Rev. Dr. John Ragsdale, Instructor for Theology

Rev. Dr. John Ragsdale will teach Theology on Friday, May 17, at the Florida Regional APA Conference in Jacksonville Beach.Visit www.floridaapa.org for Conference Registration. 

John Ragsdale recently retired from the pastorate and is a certified yoga teacher and active community volunteer in Jacksonville.   

Growing up in North Carolina, John graduated from the University of North Carolina. He then worked in the business world for 15 years, lastly as Chief Financial Officer of Atlantic Builders, Inc., a home-builder. 

Responding to the call the full-time ministry, John attended Columbia Theological Seminary and earned his doctorate from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. He has served as pastor of churches in Orange Park, Gainesville, Jacksonville, and Green Cove Springs, as the Executive Director of the Montgomery Presbyterian Center, and as Mission Coordinator for Leadership of the Presbytery of St. Augustine. 

John and his wife Sally have three sons. 

For those of you taking the Theology course, Dr. Ragsdale requests that each participant read two of the Confessions and write a list of five foundational beliefs and five items of faith or belief they have trouble with or doubt. 

Mr. William E. Scheu, Leadership for Legal Matters

Mr. William E. Scheu will be one of six attorneys leading Legal Matters on Thursday, May 16, at the Florida Regional APA Conference in Jacksonville Beach.Visit www.floridaapa.org for Conference Registration. 

Meet William E. Scheu, Attorney and Shareholder of Rogers Towers Law Firm in Jacksonville, FL. Mr. Scheu practices principally in the areas of real estate and real estate related business transactions, with an emphasis on shopping center and office building acquisition, development and leasing.  Mr. Scheu is also a certified circuit civil mediator and is knowledgeable in state and federal election law.

Mr. Scheu is a Ruling Elder at Riverside Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville, FL.

Education:

University of the South, A.B., Cum Laude, 1967

University of Florida Law School, J.D., With Honors, 1970

 

Rev. Dr. Heahwan Rim, Teacher of Polity 1

Rev. Dr. Heahwan Rim will teach Polity 1 on Thursday, May 16, at the Florida Regional APA Conference in Jacksonville Beach.Visit www.floridaapa.org for Conference Registration.

Meet Heahwan Rim, Transitional Executive of the Synod of South Atlantic.  Heahwan is a PCUSA teaching elder who is very familiar with mid council administration in terms of its mission, structure, life, polity, management, and relationships with other church councils.  He has served the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for 20 years.  He served the church as the pastor of a congregation, the executive presbyter/stated clerk of a presbytery, and has served on various mid council committees.  Most recently, he served as the acting manager for polity guidance and training in the Office of the General Assembly, where he conducted trainings for new stated clerks, provided polity guidance, and became more familiar with the new Book of Order.  Heahwan understands the landscape of the PCUSA very well as he also serves on the Advisory Committee on the Constitution (PCUSA) where he has an opportunity to see differing theological views and diversity of voices on the future of the church.

Heahwan is also a veteran of the US Army.  Prior to his seminary education, he served in the US Army for 20 years where he was recognized for his excellent leadership skills.  He was a Chief Warrant Officer in the Army specializing in logistics management.  Through his military and PCUSA ministry experiences, he understands diversity, inclusiveness, and unity (not uniformity) very well.  He received many distinguished Service medals during his 20 year military career.  

Heahwan was ordained as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament by the Savannah Presbytery, served on committees of the presbytery, and he was the vice-moderator of the Savannah Presbytery when he left the area for another call in 2004.  During his time in the South, he also served the Synod as the Korean-American Church consultant.  

Heahwan holds a Master of Divinity degree and a Doctor of Ministry degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, where he is currently on the Board of Trustees.  

Heahwan is married to a lovely wife, Yunkwang, and has two daughters, Nancy and Cindy – both married.  They each have two children of their own. 

Join Us at the Alhambra Dinner Theater!

Have you signed up for the Florida APA conference yet?  One of my favorite parts of our gatherings are the optional entertainment outings.  This year, we'll be going to the Alhambra Dinner Theater for dinner and a show, "Murder Among Friends," starring Loretta Swit (Hot Lips) from M*A*S*H.  

After a full day of classes on Thursday, May 16, we'll meet in the hotel lobby and carpool to the Alhambra.  We'll begin with a dinner buffet and then showtime!  I hope you'll join us.  More details can be found on their web site at www.alhambrajax.com.

If you've not yet registered for the May conference, you can download the brochure from our web site at www.floridaapa.org. 

See you all then!

Allyson

Learn about Recommended 2014 Medical Dues Change

From Clark Simmons, Regional Representative of the Board of Pensions

Newly available: Webinar replay and question-and-answer document on recommended change to medical dues

As previously announced, at the upcoming meeting of the Board of Directors of the Board of Pensions in March, the Directors will vote on a recommendation to change the approach to medical dues for the Traditional Program of the Medical Plan of the PC(USA) for active members. The change is intended to offset a cumulative shortfall in Medical Plan reserves and provide a level of flexibility and choice in healthcare coverage that currently doesn't exist in the Traditional Program. If approved, the new dues approach will take effect January 1, 2014.

You can watch a replay of a live webinar recently conducted by the Board of Pensions for church leaders and read the associated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document, a recap of questions posed before and during the webinar, along with the Board's answers.

The webinar covers such topics as why the change to medical dues was recommended, what the key considerations to the recommended approach were, and what the dues amounts are projected to be. The FAQ document answers a wide variety of dues-related questions, from the impact of the change on various demographic groups covered by the plan, to any implications for member couples, to approvals required for the change to become effective.

The Board of Pensions is committed to both keeping you informed and listening to comments, questions, and concerns as it works through the difficult issue of providing quality healthcare coverage to members through employers. As always, you can email or call the Board at communications@pensions.org or 800-773-7752 (800-PRESPLAN), respectively, about this or any other benefits-related matter.

BOP will host webinar on upcoming medical dues changes

From Clark Simmons, Board of Pensions Regional Representative
Greetings!
I’d like to invite you, as a leader of the Church, to join us for an opportunity to learn more about the recently announced recommendation for a change to the dues structure for the Traditional Program of the Medical Plan of the PC(USA), administered by the Board of Pensions. I know you are hard at work this Advent season, but I ask that you take a moment out of your busy schedule to register for this important event.
Pat Haines, Senior Vice President of Benefits for the Board of Pensions, and I will host a webinar on the topic on January 10, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. ET. I encourage you to register now — and no later than December 31, 2012 — and to mark your calendar to join Pat and me for this live, one-hour event.
Topics will include:

• Why is a change to the structure of medical dues being recommended?
- The status of Benefits Plan funding
- Trends: medical costs, plan member demographics, church demographics

• What were the key considerations to the recommended approach?
- Current structure of Medical Plan dues
- Alternative funding approaches considered
- Rationale for the recommended approach

• How may a change to the medical dues structure (if approved) affect the Church?
- Details of the recommendation
- How the recommended approach may benefit the Church, employing organizations, and members
- Next steps

• Questions and answers
The recommended approach for medical dues for the Traditional Program was made on October 27, 2012, by the Chair of the Healthcare Committee to the full Board of Directors of the Board of Pensions. The proposal will be put to a vote at the next meeting of the Board of Directors in Philadelphia in March 2013. If approved, the new dues structure for the Traditional Program would take effect January 1, 2014.

Remember to sign up by clicking “register,” above. I look forward to your joining us!

Regards,
Clark Simmons
Regional Representative

Church treasurers and business administrators can submit salary changes online through Benefits Connect

From the Board of Pensions Benefits Connect Tip:

Church treasurers and business administrators* can use Benefits Connect to securely submit, confirm, and change their members’ salary information. They can also submit service changes and terminations, review invoices from the past six months, and review their organizations’ contact information. 

To register as an organization’s authorized Web representative, church treasurers and business administrators must select that role in step 1 of the registration process and then complete the rest of the registration information, including establishing a user ID and password.

*Churches and employing organizations whose billing address is in the United States and are currently receiving a monthly invoice from the Board can have one authorized Web representative.