregation will require an 80% favorable vote of the voting members present on September 14th.

Please participate in this profound decision in our congregation's life together!

With deep thanks to you and for you,
Pat Bruce-Lerrigo
Moderator

Pastor Lynice preaching Stubbing Your Toe on the Rock. mp3