Our Bylaws

Members are the center of governance in our congregation. They have the ultimate say over the finances and the procedures of the church. This practice began with our Puritan forbears, who were interested in preserving both the movement of the Spirit within and among the people, and the principles of Greek democracy. They codified this practice into what is known as Congregational Polity. Each Unitarian Universalist congregation has sole authority over its own ways of doing business.

In this congregation, our board is called the Parish Committee, which is elected by members of the congregation at the Annual Meeting on the third Sunday in May. A host of other committees do the rest of the volunteer work of the church, from making sure that there are goodies to eat after worship on Sundays, to keeping our buildings in good repair, and raising and overseeing the funds that sustain us.

The settled minister serves at the will of the congregation, and is selected by congregational vote.  She serves as chief of staff and oversees the functions of the church according to the goals and priorities of the Parish Committee.  The ministers, staff and lay leaders work in partnership to fulfill the mission and vision of the congregation.