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First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia

The Governance and Ministry Policy Manual


Including the Minister’s Interpretations

The following manual is published by the Board of Trustees of the First Unitarian Church of
Philadelphia to control the governance and management of the Church. They should be read in
conjunction with the Bylaws of the Church and the Personnel Policies. Should conflict exist
between these documents, the Bylaws will take precedence. The Board of Trustees approved
policies in November 2005, and began using them immediately, with the knowledge that this
document is a work-in-progress, to be improved with use and added to as needs arise.

Originally Adopted 11/15/05, with edits 2/23/06, 3/28/06, 5/3/06, 5/16/06,


7/18/06, 4/3/07, 4/09/08, 5/16/08, and formatted on 6/4/08
Revised on 6/17/09, 8/21/09. Adopted with revisions on 05/19/2010

I. Governance Structure, Philosophy, and Communication 3


I.A. Governance 3
I.B. Ministry 3
I.C. Partnership 3
I. D. Communication 4
I.D.1. Email and Internet Communication 4
I.D.1.a. Appropriate Use of the Internet 4
I.D.1.b. Board Policy on Internet Communication 4
I.D.2 Usage of the Directory of Members & Friends 4

II. Ends Policies 5


II.A. Global End and Mission Statement 5
II.B. Five-year Ends Statements 6

III. Covenanting 6
III.A. Congregational Covenant 6
III.B. Board Covenant 7
III.C. Safe Congregation 8
III.C.1. Safe Congregation Ministry Team 8
III.C.2. Sexual Conduct and Abuse Response Team 8

IV. Roles & Responsibilities 9


IV.A. Congregation 9
IV.A.1. Delegated and reserved authority 9
IV.A.2. Congregational committees 10

IV.B. Board of Trustees 10


IV.B.1. Governance Commitment 10
IV.B.2. Governance Style 10

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IV.B.3. Board Job Description 10
IV.B.4. Board Code of Conduct 10
IV.B.5. Decision-Making Authority 12
I.V.B.6 Staff Termination Appeal 12
IV.B.7 Executive Session 12
IV.B.8. Board Working Groups 12
IV.B.9. Monitoring of Ends, Means, and Policies 13
IV.B.10. MinisterialTriennial Review 14

IV.C. Minister 14
IV.C.1. Delegation to Minister as Spiritual Leader 14
IV.C.2. Delegation to Minister as Executive Director 15
IV.C.3. Ministry Structures 16
IV.C.4. Executive Director Succession 16
IV.C.5. Executive Limitations 17
IV.C.5.a. Treatment of Staff 17
IV.C.5.b. Financial Planning and Budgeting 19
IV.C.5.c. Financial Management 19
IV.C.5.d. Asset Protection 20
IV.C.5.e. Communication and Support to the Board 21
IV.C.5.f. Internal and External Communication 22

IV.D. Role of the Ministry Leadership Team 22


IV.D.1. Purpose 22
IV.D.2. Scope 22
IV.D.3. Structure 23

I.V.E. Role of the Steering Committee 23

Appendix A. Endowment and Investment Fund 24


Article 1. Principles
Article 2. Management
Article 3. Receipt of Endowment Funds
Article 4. Objectives of Investment Policy
Article 5. Fund Distribution
Article 6. Adoption and Amendments

Appendix B. Finance Working Group 27

Appendix C. Ministerial Formation Working Group 28

Appendix D. Board Procedures 31

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I. Governance Structure, Philosophy, and Communication

The Governance and Ministry Policy Manual distinguishes two kinds of activity: governance and
ministry and seeks to perform both in a spirit of partnership and mindful communication, which
includes face-to-face communication as well as virtual commuinication via the internet.

I. A. Governance
Governance is a collective, democratic process that produces lasting policies designed to
direct many individual decisions. It is best accomplished through democratic or
representative bodies, including Congregational meetings, the Board of Trustees, and
Board working groups. The Board of Trustees, under the leadership of the President, is
responsible for leading the governance of the Church (for the Board Convenant, see III.B.
below; for Board procedures, see Appendix D).

I. B. Ministry
Ministry is the practical work of the Church, and consists of continually choosing means
and methods, allocating resources, hiring staff, recruiting volunteers, and giving them
leadership and support that will enable them to serve the mission of the Church
effectively. Ministry is best accomplished through empowered ministry teams of people
who share a sense of calling to particular forms of service. The Minister, as the elected
spiritual leader and designated Executive Director, is responsible for directing the
Church's ministry in accordance with established policies and in cooperation with the
Ministry Leadership Team (MLT).

Minister’s Interpretation: The ministry of the church includes all administration of the
non-profit organization including the programming. This may include but is not limited
to financial management, human resources, pastoral care, religious education,
preaching/worship and prophetic outreach. Ministry is understood as a collaborative
processed achieved in mutuality. Therefore, “shared ministry” is a compatible model to
the policies in this governance manual. Shared Ministry is defined as the collaborative
teamwork that is achieved when multiple ministry teams share in the responsibility to
minister to/with the congregation. Approved 3/9/08

I. C. Partnership
Partnership is the preferred style of leadership in this Church. All Church leaders are
expected to practice cooperative decision-making, healthy conflict management, mutual
support, and mindful communication in their respective roles. Clearly defined roles,
authority, and accountability will foster a harmonious, consultative, and collegial style
and atmosphere. The minister and president have a special responsibility to demonstrate
and foster a spirit of partnership in their own working relationship. In addition, the
Steering Committee will meet periodically to foster communication and knowledge-
sharing between the ministry teams and the Board of Trustees.

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Minister’s Interpretation: It is the responsibility of all parties to give priority to having
collaborative relations. By doing so we create a culture of Shared Ministry with healthy
processes to address decision-making and conflict management. It is expected that the
Minister and the President will model this mutuality by clearly understanding roles and
responsibilities and treating one another as distinguished colleagues. Approved 3/9/08

I. D. Communication
Open and mindful communication is expected between and among all Board, MLT,
ministry team members, the minister, and the congregation. All private information
about members and staff is to be kept confidential. (For the Congregational and Board
Covenants, see sections III.A & B respectively below).

I.D.1. Email and Internet Communication


I.D.1.a. Appropriate Use of the Internet:
Communications between and among the Board, MLT, ministry team members and the minister
of the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia through the internet should be maintained in a
professional manner, keeping the confidentiality that is appropriate to the content of the
communication. Internet communication includes, but is not limited to, email, instant messaging,
and posts to social websites like FaceBook. The content of the communication should never be
condescending, obscene, hateful, demeaning, gossiping, or in any other way negative towards
another individual. While conflict is a natural part of any group dynamic, resolving conflicts
through Internet communications, instead of face-to-face or over the telephone, often leads to
further conflict and divisions and is not recommended.
I.D.1.b. Board Policy on Internet Communication:
Instant messaging or email may be used by the Board of Trustees of the First Unitarian Church
of Philadelphia to communicate about Church and Board meetings, minutes, and reports. The
Board should not use social websites, like FaceBook, to discuss Church issues. Any confidential
material presented to or discussed by the board should not be mentioned or discussed in an email
or instant message. This includes the content of Executive Sessions. It is expected that Board
members will be made aware when information is confidential and that Board members will act
in accordance with this policy when handling that information (see Appendix D for Board
procedures for proper email and internet communication).
I.D.2 Usage of the Directory of Members & Friends
The contact information in the First Church Directory of Members and Friends may not be used
for commercial purposes nor is it to be given or sold to anyone outside the church community.
The Directory is to be used only for communication among members of the church community.

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II. Ends Policies
Note on Ends Policies. In Policy Governance, the term Ends refers to the effects an organization
seeks to have on the world outside itself. Its work will cause something to be different for
someone at some cost. The concept embraces three parts:
a. The impact, difference, change, benefit or outcome to be obtained in the lives of
consumers or consumer-like populations, often referring to results. This answers the
question: what benefit?
b. The identity, description, or characteristics of the consumers or populations to receive
the results, referred to as recipients, answers the questions who benefits?
c. The monetary expense, relative worth, or relative priority of a result or set of results,
or the comparative priority of certain recipients rather than others getting the results,
referred to the costs, answer the question, at what cost?
Simply stated, the Global End and the Ends statements should answer the following questions:
what impact, for whom and at what cost? To qualify an ends statement, a proposition must
describe at least one of the three components. Taken as a whole, of course, the Ends polices will
describe all three. Please see chapter seven of “Reinventing Your Board” to learn the difference
between a Global End and End Statements.

II. A. Global End and Mission Statement


The following Global End was approved by the Board on Wednesday, March 18, 2009 in
compliance with the Policy Governance model. This End will be used for internal Board
monitoring procedures, contributing to strategic activities of the church. However, the
Mission Statement, which follows the Global End below, will also be retained as an
external expression of the Church mission, articulating the continuation of the publicly
known mission. It will be printed in the Sunday Order of Service and may be spoken in
worship services. The Global End and the Mission Statement are understood as
fundamentally synonymous.

Global End:
We are an intentionally diverse community that values the legacy of our historic urban
ministry and our community center. In affirming and promoting Unitarian Universalist
principles, we foster peace, sustainability, and justice in our community, our city and the
world.

Mission Statement:
The First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia is an intentionally diverse
religious community inspired by our historic urban ministry. We seek to
lead meaningful lives, to love one another without prejudice, and to build
a just and sustainable world.

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II. B. Five-Year Ends Statements (adopted 2009)
The following Ends are listed in order of priority so that the Minister and the MLT have
some guidance in allocating the buget and staff hours toward the various Means for
achieving these Ends. However, each of the following Ends is consiederd vital and
interrelated with all of the others in terms of reflecting the values and the work of the
church.

1. Moral and Spiritual Growth: We create and sustain a welcoming, safe, and caring
spiritual community that enriches, inspires, and encourages moral and spiritual
growth across the lifespan.
2. Membership: We commit to build and sustain a diverse congregation.
3. Social Justice: Inspired by the historic and contemporary activists of First Unitarian
Church, we work towards a more just, peaceful, compassionate, and equitable
congregation, urban community, and world.
4. Sustainability: We care for and seek sustainability in our relationships wit the earth,
its vital ecosystems, and the human and non-human animals who inhabit it.
5. Preservation: We commit to the preservation and enhancement of our architechturally
significant building while meeting the needs of our Church and community.
6. Safety and Accesibility: We seek to be truly welcoming, safe, and accessible to peple
of all abilities who use our building.
7. Transparency: We apply transparency in our governance and ministry in order to
build trust and preserve the integrity of our democratic process.
8. [To be discussed: Financial Integrity]

III. Covenanting

III. A. Congregational Covenant (adopted 09/27/2009)


In the tradition of our free and inquiring faith, we covenant:

To seek the truth and work for justice, honoring , respecting, and learning from the differences
that each of us brings to our community;
To respect ourselves and those around us, recognizing that our individual spiritual paths
collectively shape our community and the wider world;
To communicate with each other lovingly, attentively, respectfully, and honestly, knowing that
listening leads to learning;
To contribute to the growth of our community with the gifts of our active participation, our
words, our public commitment, and our money.

May it be so.

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III. B. Board Covenant (adopted 03/18/2009)
The Board of Trustees of the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia adopts the following
covenant, which is largely the work of All Souls Church Unitarian in Washington, D.C.
In working together to serve First Church, the Board of Trustees covenants to:

a. Greet one another whenever we meet and work to build personal bonds to enrich
ourselves and the Board process.

b. Set aside personal agendas for the best interests of the Church, expressing our views
fully and honestly. Although our decisions may not be unanimous, we will speak
with one voice once a decision is has been made, moving on in spite of our
differences.

c. Follow an intentional process of decision-making that includes preparation,


engagement, and discussion, resulting in a meaningful vote.

d. Communicate decisions to the congregation in a way that reflects the process and
considerations that went into the decision.

e. Accept our responsibility to seek and provide information necessary to make well-
informed decisions, finding ways to discuss issues between meetings in order to be
prepared.

f. Treat unfolding discussions with confidentiality while committing to regular


communication with the congregation

g. Recognize that disagreement is part of Board life, pledging to respect our differences
and not letting conflicts fester.

h. Listen deeply to each other and assume that others have the best interests of the
Church at heart.

i. Handle with respect complaints brought to the Board, but handle them at the
appropriate level, gathering accurate and complete information as necessary.

j. Engage in direct, face-to-face conversation with one another and with our minister
whenever possible, giving constructive feedback to one another.

k. Respond to emails and other communications in a timely manner.


l. Be clear about the assignments and responsibilities of each Board member.
m. Encourage and support each other in “self care” and support a “family comes first”
approach.

n. Focus on the “big picture.”

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III. C. Safe Congregation

We are committed to promoting a safe and welcoming environment supportive of the personal
and spiritual growth of all of our members and friends, both children and adults. We are
committed to protecting the most vulnerable aspect of our congregation, our children. To
achieve this end, the church has published a “Safe Congregation Handbook,” outlining the
necessary procedures for ensuring safety, which will be reviewd and revised, if necessary, each
year. The handbook will be given each year to all parents/guardians of children and will be
reviewed each year with all adults/teenage assistants involved in the Children and Youth
Religious Education program. The Board requires the Minister to also establish a Sexual
Conduct and Abuse Response Team, as outlined below.

III.C.1. Safe Congregation Ministry Team

A Safe Congregation Ministry Team is comprised of the Minister, the Director or Religious
Education, and at least two other members of the Congregation. Each year, the Safe
Congregation Ministry Team will:

a. attend an annual orientation and training session;

b. educate adults, youth and children in the congregation about potential safety issues
and will provide documented guidelines for promoting a healthy and safe physical,
spiritual, emotional and sexual environment;

c. review the Safe Congregation Handbook, policies, procedures and pertinent legal
changes and make recommendations to the Board;

d. and at least once a year report to the Board and the Congregation the work of the Safe
Congregation Ministry Team.

III.C.2. Sexual Conduct and Abuse Response Team

A Sexual Conduct and Abuse Response Team (Response Team) will respond appropriately to a
wide range of “unsafe” behaviors, which includes but is not limited to disruptive behaviors,
abuse, neglect, harassment and exploitation. The Response Team is comprised of the minister,
Director of Children’s Religious Education, one appointee made by the Board and at least one
alternate. The Response Team will:

a. serve as members of the Safe Congregation Ministry Team;

b. screen all applicants for paid staff positions and all CRE teachers and volunteers;

c. investigate incidents of abuse involving church members not on church grounds;


report allegations as required by Pennsylvania law;

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d. work with alleged, admitted or convicted abusers, determining eligibility and
restrictions for access to the church;

e. develop Limited Access Agreements which have been negotiated with alleged,
admitted or convicted abusers will be presented to the Board for approval;

f. and work with the Minister, the Ministry Leadership Team, and other appropriate
teams to provide opportunities for healing in the congregation should an incident
occur.

IV. Roles & Responsibilities

The following statements outline the roles and responsibilities for the Congregation, the Board of
Trustees, the Minister and the Ministry Leadership Team, and the Steering Committee.

IV. A. Congregation

The Congregation is the highest governing authority of the Church. Members of the
Congregation share responsibility for discerning the Church’s mission and organizing to fulfill it.
Members do not “own” the Church for individual or collective benefit. Members hold the
Church in trust for those who benefit from its work now and in the future.

Minister’s Interpretation: In the spirit of Congregational Polity, the members of the


church are the supreme governing body in the congregation. Meaning, members are
responsible for electing its representative leaders who will lead them in determining the
organization’s course of action. Members are not profiting shareholders of the church
but they are empowered with being stewards of its historical legacy and are therefore
entrusted with all the rights and privileges of preserving the urban ministry. They do so
in the name of all the members who have came before and all those to come. Approved
3/9/08

IV.A.1. Delegated and Reserved Authority.

Through the Bylaws, the Congregation has delegated much of its policymaking authority to the
Board of Trustees. However, the Bylaws reserve certain decisions to be made or approved by the
Congregation. In addition, the Board may choose to submit other issues for Congregational vote.
In all-important matters of Congregational Polity, the Board and Minister will actively seek
Congregational discussion and input.

Minister’s Interpretation needed here, especially in regard to “all-important matters”

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IV.A.2. Congregational Committees

The Congregation may create committees from time to time to assist it in its governance role.
The Nominating, Ministerial Search, Bylaws, and Strategic Planning Committees report to the
Congregation directly, not to the Board. Normally, Congregational committees will be appointed
for a specific, temporary purpose leading to Congregational action.

IV. B. Board of Trustees

IV.B.1. Governance Commitment

The Board of Trustees will act on behalf of the Congregation to: promote the accomplishment of
the Congregation’s Ends and Mission Statement with responsible use of resources, avoid
unacceptable actions and situations to include those defined in these Policies, and uphold
Unitarian Universalist principles.

IV. B. 2. Governance Style

The Board will govern with an emphasis on: outward vision rather than internal preoccupation,
encouragement of diversity of viewpoints, strategic leadership more than administrative detail,
clear distinction of Board and staff roles, collective rather than individual decision making, the
future rather than the past or present, and acting proactively rather than reactivly.

IV. B. 3. Board Job Description

The job of the Board is to represent and lead the Membership in determining and requiring
appropriate organizational performance. To this end, the Board will focus on the intended long-
term Ends of the Church—its effect on members, prospective members, and the wider
community—not the administrative or programmatic means of achieving those effects.

IV. B. 4. Board Code of Conduct

In this spirit, the Board will:

a. Abide by the Board Covenant (see III.B. above).

b. Cultivate a sense of group responsibility. The board, not the staff, will be responsible
for excellence in governing. The board will be the initiator of policy, not merely a
reactor to staff initiatives. The board will use the expertise of individual members to
enhance the ability of the board as a body rather than to substitute individual
judgments for the board's values. The board will allow no officer, individual, or
working group of the board to hinder or be an excuse for not fulfilling board
commitments.

c. Act as a whole body in making requests of the Minister, except in the case of requests
to him or her by the officers or committees duly charged by the board.

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d. Direct and inspire the organization through the careful establishment of broad written
policies reflecting the congregation’s values and perspectives about ends to be
achieved and means to be avoided. The board’s major policy focus will be on the
long-term effects that the church has on the lives of the congregation, the community,
and the wider world, rather than a concentration on the administrative means of
attaining those effects.

e. Enforce upon itself whatever discipline is needed to govern with excellence.


Discipline will apply to matters such as attendance, preparation, policymaking
principles, respect of roles, and ensuring continuance of governance capability.
Continual board development will include orientation of new board members in the
board's governance process and periodic board discussion of process improvement.

(a) Board members will avoid any conflict of interest with respect to their fiduciary
responsibility.

(b) When the Board is to decide upon an issue about which a Board member has an
unavoidable conflict of interest (such as employment of a relative), the member
shall absent herself or himself without comment from not only the vote, but also
from the deliberation.

(c) Trustees will respect the confidentiality appropriate to issues of a sensitive nature.

(d) Trustees will be properly prepared for Board deliberation.

(e) A member of the Board who misses 3 consecutive Board meetings or 4 of the last
12 shall be considered to have resigned from the Board. (In special circumstances
the Board may decide to override this stipulation.)

f. Monitor and discuss the Board’s processes and performance at each meeting (e.g.
what was done well at the meeting, what could have been done better?). Self-
monitoring will include comparison of Board activity and discipline to policies and
procedures (see Appendix D) in this manual as well as the continual review, revision,
and/or update of the manual. To this end, the Board will:

i) Develop policies by starting with the “largest” issue in a given area (e.g., no one
may steal or misplace Church funds) before moving on to particular policies (e.g.,
checks for more than $1,000.00 must have two signatures).

ii) Develop procedures that specify how the Board conducts its own business to
ensure that it meets its responsibilities to recived information and oversee Church
administration and major legal and financial decisions.

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IV. B. 5. Decision-Making Authority

Any decision not addressed by a Board policy is hereby delegated to the Minister (in the area of
Ministry) or to the President (in the area of Governance). In the area of Ministry, the Minister is
empowered to make choices that are a reasonable interpretation of existing policies. In the area
of Governance, the President is empowered to make decisions that are a reasonable interpretation
of board policy.

Minister’s Interpretation: The Minister has the authority to make decisions about the
practical work of the Church, consisting of the means and methods of administration
such as allocating resources, hiring staff, recruiting volunteers, and giving them
leadership and support that will enable them to serve the mission of the Church
effectively. Approved 3/9/08

IV. B. 6. Staff Termination Appeal

The Board will hold a closed hearing (Executive Session) for any staff member who would like
to appeal his or her termination. In the event of the dismissal of the primary finance staff
personnel, the Board will create a Working Group of at least three Church members to hear an
appeal. (See Appendix D for Board Procedures regarding this process)

IV. B. 7. Executive Session

In the case of matters that require confidentiality, the Board will continue its meeting in
Executive Session, which means that the “Sunshine Clause” (see the Bylaws) no longer applies.
The meeting is closed and the minutes for the meeting will be kept confidential
IV. B. 8. Board Working Groups

The Board may establish Working Groups to help carry out its responsibilities. Working Groups
will be assigned so as to reinforce the integrity of the Board. At the Board’s direction, Working
Groups may operate as standing bodies or as time-limited task forces. Unless otherwise stated, a
Working Group will cease to exist as soon as its task is completed.

a. The Board, as a whole, will clearly direct Working Groups by outlining specific
written objectives and restrictions and a time frame for completing their work. If
the Working Group meets the objectives while adhering to outlined restrictions,
the Board will accept the outcome of the Working Group’s work.

b. Board Working Groups are to help the Board do its job, not to help the staff do its
job. Working Groups will assist the Board chiefly by preparing policy
alternatives and implications for Board deliberation, not to supplant the Board in
policy-making.

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c. Board Working Groups may not speak or act for the Board except when formally
given such authority by Board action for specific and time-limited purposes.

d. This policy applies to any group that is formed by Board action, whether or not it
is called a Working Group and regardless of whether the group includes Board
members. It does not apply to Ministry Teams formed under direction of the
Staff.

e. In recognition of the Board’s responsibility for investment and financial


oversight, the Board has established a permanent Endowment and Investment
Advisory Working Group that is tasked with monitoring and advising the Board
about all investments. The working group’s activities are defined in the following
Appendix (Appendix A).

f. In recognition of the Board’s fiduciary responsibilities, the Board has established


a permanent Finance Working Group, with the primary function of monitoring the
finances of the church in accordance with the Governance and Ministry Policy
Manual and routinely reporting to the Board about their findings. In this way, the
Finance Working Group serves as the internal auditor. Additional duties would
include recommending policies for Board approval as well as reviewing and
proposing financial policies and procedures as well as advising the Board and
Staff on financial operations (Appendix B).

g. In response to requests for congregational sponsorship for ministerial candidacy,


the Board has created a permanent Ministerial Formation Working Group
(Appendix C).

IV. B. 9. Monitoring of Ends, Means, and Policies

The Board will monitor progress toward compliance with Board Ends and policies on a
systematic basis. The purpose of monitoring is to determine the degree to which Board Ends and
policies are being met. The Board will determine a monitoring schedule and acquire monitoring
data by one or more of three methods (see Appendix D for Board monitoring procedures):

a. by internal report, in which the Minister discloses compliance information to the


Board,

a. by external report, in which an external, disinterested third party selected by the


Board assesses compliance with Board policies, and

b. by direct Board inspection, in which a designated member or members of the Board


assess compliance with the policy.

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In every case, the standard for compliance shall be any reasonable interpretation by the Minister
of the Governance and Ministry policy being monitored. The Board encourages the Minister to
proactively discuss with the Board any area of the Governance and Ministry Policy where the
Minister is uncertain about the “reasonable interpretation.” The source of concerns regarding the
“reasonable interpretation by the minister” of a Governance and Ministry Policy can be the
Board itself, the Ministry Leadership Team, a Ministry Team or the Congregation. When the
“reasonable interpretation by the minister” has been questioned, the Board and Minister will
discuss the policy in question and reach agreement as to the best interpretation of the policy.

The Board can monitor any Board policy, procedure, or End at any time by any method but will
ordinarily depend on a routine schedule. Monitoring data will normally be delivered to the Board
in writing.

IV. B. 10. Ministerial Triennial Review

Every three years, the Board and Minister will appoint a Ministerial Review Working Group of
at least three persons held in high esteem by the Congregation and mutually acceptable to the
Board and Minister. The Working Group will facilitate a review of the Minister's performance,
gathering data from the congregation and producing a written report. The report, together with a
written response from the Minister, will be published to the Congregation.

The purpose of the triennial review is to call the Congregation's attention to the mutual,
relational nature of ministry and the respective responsibilities of all who contribute to its
success; to assist the Minister to remain motivated, creative, and flexible; and to equip the
Minister and Board to correct problems and establish a more effective partnership in the future.
(Recommendation from MTR working group in 2010: develop another working group to
systematize the review process and develop a “best practices” procedure).

IV. C. Minister

The Minister, like the Board, is elected by the Congregation, and is directly accountable to them
for the overall conduct of his or her ministry. The Church Bylaws, these policies, and the
Minister’s contract govern the minister’s relationship to the Congregation. As Spiritual Leader
and Executive Director, the Minister participates in developing Church policies to be adopted by
the Board and Congregation. As Spiritual Leader, the Minister makes it a priority to tend to the
institution’s spirit, culture, practices and relationships. In addition to the Minister’s wider role,
he or she is the Executive Director, and as such is accountable to the Board for staff performance
and for any aspects of the ministry that involve the use and control of Church resources (money,
staff, volunteers, equipment, or property).

IV.C.1. Delegation to Minister as Spiritual Leader

The Minister is the elected Spiritual Leader of the congregation whose responsibility is to lead
worship, officiate rites of passage, provide pastoral care, model self-care, offer religious
education programming, and engage in prophetic outreach.

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Minister’s Interpretation: I define a Spiritual Leader as one who through their words and
deeds inspires a deeper meaning about sacred matters. A Spiritual Leader is grounded
by his or her spiritual practices and rooted in the history, sources and principles of
Unitarian Universalism.
Worship: As a public intellectual, a Spiritual Leader is to offer worship services
that reflect the theological diversity of the congregation’s members and integrate
a message with ritual and liturgical arts, music, stories and prayer and
meditation.
Rites of Passage: As an ordained minister, the Spiritual Leader is recognized by
the congregation and the state with the authority to officiate ceremonies that
recognize significant times of change, such as weddings, memorials, baby
dedications, animal blessings, etc.
Self-Care: As a spiritual being, the Minister is expected to model the practice of
spiritual disciplines that regenerate the mind, body and spirit so as to better care
for others.
Pastoral Care: As a spiritual counselor the Minister is responsible for providing
confidential spiritual guidance to those in real need in the form of in-person and
virtual communication that may occur on- or off-site.
Religious Education: As a spiritual teacher the Minister will collaborate in
offering life-span religious education programming through workshops, new-
member orientations, retreats and intergenerational activities.
Prophetic Outreach: As a spiritual activist, the Minister is to publicly witness by
advocating for social justice and to encourage the congregation’s involvement in
promoting the Unitarian Universalist principles in the community.

IV.C.2. Delegation to Minister as Executive Director

The Minister is the leader of the staff and of all volunteers acting as staff leaders of Church
programs and activities. As such, the Minister is charged with accomplishing the Board-adopted
Ends and Vision of Ministry, and for compliance with all policies limiting the conduct of the
Minister and staff. As long as the Minister uses any reasonable interpretation of these policies,
the Minister is authorized to establish all further policies, make all decisions, take all actions,
establish all practices and develop all activities except as explicitly limited by these policies.

Governance and Ministry Policy Manual Page 15 05/19/10


Minister’s Interpretation: The Executive Director is the senior manager of a non-profit
organization who is responsible for the congregation’s administration and personnel.
This means the Executive Director is accountable for managing the church operations,
which includes supervising hired employees and congregational volunteers. The minister
is responsible for leading all staff and volunteers in achieving the Ends, Mission, and
annual Vision of Shared Ministry. The Minister is given the autonomy to provide
executive leadership for the organization as long as the decisions are advancing the Ends
and simultaneously honor the Executive Limitations set forth by the Board. It’s the
responsibility of the Minister to provide interpretations of the policies. It’s the
responsibility of the Board to determine if those interpretations are reasonable.
Approved 3/9/08

IV. C. 3. Ministry structures

The Minister will lead collaboratively by convening a Ministry Leadership Team to assist him or
her in coordinating and directing staff and volunteer activity. Members will be chosen by the
Minister in consultation with the Board, and will include senior staff plus lay volunteers. Any
volunteer group whose function is to carry out a ministry or administrative function will be
called a Ministry Team, and will work under the direction of the Minister, Ministry Leadership
Team, and assigned staff. The Minister and Board will agree on the composition and
organization of the Ministry Leadership Team, which may include senior staff plus lay
volunteers.

Minister’s Interpretation: The Minister is charged with leading the Ministry Leadership
Team, the cooperative body designed to execute and oversee the various ministries within
the church. In order to effectively lead, it is understood that the Minister, in consultation
with the Ministry Leadership Team, may create a new Ministry Team or reconstitute
existing teams so as to effectively achieve the Ends set forth by the Board of Trustees.
Approved 3/9/08

IV.C.4. Executive Director Succession

In order to protect the Church and Board from sudden loss of Executive Director services, the
Minister shall propose for Board approval a plan for temporary coverage in case of emergency or
sabbatical.

Minister’s Interpretation: I understand this to mean that if an emergency should arise,


the Church Administrator and the Co-Chair of the Ministry Leadership Team will be
designated with executive powers. I also understand that the same is true in the context
of an extended absence, such as a sabbatical, unless a consulting minister is hired for
that period. I will take responsibility for scheduling professional on-call pastoral
support, should a congregant emergency arise. It is wise to present such a plan annually
to be approved by the Board. Approved 3/9/08.

Governance and Ministry Policy Manual Page 16 05/19/10


IV.C.5. Executive Limitations

The Minister shall not cause or allow any practice, activity, decision, or organizational
circumstance that is illegal or imprudent, in violation of commonly accepted organizational and
professional ethics or contradicts UU Principles.

Minister’s Interpretation: The decisions of the Minister, the Ministry Leadership


Team, and all Ministry Teams must follow all city, state and federal laws of non-
profit management. Furthermore, all decisions must never violate the letter or
the spirit of the Unitarian Universalist principles as voted on by the Association
of Congregations. Approved 3/9/08.

IV. C. 5. a. Treatment of Staff

With respect to the treatment of paid and volunteer staff, the Minister may not cause or allow
conditions that are unsafe undignified, unnecessarily intrusive, fail to provide appropriate
confidentiality and privacy, or violate the Unitarian Universalist affirmation of the inherent
worth and dignity of every person.

i. The Minister must comply with all legal requirements relating to treatment of
staff.
Minister’s Interpretation: The Minister and Ministry Leadership Team must
follow all city, state, and federal laws regarding personnel. Approved 3/9/08

ii. The Minister may not promise or imply permanent or guaranteed employment.

iii. The Minister may create new staff positions only with Board approval. The
minister may hire new staff members for existing positions. The Minister will
collaborate with the Board on the selection and retention of the primary financial
staff.

iv. The Minister may discharge staff on his or her own authority. Discharged staff
may appeal the decision to the Board. The minister must advise the Board of all
firings within one week of occurance. In the event of the dismissal of the
primary finance staff, the Board will appoint a working group of three to hear an
appeal.

Minister’s Interpretation: The Minister can hire for existing positions, fire or
lay-off employees and must notify the Board of the decisions in writing by the
following scheduled Board meeting. Guaranteed employment is never offered
as the position could change based on budget, need and changing required skill
set. Approved 3/9/08.

Governance and Ministry Policy Manual Page 17 05/19/10


v. In setting compensation and benefits, the Minister must consider the following:
performance, fairness among staff, compensation for comparable skills in the
geographic or professional market, and Unitarian Universalist Association
compensation guidelines.

Minister’s Interpretation: The Minister is responsible for determining the


salaries and benefits of all employees and will use the fair compensation
guidelines as published by the UUA as well as consider issues such as
affordability and availability of resources. Approved 3/9/08.

vi. The Minister must ensure the development and enforcement of additional
written personnel policies, including a fair procedure for handling staff
grievances. A written personnel policies handbook will be made available to all
employees. All changes to personnel policies are subject to Board approval.

Minister’s Interpretation: It is the responsibility of the Minister to maintain and


implement a personnel policy in collaboration with the Ministry Leadership
Team and Personnel Ministry Team. The personnel manual will outline
grievance procedures and be distributed to all employees. Approved 3/9/08.

vii. Employees may not be judged and evaluated other than on their own job-
relevant qualifications and performance.

viii. The Minister must inform employees about mission and priorities, business
practices, supervisory responsibilities, evaluation measures, and disciplinary
procedures.

Minister’s Interpretation: By distributing the Personnel Manuel to all staff a


majority of these items will be communicated to the staff, in addition to holding
quarterly meetings. Approved 3/9/08.

ix. The Minister must make written job descriptions available to applicants and
employees for all positions.

x. The Minister may not change his or her own aggregate compensation and
benefits.

Minister’s Interpretation: The Board is solely responsible for determining the


salary and benefits of the Minister, to be voted on by the congregation. Approved
3/9/08.

Governance and Ministry Policy Manual Page 18 05/19/10


IV.C.5.b. Financial Planning and Budgeting

The Minister shall not place the Church in financial jeopardy, nor jeopardize either
programmatic or fiscal integrity of the organization, nor recommend a budget or budget changes
that deviate from Board priorities established in Ends Statements.
The Minister must prepare a budget for the fiscal year that:

i. Contains enough information to enable reasonably accurate projection of revenues


and expenses, separation of capital and operational items, cash flow and subsequent
trails, and disclosure or planning assumptions.

ii. Provides an annual budget to the Board in a timely manner to allow for
congregational approval as required under the bylaws.

The Minister may not allow budgeting that:

iii. Plans the expenditure in any fiscal year of more funds than are conservatively
projected to be received in that period.

iv. Accounts for less than 100% of the Fair Share contributions to the Unitarian
Universalist Association and the Joseph Priestley District.

IV.C.5.c. Financial Management

The Minister must anticipate and act to avoid jeopardizing the financial health of the Church or
violating accepted standards of nonprofit management. In particular, the Minister may not:

i. Allow cash balances to fall below the amount needed to meet payroll and short-term
debts in a timely manner;

ii. Expend any gifts restricted by the donor or the Board for purposes other than those
determined at time of receipt or designation;

iii. Allow anyone not covered under a financial guarantee bond access to material
amounts of funds.

iv. Allow checks to be written without a Board Officer’s signature for an amount over
$500.00.

In particular, the Minister must:

v. Direct, manage, and control Church operations so that income, with Board-authorized
investment draw, will equal or exceed expenditures for the fiscal year.

Governance and Ministry Policy Manual Page 19 05/19/10


vi. Pursue receivable accounts so as to receive payment in a timely manner from pledge
renters and other income producing activities.

vii. Provide to the Board monthly Income/Expense and Balance Sheet reports, subject to
the approval of the Treasurer and/or Assistant Treasurer, presenting the financial
condition of the church.

viii. Provide financial reports to the Board that reflects all expenditures and income to the
church.

ix. Report to the Board the receipt of all Bequests and all gifts that are over $500 and not
part of a regular pledge.

x. Seek Board approval in advance of the following actions: Allowing actual spending
to deviate materially from Board directives as laid down in the Ends and other
policies; Allowing the expenditure of more funds than have been budgeted in the
fiscal year; Making application for a line of credit; spending in excess of 10% over
the budgeted amount in any major category e.g. property, personnel, etc.

xi. Secure at least 2 competitive bids for any expenditure over $10,000, taking into
account long-term quality and cost in the decision.

xii. Obtain the approval of the Treasurer for changes to the Church’s accounting Chart of
Accounts.

xiii. Ensure that all transactions are posted accurately and in a timely fashion.

xiv. Reconcile Church account records with financial institution statements as often as
those statements are issued, subject to the approval of the Treasurer and/or Assistant
Treasurer.

IV.C.5.d. Asset Protection

The Minister may not risk losses beyond those necessary in the normal course of business.
Accordingly, the Minister may not:

i. Use any long-term reserve without approval of the Board of Trustees.

ii. Make ubudgeted withdrawals from investment fund accounts of the Church without
Board approval.

iii. Acquire, encumber, or dispose of real property on behalf of the Church.

iv. Allow tax payments or other government-ordered payments or fillings to be overdue


or inaccurately filed.

Governance and Ministry Policy Manual Page 20 05/19/10


v. Incur debt without board approval.

vi. Allow use of the property in a way that would jeopardize the church’s tax-free status.

In addition, the Minister must:

vii. Keep operating capital in insured instruments, such as FDIC secured checking
accounts and CDs; secure bonds with AA or better ratings; or other insured or secured
instruments.

viii. Settle payroll and debts in a timely manner.

ix. Insure against theft and casualty loss to at least 80% of replacement value and against
liability losses to board members, staff, and the organization.

x. Protect intellectual property, information, and files from loss or significant damage.

xi. For purchases, ensure that normally prudent protection has been taken against conflict
of interest.

xii. Obtain Board approval before selling or transferring tangible personal property
owned by the Church whose total [value] is in excess of $500.

xiii. Obtain approval by a majority vote of the Congregation at a special or annual meeting
before selling or transferring any of the Church’s personal property of historic value.

xiv. Ensure that funds from the sale of personal property will be reinvested in tangible
property with long-term benefit to the church.

IV. C. 5. e. Communication & Support to the Board

The Minister shall not cause or allow the Board to be uninformed or misinformed.
Accordingly, the Minister must:

i. Keep the Board informed of church, community and denominational trends and
policy.

ii. Submit monitoring data and information required by the Board in a timely, complete,
and accurate and manner.

iii. Advise the Board if it is not in compliance with its policies or to make
recommendations for changes in policy.

iv. Provide the Board with points of view, issues and options as needed for fully
informed choices.

Governance and Ministry Policy Manual Page 21 05/19/10


v. Recommend changes in governance policies, as s/he becomes aware of their need.

IV. C. 5. f. Internal and External Communication

The Minister shall see that the Congregation is fully informed of church-related activities, while
preventing or remedying communication that compromises member privacy or conflicts with UU
principles. Accordingly, the Minister must:

i. Promote open and honest communication amongst entities in the church.

ii. Develop, subject to Board approval, and enforce policies and procedures for internal
and external communications.

iii. Limit access to the Church Directory to members and friends.

iv. Ensure that a complete and current set of all Church policies, including all those
formulated by the Board of Trustees, Ministry Leadership Team, or individual
Ministry Teams, are readily available to all Church members and friends.

IV. D. Ministry Leadership Team

The Ministry Leadership Team (MLT) supports the Minister in achieving the annual Means and
Ends collaboratively set by the Minister, Congregation, Board, and MLT [this section needs to
be reviewed].

IV. D. 1. Purpose
The purpose of the MLT is to support the Minister by: maintaining regular contact with the
primary ministry teams in order to stay current with their progress, questions and needs; assisting
the ministry teams in achieving goals and meeting the ongoing needs of the congregation;
reviewing ministry teams in order to identify needs and suggest collaboration; and giving
approval to proposed ministry teams and suggest alliances with other existing teams.

IV. D. 2. Scope
The scope of the Ministry Leadership Team (MLT) is as follows. It will:

a. Develop and maintain procedures for itself that govern every contingency of its
work and concerns. (Procedures)

b. Develop healthy ministry teams by providing consultation, resources, and


encouragement. (Development)

c. Give honest and pertinent feedback, advice and recommendations to the Minister
regarding the effectiveness of his/her ministry. (Consultation).

Governance and Ministry Policy Manual Page 22 05/19/10


d. Assess and evaluate the effectiveness of every facet of the congregation's
ministry. (Assessment)

e. Promote awareness and commitment by church members to the congregational


mission/covenant and annual vision of shared ministry and maintain active, open
and effective communication within the committee, with the congregation, with
the Board of Trustees and with those who seek conflict management.
(Communication)

f. Respond in a timely manner to conflicts. (Conflict Management).

g. Operate with a covenant of confidentiality and mutual honest. (Confidentiality)

h. Educate the congregation about the MLT function and purpose. (Education)

IV. D. 3. Structure

The Ministry Leadership Team is composed of an adequate number of members to serve


effectively as liaisons to major ministry teams and one at-large member to serve as co-chair. The
Board, Minister, Nominating Committee and MLT members shall recruit and nominate members
to be approved by the Board of Trustees. The MLT shall appoint its own Co-Chair to serve with
the Minister. The MLT shall, with Board approval, replace MLT members who resign
membership from the congregation, assume another significant leadership position within the
congregation, or are unable to share workload and responsibilities of the MLT. The MLT shall
operate using guidelines established in the MLT Manual and review any significant change with
the Board.

IV. E. Steering Committee

The Steering Committee is comprised of the following members: the President and Vice
President of the Board of Trustees, the Minister, and/or the Chair or co-Chairs of the Ministry
Leadership Team. The Steering Committee serves to facilitate communication among the
various leadership areas of the church, so that each group can be informed about the work of the
others and contribute to collective, coordinated efforts when appropriate. The Steering
Committee will meet at least four times throughout the year to: prepare and revise the annual
calendar, decide on delegates to the General Assembly and the Joseph Priestly District meeting,
share information between the Board and the MLT, and give informal advirosy counsel to the
Minister.

Governance and Ministry Policy Manual Page 23 05/19/10


Appendix A. Endowment and Investment Fund Working Group

WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees of The First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia, wish to
establish a formal structure for an endowment and investment fund for the long-term use of the
Church’s charitable, religious operations, and capital purposes, deriving monies from the income
and capital gains of the fund; and

WHEREAS, the Board establishes the initial value of such a Fund at $1,000,000, more or less,
representing the pooled accumulation of various gifts, bequests, and property
donated to the Church over many years, to be known as “The First Unitarian
Church of Philadelphia Endowment and Investment Fund,” (referred to as the
“Fund;”) and

WHEREAS, they intend to codify prior endowments, bequests and other gifts in the adoption of
this RESOLUTION, as the instrument governing the receipt, management,
investment and use of monies and property contributed to the Church for
designated or unrestricted purposes, and for perpetual or fixed terms; and

WHEREAS, the ownership of the Fund is vested in the Church, as recognized in its by-laws;
NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees and, with the adoption of confirming by- laws, the
membership of the Church, do establish The First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia
Endowment and Investment Fund, upon the following terms and conditions:

Article 1. Principles

Bequests, gifts and property received by the Fund shall be held subject to trust principles of
accountability and the “prudent investor rule.”

Article 2. Management

a. The Trustees are the fiduciaries and managers of the Fund and shall establish an Endowment
and Investment Advisory Working Group (referred to as the “Working Group”) that shall
oversee the day-to-day operations of the Fund.

b. The Working Group will consist of five members, at least four of which are members of the
Congregation, including the Chairperson, serving for up to three years on staggered terms, not to
exceed six consecutive years.

c. The Working Group shall issue written quarterly reports to the Board, and the Chair of the
Working Group shall inform the Treasurer Minister, and Church Administrator, from time to
time, concerning all proposed substantive actions in connection with the receipt, operations
policy, investment objectives, and development of the Fund.

Governance and Ministry Policy Manual Page 24 05/19/10


d. Together with the Treasurer and his staff, the Working Group will supervise and maintain
adequate records concerning the acquisition, disposition and investment of the Fund’s assets and
earnings, including detailed terms and oversight of agreements entered into with donors or the
Board of Trustees.

Article 3. Receipt of Endowment Funds

a. The acquisition of endowments and bequests are the responsibility of the Board of Trustees
and the Minister, in which the entire Congregation should share.

b. Donors should be made aware of the purposes and investment processes of the Endowment
and Investment Fund. No gift will be accepted if it limits the ability of the Church to raise future
gifts, or restricts the scope and mission of the Church’s programs or beliefs. No gift will be
accepted if, in fact or appearance, they involve unlawful activities, nor betray the Church’s non-
discrimination policy

Article 4. Objectives of Investment Policy

a. The Board and, by delegation, the Working Group, may engage an Investment Advisor or
Advisors who will have discretion for investment of the Fund’s assets, subject to the constraints,
investment policies, and operating protocols imposed after consultation with the Advisors, as set
forth in writing by the Board, from time to time. Except for recording purposes, the Fund will not
differentiate among interest, dividends, and capital gains.

b. The Advisor will seek to maintain the market value of the corpus of the Fund after taking into
account the effects of inflation, and after annual distributions and Fund costs.

c. The Board expects that the Advisors will be sensitive to the need for accountable governance
and community responsibility in their investment decisions.

d. The Advisors will provide, at least quarterly, a record of comparative performance, including
objective benchmarks, recommendations for asset allocation, and an appraisal of the degree of
risk in the Fund’s portfolios.

Article 5. Fund Distribution

a. The Directors may make an annual distribution to the Church from the perpetual and term
funds after the end of each fiscal year, and from unrestricted investment funds at any time.

b. The annual allowable appropriation from the endowment funds will be no more than 5.0% of a
13 quarter rolling average of market values as of the close of the most recent fiscal year. If the
maximum appropriation is not authorized during any fiscal year, the unexpended amount may be
carried forward into subsequent years.

c. Appropriations for borrowing of endowment funds in excess of the above 5% per annum may
only be made with the consent of 2/3rds of the congregation present and voting.

Governance and Ministry Policy Manual Page 25 05/19/10


d. In emergencies that threaten the survival of the Church or substantially impair the attainment
of its mission, the Board of Trustees may exceed this withdrawal only by unanimous vote. The
Trustees are required to notify the Congregation in writing within seven (7) days of making such
a decision.

e. Distributions may be made from restricted funds only for the purposes designated by donors.

Article 6. Adoption and Amendments

The intent and essential content of this RESOLUTION shall be incorporated into the Governance
and Ministry Policies of the Church, and will be reviewed with the Congregation at the Annual
Meeting on 18 May 2008. Thereafter, changes or amendments to the content of this
RESOLUTION may be made through the Governance and Ministry Policy in due course, and
should be communicated to the Congregation.

Governance and Ministry Policy Manual Page 26 05/19/10


Appendix B. Finance Working Group

(Verbiage needs to be added here from the Finance Working Group)

Governance and Ministry Policy Manual Page 27 05/19/10


Appendix C. Ministerial Formation Working Group
The following appendix, drafted by Karin Tetlow and Mark Peterson on October 9, 2009, was
approved by the Board of Trustees on October 21, 2009.

Introduction
The UUA requires all persons preparing for fellowship as UU ministers to obtain sponsorship by
a UU congregation.1

Policy
It is the policy of the Board of Trustees to recommend individual candidates for sponsorship by
the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. The Board of Trustees has created a Ministerial
Formation Working Group (MFWG). This permanent Working Group has two functions: 1, to
review initial requests for sponsorship and 2, to exercise oversight after a candidate has been
approved for sponsorship. The MFWG is a recommending body to the Board of Trustees.

Ministerial Formation Working Group


The MFWG’s purpose is to provide a venue for:
a. Receiving and reviewing formal requests from ministerial student candidates who wish to
be sponsored by the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia.
b. Meeting with student candidates to discuss their call to ordained ministry.
c. Recommending to the Board of Trustees whether or not candidates receive sponsorshipor
renewed sponsorship by the congregation of the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia.

Composition and Role of the MFWG


The Committee consists of at least two long-term members of the church appointed by the Board
of Trustees. Each candidate may select a First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia member in good
standing to join the MFWG as a third member for discussions and reviews regarding that
particular candidate’s sponsorship. The MFWG is expected to provide direct feedback to the
candidate about the development of his or her ministerial identity. While the MFWG provides
ministerial candidates with an intentional setting in which to discern their call to ordained
ministry, it may only make recommendations regarding sponsorship.

Requirements of a Candidate Seeking Sponsorship


Those pursuing ordained ministry can request in writing that the Board of Trustees convene the
MFWG after the student has completed four steps: (1) enrolled in seminary, (2) completed the
Career Assessment evaluation, (3) been awarded “candidate” status by the Regional
Subcommittee on Candidacy (RSCC), and (4) formally enrolled as a member of the UU
Minister’s Association. 2

1
See www.uua.org/leaders/leaderslibrary/ministerialcredentialing/index.shtml for information on policies,
procedures and intentions which comprise this requirement.
2
To aid the sponsorship review process, candidates are requested to notify the MFWG of their intention to
requestsponsorship before being awarded “candidate” status by the RSCC.

Governance and Ministry Policy Manual Page 28 05/19/10


The MFWG will meet with candidates who either request congregational sponsorship or who are
seeking an annual renewal of sponsorship. A portion of the discussion will focus on the
candidates’ beliefs that they are called to the ministry. Subsequently the MFWG will obtain and
review the information associated with both their training as listed below (A) and from others in
the church community (B).

A. Training related sources


1. Academic transcripts to monitor the student’s progress in completion of an accredited
degree program;
2. Evaluation from the Regional Sub-committee on Candidacy to reflect upon strategies
to complete their recommendations;
3. And if applicable, evaluations from Clinical Pastoral Education which reflect upon
counseling skills, ministerial identity and theological overview;
4. And if applicable, evaluations from Field Education placements and/or Internship
placements to reflect upon ministerial skills such as worship, administration, religious
education and prophetic outreach.

B. Church Community
The MFWG will also solicit recommendations from various leaders in the church, including the
staff – Minister(s), Music Director, Director of Religious Education, Business Administrator and
Building Superintendent. The congregation will be notified that an applicant has applied for
sponsorship and invited to provide input during the pre-sponsorship review. The information will
be summarized for the candidate to discern whether or not to pursue sponsorship.

Subsequent to accumulating this information, the MFWG will meet with the candidate to discuss
his or her perceived fit with the Church.

Recommendation to the Board of Trustees


The MFWG will make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees who will vote on whether or
not to recommend the candidate to the congregation for sponsorship. A congregational meeting
will be scheduled and the Moderator will invite the candidate to present her/his vision of
ministry and ask the congregation to vote on the Trustees’ recommendation to grant sponsorship.

The congregation will be provided adequate time to discuss the motion. Should there be a time
when two or more candidates are reviewed in one meeting, each motion will be treated as a
separate agenda item. It is required that the candidate receives at least two thirds of the votes by
eligible voting members. If the congregation grants sponsorship the status will go into effect
immediately for one calendar year. If the sponsored candidate breaches the UU Ministers
Association (UUMA) Code of Professional Practice, sponsorship is automatically revoked.

Sponsorship Renewal
The MFWG may choose to host a quarterly review of each sponsored candidate. This includes
assessing the most up-to-date information listed in items 1-4 as well as feedback from the Board
of Trustees, staff and members of the congregation. Concerns or commendations regarding the
candidate's performance will be provided to the candidate, the Board of Trustees and the
Minister.

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Upon the one-year anniversary of receiving sponsorship, the MFWG may ask the Board of
Trustees to grant a one-year sponsorship renewal. Should the candidate not complete the renewal
process with the MFWG within a mutually agreed upon time frame the sponsorship will be
automatically revoked until formally renewed by the Board of Trustees.

Alternate Recommendation
At any point in this process should the MFWG recommend that the candidate not pursue
sponsorship, the candidate may invite a Good Officer of the UUMA to help negotiate the next
steps. Any agreement not to pursue or renew sponsorship shall be communicated in writing,
signed by all members of the MFWG, reported to the Board of Trustees and Minister and held in
confidence by all.

If the candidate takes issue with the MFWG’s recommendation and decides to ask the Board of
Trustees to grant or renew sponsorship, then it is the responsibility of the MFWG to explain to
the Board of Trustees its opposing rationale. At this point, the ultimate authority lies with the
Board of Trustees to determine whether or not to recommend the candidate to the congregation.

Confidentiality
Aware of the sensitive and vulnerable nature of ministerial discernment, the MFWG, the Board
and all Church staff will uphold a covenant of strict confidentiality. Only the Board and Minister
will have access to the confidential documents and minutes of the MFWG. Each participant in
this process will agree to treat one another with the utmost dignity and respect.

Governance and Ministry Policy Manual Page 30 05/19/10


Appendix D: Board of Trustee Procedures (listed alphabetically for now)

*EMAIL AND INTERNET COMMUNICATION:


1. Writing Email
• The tone of the email should fit the intended audience; Church email should have a
professional or personal tone, not condescending, obscene, hateful, demeaning,
gossiping, or in any other way negative
• Subject lines should be as descriptive and specific as possible
• Format the email as plain text to keep it easily readable by the widest audience;
avoid HTML formatting
• Include your identifying information (name and email address, never phone number
unless it's okay to make it public) at the bottom of your email
• Only include information that, if it were made public, would be okay with both the
sender and receiver
• Don't set deadlines in an email as the email may not be received or read by the
deadline -- phone calls are better for deadlines
• BCC lists are a useful way to restrict replies, but if used, inform the receipient that
they are on a BCC list

2. Forwarding Email
• Only forward emails with the approval of the person who originally sent the email
• Don't share printed copies of emails with anyone who was not a recipient of the
email

3. Replying to Email
• Keep the same subject line as the original email, optionally adding "Re:" to the
beginning of the subject line
• Eliminate as much content as you can from previous messages (headers,
signatures, etc.) while keeping content that is relevant to your reply
• Only reply to a group if the reply is relevant to the group, otherwise reply to an
individual
• Remove attachments that were sent with the original email from your reply
*MINISTERIAL TRIENNIAL REVIEW:
(“Best practices” will be developed by a working group to prepare in advance for 2013 review)
*MONITORING UNDER POLICY GOVERNANCE:
1. Develop a year-long, monthly schedule for monitoring individual Ends, policies and
procedures within the Governance and Ministry Policy Manual, and the work of the
Minister, Ministry Teams and Working Groups (see sample monitoring schedules below)
a. It is best to devise this schedule in August at the Board retreat.
b. Assign a different Board member to monitor one of the eight (or nine) Ends for a
particular month; the Board member will compile a report and present it to the full
Board at the monthly meeting to which s/he was assigned.

Governance and Ministry Policy Manual Page 31 05/19/10


c. Assign a Board member or group to monitor a specific section of the Policy
Manual, including any policy or the procedures (found in Appendix D of the
manual); the Board member or group will review the assigned section of the
Policy Manual with the full Board at the monthly meeting to which s/he (or they)
was assigned, proposing any recommended changes. It would be quite ambitious
to monitor the entire Policy Manual in a church year, so it is best to monitor
sections that are most pertinent to
d. Designate special reports to be submitted to the Board from the Minister, working
groups, or ministry leadership team; a representative from these groups will
present a report to the Board for their assigned month. The Minister presents a
report each month as does the Finance Working Group (via the Treasurer).
2. Monitoring Ends (see sample contact email and report below)
a. Identify a group of congregation members, friends, church leaders, and/or staff
who are active in the church and able to speak to the church’s performance in
meeting the specific End in question. It is important to keep in mind that for a
relatively active member to say that s/he is unaware of a particular End or how it
is implemented is important monitoring information. The average number of
people contacted for monitoring Ends in the church year 2009/2010 was 17. It
might be advisable to identify the different sets of people to contact at the same
time that the yearly monitoring schedule is being devised, so that Board members
are not contacting the same people repeatedly each month as they monitor
different Ends.
b. At least two weeks prior to when the End Monitoring Report is due, compose an
email to contact the people identified above. The email should include the
verbiage for the End that you are monitoring (found in the Policy Handbook), the
MLT interpretation of that End (found in the 2009 “Blue Print” document), some
explanation of the monitoring process/rationale (i.e. as part of being in
compliance with Policy Governance), and what you expect by way of response
from the recipients of the email. You might also explain that their responses are
semi-anonymous, as their names will not be attached to specific responses
compiled for the Board report.
c. Follow up emails, phone calls, and/or face-to-face conversations can also be a part
of the monitoring process. This is recommended, as there was a fairly low
response rate over the 2009/2010 monitoring year.
d. Devise a report that includes the number of people contacted, the number of
people who responded, their responses (or summaries of their responses) in terms
of areas of strengths and areas for growth, and any relevant recommendations.
e. Present the report to the Board at the assigned monthly meeting; afterward,
submit the report to the MLT so that they might work toward improving the
means to reaching the specific End.
f. The Minister may submit to the Board a separate report for monitoring the same
End for that month.
3. Monitoring Policies and Procedures
a. Prior to the Board meeting, review the section of the Governance and Ministry
Policy Manual assigned for your specific month; consider whether the Board,

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Minister, Steering Committee, MLT, and/or Working Groups are in compliance
with the policies or procedures found therein.
b. At the assigned Board meeting, review the section with the entire Board, making
recommendations for substantive or surface-level (e.g. grammar, punctuation,
syntax, formatting, typos) changes that should be made along with a rationale for
such a recommendation.
c. Make the changes that were collectively agreed upon, or have the designated
Policy Manual “keeper” make the changes.
4. Monitoring the Minister, Ministry Teams, and Working Groups
a. The Minister devises a report to present to the Board at each meeting
b. The Finance Working Group meets every month prior to the Board meeting and
presents a report to the Board via the Treasurer, who is a standing member of the
permanent Finance Working Group (as well as the Endowment Working Group).
c. Different Ministry Teams and Working Groups should be assigned specific
months to report their work to the Board; as much as possible, this should be
assigned when the yearly monitoring schedule is being made at the start of the
church year.
d. There is no template for these reports, though the expectations for the permanent
Working Groups, including the Endowment & Investment Fund, Finance, and
Ministerial Formation, are located in Appendix A, B, and C respectively in the
Policy Manual. Samples of previously submitted reports from these groups and
various Ministry Teams can be found in the minutes from previous years.

*PROPERTY DISPOSAL:
1. Member of the Congregation or Staff makes a request to dispose of particular item.
a) Items that are clearly not historic and that is determined to have less than $200 value
may be disposed of by him/her, with the advice and consent of the PMT chair. (Either
party may delegate this task.)
b) For items that may be historic or that have value over $200, the PMT gathers and
evaluates information in order to make a recommendation, as described below.
c) For substantial collections of archival or historical items, the PMT may create a task
force/study group to assist them with the research, evaluation and recommendation.
2. Property Ministry Team gathers information
a) description and/or photographs
b) estimate of value
c) historic status
d) memorial status
e) current and potential future use
f) storage issues
g) collect stories/memories from long-time members (if appropriate)
h) What potential markets exist?
3. Property Ministry Team evaluates information and determines:
a) What is the realistic monetary value of the object?
b) Does object have historical value? Any of the following could qualify:
i. specific tie to historical event or person, either for this church or for the broader

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community
ii. significant style
iii. significant maker
iv. a rare example
v. over 50 years old adds weight to any of the above
c) What is the current usage?
d) Speculate about possible future usage
e) Is there a permanent place to keep object 75% or more of the time?
f) Does it have significant sentimental status?
g) Given all of the above, is it in the Church's long-term best interest to sell, loan, discard,
or keep the object?
i. If “sell,” then by what method(s): dealer, auction house, eBay, rummage sale,
other? Also, consider giving members of the Congregation first opportunity to
purchase.
ii. If “loan,” then additional procedures/conditions may apply (e.g. insurance,
term, contract)?
iii. If “discard,” then by what method(s): recycle, donate, regular trash, other?
iv. If “keep,” then find new storage space or way to use elsewhere.
4. Property Ministry Team documents their findings.
5. If value is under $500 and object is not historic, then PMT decision is sufficient.
6. If value is over $500 and object is not historic, then PMT makes a recommendation to the
Board of Trustees. The Board votes and their decision is sufficient.
7. If object is historic, then:
a) the PMT makes a recommendation to the Board of Trustees
b) the Board votes, and then puts the question on the agenda of a special or annual
meeting
c) the PMT helps prepare an information packet and/or participates in at least one
Information Session
d) The Congregation votes at a special or annual meeting.
8. Funds received from the liquidation of personal property will be reinvested in tangible
property with long-term benefit to the church (e.g. purchase or repair of furniture, building
restoration or enhancements). Proceeds from sales under $500 will be deposited into the existing
Building Fund for small projects, and proceeds from sales over $500 will go directly into a new
separate fund in the Investment Account designated for this purpose. Funds will be dispersed as
part of the regular annual budgeting process.

*TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT APPEAL: The staff member in question must


contact the President of the Board to make a formal request for a Termination Appeal at the next
scheduled Board meeting. The employee in question will have 30 minutes to present his or her
appeal to the Board without the Minister in the room. The employee will then be asked to leave,
while the Minister presents her/his justification for the termination. Without either the employee
or the Minister present, the Board will then discuss and decide whether to uphold or reverse the
termination and vote that night. The employee will be contacted within 24-hours with the
decision. The Termination appeal is confidential and takes place in a closed meeting (Executive
Session). The minutes taken during this session are not to be made public to the congregation, so
as to maintain privacy.

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