Why RGBP INC?

FYI: Membership deadline is tomorrow,
if you would like a chance to vote in the first Board election.

There have been so many new bloggers added to the RevGalBlogPals webring, that Songbird, Mary Beth and I, as the initial directors of RGBP Inc, thought it was time to explain again what RevGalBlogPals Inc. is and how it relates to the webring.

Here's the story of the birth of RGBP Inc. A number of RGBP bloggers met up last May at the Festival of Homiletics in Atlanta. They discussed the webring and the activities that members of the webring have been engaged in together as well as ideas for the future of the group. After that meeting, I was asked to incorporate a non-profit corporation in order to provide ownership and oversight of the webring and our publications or joint projects, like the two devotional books the webring published ( A Light Blazes in the Darkness and Ordinary Time), and the Cafe Press store. The group that met in Atlanta wanted to provide accountability and a corporate structure for the handling of the profits from these ventures and to be able to apply for grants for future projects from various foundations.

I agreed to help and in July RGBP Inc. was incorporated as a non-profit organization in the state of Texas. I've applied for a 501-c-3 designation from the IRS and expect to hear from the IRS early in 2007.

RGBP Inc. is a membership organization. You do NOT have to be a member in order to join the webring, but you must have a blog in the webring to be eligible to be a member. Members will elect the first board of directors by email proxy October 27. Until this board is elected the corporation is being run by the organizing board--me, Songbird and Mary Beth Butler (Terrapin Station). Once we get tax-exempt status from the IRS we plan to apply for grants so we can organize a gathering of the members for fellowship and education.

If you join by this Friday, October 13, you will be eligible to vote for the first board of directors. Check the RevGalBlogPals Inc. link on the sidebar for more information about becoming a member. If you have questions, please put them in the comments here so I can respond. That way others who may have the same question will be able to get the information.