ACFA Conference 2009 - Conference Minutes

Minutes of the ACFA Conference Thursday 19th November 2009 'Matching Money with God's Plans'

Hopthorpe Hall – Theddingworth

• Murray McEwan opened the conference with a period of worship.

• Graham Cleveland welcomed delegates to the conference – in particular new members and first timers. The ACFA Ambassador was thanked for her contribution during the past year.

• Graham Cleveland gave the opening address based on Hebrews 12 v.1-4.  Members were encouraged to support each other during the conference and through prayer throughout the year ahead.

• Philanthropy and Financial Planning (Part 2): Mike Royal and Matt Bird talked about Christians of wealth wanting to make a difference in their communities and how ACFA members could play an important role in facilitating this.  (Mike Royal’s presentation is attached/available on the ACFA website).

Matt Bird posed a number of questions that we might ask ourselves and our clients:

• What does the world look like with you?
• What would the world look like without you?
• Does it look the same or different?

(Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 2:10)

• When things go wrong we choose if life goes wrong!
• What things have gone wrong that we have allowed to disable us?
• How do we reframe the things that have gone wrong for a positive outcome?

(Romans 8:18-28, Romans 5:3-4)

• Following this Murray McEwan led a time of quiet prayer and contemplation.

• High Social-Impact Investing: Duncan Parker presented on how we can make a significant difference to the issue of poverty. (Duncan’s presentation is attached/available on the ACFA website).  He also pointed out that the Silverlands Fund will be taking forward the Africa Invest Malawi model (see silverstreetcapital.com).

• Case-study Approach to Financial Planning: Generosity.

Mark Crofts led the conference in a case study session on Generosity.  Delegates were divided into groups and asked to think about how they would encourage wealthy Christian clients who have just inherited £250k to give more away? Group feedback (questions and practical planning solutions) can be found on the ACFA Member’s Forum area of the ACFA website (www.christianfinancialadvisers.org.uk).

• Louis Group Presentation: Mike Ansell presented on the topic ‘Divine Moments Courtesy of a Divine God’.  After giving a brief history of Louis Group, Mike set out the approach LG takes to operating a Kingdom business in a difficult space and offered it as encouragement to ACFA members.

• Expect God to act through you
• Acknowledge Him when he does
• Divine impact - People: do not underestimate the impact you could have on your clients' decision-making
• Divine impact - Place: what new territory (demographic, geographic, niche) do you believe God has given you? Go and posses it!
• Divine impact – Provision: Have you asked God for what you need? Are you aware of the ongoing provision you are receiving from the Lord?
• Divine impact – Problems: Are you aware that God already know a about your current (and future) problems and has already prepared a way of escape?
• What is the biggest challenge in your business now? You have already found favour in His eyes. All you need to do is understand His solution.

ACFA AGM – Informal discussion session

Graham Cleveland chaired an informal discussion session as follows:
Website views and ideas

• The general consensus is that the website is very good; a great improvement on the previous one.
• Suggestions for future development included: Chairman’s blog; link-ups to Twitter and Facebook on the site; a button for finding out about advertising (cost, process).
• More people need to use the Member's Forum.

Revenue views and ideas

• The membership agreed that it should be left to the committee to decide on a case by case basis whether it is appropriate to 'sell'’ members’ details to third parties for marketing purposes.
• Current members need to be retained and new members recruited.

Marketing and Association profile ideas

• Graham Cleveland suggested that there is a lack of understanding of what IFAs do.  He would like to put effort into getting ACFA’s message out into the wider society and to increase understanding of the Biblical Principles of financial management.
• Chris Sheldon offered to have an ACFA representative take regular part in the Kingdom Bank sponsored breakfast hour on Premier Christian Radio.

• Murray McEwan suggested a piece of research to find out how many Christian IFAs are out there who are not members of ACFA.  This would help us understand what proportion of the pool of Christian IFAs we represent.
• David Flowers suggested we identify a clear issue to speak about in the press to raise the ACFA profile. The Ambassador mentioned Ecclesiatical’s offer to ACFA to use versions of their special market reports as a basis for additional Christian commentary and media profile.
• Alastair Wood suggested that a comprehensive member email address list be circulated to each member to facilitate contact between members.
• Corporate membership was discussed and it was agreed that where the majority of a company's IFAs (finance professionals) are Christian the ACFA logo may be used on headed paper, website etc.
  

Formal AGM

Apologies
Robin & Helen Stamp, Graham Howe and Andrew Meade, all of whom had to cancel attendance at the last moment.

The minutes of the last AGM were approved.

Chairman's Report
Graham Cleveland explained the recruitment process for the Ambassador post and expressed satisfaction with the work that she has done so far – database, website, Biblical Principles articles and developing links with other organisations. 
The Committee have worked well together during the year and it has been a demanding but enjoyable year as Chairman.
For the future priorities should be:

• Networking more effectively
• Increasing membership
• Raising the profile of ACFA further

Treasurer’s Report (Full accounts are available on ACFA Website)
Derek Williams reported on the annual accounts. 
There are currently circa 71 members
Derek stated that ACFA is in a very strong financial position going into 2010 despite the look of the accounts.  Income has decreased although membership has increased due to:

• Standing orders staggering membership payments in many cases.  However, standing orders are a strength going forward as income is assured for 3 year periods;
• Accounting procedures being changed so that no costs are passed on to the following year (e.g. Conference), which has not been the case before;
• Ambassador salary;
• 10% tithe being allowed for.

Election of officers
No new officers needed for the next 12 months.

Voting on items discussed in informal session

• Marketing of members details – Passed
• Use of ACFA logo by member’s companies – Passed
• Tithing of 10% to CAP for this year – Passed
• Retention of Ambassador’s post for a further year – Passed

Incoming Chairman’s report
As incoming Chairman, Mark Crofts encouraged membership over the next year to:

• Start applying the Biblical Principles to clients and themselves;
• Make a point of telling other IFAs/finance professionals about ACFA the biblical principles;
• Meet other ACFA members regionally in small or larger groups;
• Remember that we are working in God’s strength, not our own.

Graham Cleveland and Aidan Vaughan prayed for Mark as incoming Chairman.

Graham Cleveland closed the conference in prayer.