July, 2000 Newsletter

President full-time

Dear Pilots for Christ Members:

I went full time with PCI June 1st. I really needed to do this, as there just were not enough hours in the day to be employed in business and do the business of PCI as well. Joyce and I could see the Lords' will in this decision.

Web site info

PCI is making progress. We have a new web server (which costs us far less than the old server did) and "webservant" Jay Farlow keeps things current and interesting on the PCI website. If you haven't done so, visit the PCI website. Just type in pilotsforchrist.com and enter. You will find lots of interesting things about PCI including our financial statement, what some of the chapters are doing, our mission and if you have never done so, take part in the chat room. You will find it fun and interesting.

Membership renewal

PCI is now solvent and has something in the bank thanks to several generous gifts and to renewals and new memberships. There are still some members who have not renewed. You can find your renewal date on your address label on this newsletter. The first four numbers are the year of your renewal. The next four numbers give you the month and date. For example, if you see these numbers on you address label, 19990431, your membership expired April 31, 1999. If you see 20000931, your membership is due to be renewed on September 31, 2000. Pilots for Christ depends on dues and charitable gifts to finance all our activities. There is no other source so please renew when due.

Finances

I am sorry that I cannot report all success in financial matters. Mark LeRoy, PCI National Treasurer had been unsuccessful in opening a new account for PCI at Bank of America, the bank that PCI was using when I assumed office. The problems were related to our VISA account and to other procedures that are so complicated that I will let Mark explain them at the annual meeting. The bottom line was that June 1st, PCI still did not have a functioning bank account and we had at least one check that I had knowledge of that had bounced from the old account. For this reason, acting under the advice of Stephen Hasse, PCI accountant, I opened a PCI bank account in a different bank and deposited all the checks that Mark had been holding since January. In case you have wondered why your check had not been cashed, now you know. I will continue to make the deposits of all receipts and pay the bills. Mark LeRoy is in agreement with this (I now have the time to do this) and Mark will be my immediate oversight in things financial. Stephen Hasse has overall oversight of everything of a financial nature within the National headquarters and individual chapters. He will be performing periodic reviews and audits of our National accounts in addition to filing the necessary IRS reports.

Organization agenda

I have been your President for six months now and I have had an agenda to strengthen and renew the organization but I find myself thinking about what might be the agenda of you the membership. To know this, I must ask myself what kind of organization is Pilots for Christ and what does the membership really want and expect from the origination?

In my mind, Pilots for Christ is an organization created by man but given to our Lord with the sincere prayer that He will use us to further His kingdom. Over the years, I have seen our Lord use Pilots for Christ to bring the unsaved to Him, to encourage and strengthen His people and His Church and to minister to all people. I have heard testimonies of salvation being found by passengers in aircraft during mercy flights, at charitable fund raisers, at airfield outreaches and everywhere our membership meets. We have been blessed with the ability to reach people through our mutual interest in aviation. In looking upward people see beyond the airspace in which we operate to the heavens beyond and that I believe is our mission. To give the people around us a vision of our Lord Jesus Christ love who blesses us and all that we do in His name. My prayer is that the organization can enable all or our members in or out of chapters, to reach people for the Lord. Please let me know if I am missing something.

Importance of local chapters

My wife, Joyce and I were members without chapter affiliation for many years as we served in Africa and here in the United States. Just as a fire burns bright when more than one log is in the fire, we saw a need to serve with other believers so with a few other wonderful believers in our church, we started the Virginia Chapter. The people in our Chapter now come from several churches and are a continuing blessing to us and we are able to do what alone, we could never do. I pray that others reading this letter will be like-minded and see the need in your area to organize. All you need is ten members (five couples) to form a chapter. We will help you. How to start a chapter is one of the subjects that we have on the agenda at the PCI Convention in September.

Convention nears

The time is getting short to make your reservations for our annual PCI Convention (September 1, 2, & 3). A convention registration form is available here on the web site. Motel reservations must be made directly with the Battlefield Best Weston by calling them at (703) 361-8000. We have a reduced rate offered through August 10 of $69 per night, double occupancy. To take advantage of that rate, identify yourself as  PCI member when calling. They will hold your room based on your credit card.  You don't have to be a chapter member to attend. Joyce and I attended for years as unaffiliated PCI members and were blessed at every convention. The convention agenda is available here on the web site.

In His name,

H. James McConnell, President

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