Monday, December 13, 2021

Say It Isn't So - Bishop Megan

 


 This story was linked from one about an ELCA pastor who was removed from the ministry: 

The Removal of Rev. Rabell-González: A Case Study in ELCA Corruption and Racism - Patheos


Sunset church embroiled in legal battle with infant day care center over shared space

An effort by a Sunset District church to assert control over an infant care center that it has housed for nearly four decades has resulted in a restraining order against members of the church’s leadership and an ongoing legal dispute.

For more than 35 years, the nonprofit Grace Infant Care Center has operated out of the lower floor of the Grace Lutheran Evangelical Church at the corner of 33rd Avenue and Ulloa Street. Though managed by its own board of directors, the center was created from a constitution adopted by church members.

In a complaint filed June 21 seeking a temporary restraining order, permanent injunction and damages, the center’s leadership alleges “usurious actions” on the part of the church that included seizing the center’s bank accounts, terminating its board and attempting to co-locate a preschool on the premises last month, allegedly placing the center in violation of its child care licensing.

The center’s staff fear that the power struggle could result in its shut down, to the detriment of the dozen or so families who currently rely on its services. The church, led since 2014 by Pastor Megan Rohrer, contends that the center’s refusal to file a joint tax return triggered the intervention.

“Our taxes have been filed jointly for 35 years. In January, the board chose a different method to file taxes,” said Rohrer, who is transgender with the chosen pronouns them/they. “We received information from the IRS that the way they are filing their taxes is not authorized, and we had to resolve the issue.”

In June, the church’s council voted to terminate the board and seize its accounts. The center’s leadership maintains these actions violated the church’s constitution, which requires the center to be financially independent.

In turn, the center froze its accounts to deny Rohrer access.

Parents were asked by Rohrer to begin making their infant care payments to the church, and were notified that the center could close for up to to 30 days for the transition.

The center also alleges that attempts by Rohrer to rent out a portion of the church’s space to the Wah Mei School to bolster the church’s rental income is in conflict with its infant care center licensing. The Sunset District preschool was recently awarded an expansion grant and has been searching for a new space to serve up to 60 low-income students.

Per the complaint, the child care center’s licensing dictates that the “facility space be designated to infant care and not for other purposes” and that a co-location would “force [the center] to close operations.”

Rohrer said that there is no intention to shut down the center, but acknowledged that its board of directors and the church’s leadership had reached an impasse.

“If this childcare center can only be run by a particular board, I don’t think that I can work through that,” said Rohrer.

The reportedly amicable relationship between the church and the center appeared to crumble last fall, when Rohrer “was trying to assert more control over the center, which caused a lot of us discomfort,” said Andrea Murphy, a parent at the center and the current chair of its board of directors.

At the center of the dispute lies the church’s constitution, which governs its operations and is also the foundation for the creation of the infant care center.

In court documents, the center’s leadership argues that it is a secular institution with no financial ties to the church, apart from a monthly rent payment for use of about 40 percent of its physical space. The church also holds the center’s child care license.

Murphy said that the center’s leadership was forced to take “drastic measures” by filing a restraining order after the church allegedly violated its own constitution by interfering with the center’s finances and firing its board.

The legal complaint alleges that the funds were used to pay for the salary of its pastor, which is alleged to be upwards of $90,000, and that the church’s congregation has “made a decision to close the church once the account falls to $200,000 which is anticipated to occur by the end of 2019.”

In response, lawyers argue on behalf of the church that those allegations are false and fueling a “smear campaign” in an effort by the center’s leadership to break away from the church.

“The church has ample authority under its constitution to take the funds of [the center], the organization it created,” reads the opposition statement, adding that “funds were taken to ensure the proper filing of the church’s taxes.”

“None of that money was used for church operations,” said Mark Watson, an attorney for the church, adding that the center was never “governed separately” because the church’s constitution “requires a majority of the members on the infant care center board” to also be members of the church’s council.

Though a judge advised both parties settle out of court at a hearing last month, tensions appear to have escalated.

Unarmed security guards were hired to watch over a service led by Rohrer on a recent Sunday. In a Facebook livestream of the service, Rohrer informed members that interruptions by staff and parents affiliated with the center were anticipated.

“We are under extreme caution,” Rohrer said at the time.

Likewise, the dispute has left parents worried about the future of the infant care center in a city where such institutions are in high demand but short in supply.

“There is such a shortage of infant cares in The City, it takes like six months to a year to find a new daycare. We applied to a dozen places and got into one,” said Gunnar Skulason, whose child is currently enrolled at the center. “My main concern is that if the church takes over, that [the center’s director] would leave, the staff and the parents would leave.”

Both parties are expected to appear in court on Wednesday.

lwaxmann@sfexaminer.com

One Thing Is Needful

 

Illustrated by Norma A. Boeckler

KJV Luke 10:38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. 40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. 41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

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GJ - This is so true to life that it seems like a home movie today. Martha was not only burdened with lots of work to do, but also told Jesus to order her sister to help. Jesus said, "Martha, Martha, you are full of care and anxious about many things. One thing is essential, and Mary has chosen that one thing, which will never be taken away from her."

Jesus was with His good friends Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. He knew that his final trip would be at the funeral of Lazarus. As John's Gospel reveals, it was not really a happy event when Jesus raised His friend from the dead. The raising of an influential and well known man precipitated the arrest, torture, and crucifixion of Christ. He raised others from the dead, but Lazarus was a celebrity who lived a short distance from Jerusalem. The impact was even greater as Jesus took a train of witnesses to Jerusalem and was met by another crowd coming out to greet Him as the Son of David, Messiah, Son of God.

Jesus knew this earlier visit was more important than having everything cleaned and provisioned. Their earthly time together was short - He knew too well. The work done was not significant. Listening to His Word was essential.

We never know when it is the last visit, the last phone call, the last email, the last chance to say something that belongs to eternity. I remind Old Testament students that Jesus' disciples scolded Him for praying when they had so much work to do. One student said, "I never read THAT in the Bible." No, he did not see or remember it.

KJV Mark 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. 36 And Simon and they that were with him followed after him. 37 And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee. 38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth. 39 And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.

 Mark 7


Vimeo Investigating Our Stoppage

 


Vimeo made an appointment and we did a Zoom call about broadcast issues.

The primary one is the cut-off, both times at almost one hour. I am going to move the monitoring to the laptop and see if that helps, because in the chapel I have been sending and receiving at the same time.

I appreciate the responses. They help a lot.

The techie was impressed that we have been in live streaming so long (thanks Brett) and that we have fiber optic.

 1956 hard drive, leased by the month.

 Compare and contrast hard drives.