The Board of Trustees

The Board is the governing body of the Church. The Board is responsible for oversight of the finances and physical facilities of the Church. The Board is responsible for setting short-term and long-term goals of the Church that support the Mission and Vision of the Church. The Board is responsible for connecting with other Unitarian Universalist (UU) organizations. The Board has charge of the real and personal property of the Church, conducts its business affairs consistent with the By-Laws. The Board meets monthly and its meetings are open to the congregation. The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees acts in the absence of the Board within the limitations of the Board’s approved Policies

The Minister

The Minister shall be the spiritual leader of the Church community. The Minister shall be granted freedom of the pulpit without restrictions as to beliefs and teachings. The Minister shall be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Church. The Minister shall publicly represent the Church and may speak for the Church on community topics without prior constraint and within the existing Mission, Vision, and Policies of the Church. The Minister shall be responsible for the ministries of the Church, including but not limited to, worship, pastoral care, rites of passage, religious education and social justice.

Shared Leadership

The Minister and the Board share responsibility for the leadership and the Ministry of the Congregation. The Board looks to the Minister for spiritual leadership and initiative, and for assistance in setting and articulating the Congregation’s Mission and Vision.  The Board also looks to the Minister for professional and inspired performance and oversight of the Congregation’s programs in collaboration with the Board as well as the Committees, Teams, Task Forces and Staff.

Congregational Meetings

The congregation meets in three regular meeting times per fiscal year in Fall, winter and spring to hear reports from the Board and the senior staff, to vote on important decisions that are reserved for the congregation. The most particular important decisions include the annual budget, the status of the staff  and the state of the Mission and Vision of the Church. The President of the the Board of Trustees presides at Congregational meetings. The agenda is prepared by the Board and the Minister.

Committees, Teams, Task Forces & the Endowment Board

Many groupings made up of members, staff and in some cases friends of the congregation conduct a variety of tasks in support of the church’s mission.

Committees, Human Relations, Nominating, Finance, Committee on Shared Ministry, and Ministerial Search are described in the Bylaws, are chosen and overseen by the Congregation, and have permanent standing in our governance. Committees operate under their own policies that are reviewed and approved as needed by the Board of Trustees.

Teams are established by the Minister and staff as needed in the execution of their duties and work commitments. Teams operate by their own policies and under the direct supervision of the minister and staff. These policies may be reviewed and approved as needed by the Board of Trustees.  Teams are impermanent in that they may be established and carried on for years, or they may be ended and adjusted as needed by the staff and the needs of the day. Teams are largely administrative and operational in their nature.

Task Forces are temporary governmental groupings established and overseen by the Board of Trustees to accomplish certain described tasks for the board with a prescribed result and ending in its description. Like Committees and Teams, the work of Task Forces are the open business of the entire community and is only confidential when it is transparently and publicly described as confidential.The Endowment Board is a permanent and legally established board under the laws of the State of Ohio. It is appointed by the Board of Trustees and approved by the Congregation. It is the repository of the permanent or legacy gifts of the Church. It operates under its own policies and is answerable to the congregation and the State of Ohio.