Virtual October Business Meeting
Presidential Brief
Pansy Bradley-Cooper
On July 13, 2020, I shared with the Executive Committee that we have been without a Spiritual Advisor since the death of our beloved Reverend Mary Brown Oliver and that I have selected Elder Alfred H. McCain, Sr. – Senior Pastor, Macedonia Community Church – to serve as the next ICUA Spiritual Advisor. The Executive Board approved my appointment. Tonight, I am delighted to introduce to the Parent Body the ICUA’s newly appointed Spiritual Advisor, Elder Alfred H. McCain, Sr.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Catherine E. Mills School of Ushering had to think outside the box as to how to celebrate the 71st Commencement of the Catherine E. Mills School of Ushering, and our 2020 Graduates. On Saturday – September 26, 2020, the 2020 Graduates were honored with a “Parking Lot Commencement Celebration” at Central Baptist Church of Camp Springs. The Celebration was a happy and blessed event, and brought closure to the 2019 – 2020 school year. Congratulations to the Class of 2020!
To Dean Janice E. Hyshaw and Assistant Dean Melinda H. Wilkins and the entire Faculty of the Catherine E. Mills School of Ushering, thank you for your untiring labor of love, commitment, dedication, and perseverance in the education of the graduates!
No one would have expected or anticipated that we would be asked to shelter in place – wear masks – sanitize hands – close places of worship – limit our traveling, shortage on essential items, etc. since the latter part of April due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, we have not had an ICUA Business Meeting since the month of March.
In May, I started having monthly meetings with the Executive Committee for the purpose of continuing with the business of the Organization during the pandemic, since we were not equipped to have large virtual meetings with the membership.
On June 20, 2020, we met virtually with the Ushers’ Ministry Presidents and Guardians to inform them of cancelled ICUA activities and events, and share other information relative to the ICUA. We encouraged them to stay connected with their members.
Departments and Committees continue to hold their monthly meetings via ZOOM or Conference Calls.
We also continued to use E-Mail messages and Calling Post Messaging to stay connected with the membership since April.
After 3 months into the pandemic and the on-going daily reports about how long the COVID-19 pandemic would be around – and the restrictions on places of worship, social distancing, etc. – I instructed the Thelma D. Goodwin Policy and Rules Department to come up with an Alternative Voting Process for our Election of Officers on Monday – December 14, 2020. The Alternative Voting Process was approved by the Executive Committee for our Election of Officers in December. The ICUA Bylaws will be ratified at a later date to include Virtual Meetings and Alternative Voting Procedures.
By now, everyone should have been informed that the 2020 Eastern Region Conference was cancelled in its entirety. The Kits from the Conference were distributed to the Delegates on Saturday – September 5, 2020. We still have 16 Kits that were not picked up. I will be distributing the remaining Kits at the Headquarters on this coming Saturday – October 17, 2020, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Please wear your mask, and bring an ink pen to sign for your Kit.
The 2021 Eastern Region Conference will be a Virtual Conference. The District of Columbia is still scheduled to host the 2022 Eastern Region Conference.
We have cancelled our 2021 Memorial Weekend, which was scheduled to take place in conjunction with the 2021 Eastern Region Conference. The Events Department will have a Virtual Memorial Program in March 2021 to honor our 2019 and 2020 Deceased Ushers.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have not sponsored any type of Outreach Projects. As you all know, “Outreach” giving to others is important to me. “Outreach” is what I have stressed for 4 years. It’s the little things that we do to bless others. The Lord has blessed and protected all of us during this COVID-19 pandemic. If you don’t believe this to be true, read the book of Psalm 91 in its entirety, and see how blessed you are.
I’m making a Special Appeal to the membership this evening that we come together as a Body and bless at least 50 families with a minimum Gift Card of $25.00 for Christmas. Member churches would be able to identify one family in need, with Name – Address – Phone Number – E-Mail Address, etc. of a family that can benefit from our love donation.
How can we raise the funds for this special cause?
- ICUA Departments and Committees will donate 50.00 each.
- Class A and B member churches are asked to donate $25.00 each, and Classes C and D are asked to donate $50.00 each. Please donate whatever you can afford, and
- Individual donations will gladly be accepted.
Members, I know we can do this! We have come together in the past to help others, and I know we can do it again to bless others.
The deadline to submit your donation is Saturday – December 5, 2020. The designated families will receive Gift Cards no later than December 19, 2020.
Please send all donations to the ICUA Headquarters, marked ATTN: Christmas Project.
We are planning a Virtual ICUA Program for Sunday – December 6, 2020, at 3:00 PM. The theme for this program is undecided at this time. During the Program, the Archie A. Anderson “Man of the Year” and the Alma Cooper Hawkins “Woman of the Year” will be announced along with other awards. I will also give my final Presidential Address as President of the ICUA for 4 years. Stay tuned for more information.
Brother Jeremiah Catoe from First Rock Baptist Church – a dedicated and committed member of our Junior and Young People’s Department – was awarded the $500.00 Matching Scholarship Grant. Jeremiah is a Freshman at Towson University.
The COVID-19 pandemic has not only brought about changes for the ICUA and the way we do business, but it has also affected the Eastern Region and our National Organization, and the way they had to adjust to do business as well. Necessary Bylaws’ changes must be made to reflect the situation that we find ourselves in today, and for the future.
The ICUA, Eastern Region, and NUCUAA will be doing some form of Alternative Voting Procedures, and amending their Bylaws to include Virtual Meetings.
Ushers’ Ministry Presidents, we need to do a better job with providing the required information on the Membership Roster Form. It is important to submit a completed Membership Roster Form with all of the required information filled out for each Usher. For the ICUA, the information is used for Nominating and Election purposes.
We are in the process of preparing a Delegates’ List for the Eastern Region based upon the 2020 Delegates registering for the Eastern Region Conference. We are also preparing a list for NUCUAA
with eligible voting Delegates in accordance with NUCUAA Bylaws Article V – Section 5 – Composition of the National Convention.
Finally, plans are underway to host a “Church Reopening Session, and the Role of Church Ushers” on Saturday – November 7, 2020, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. More information will be forthcoming.
