BOARD MEMBERS
Membership for each board shall be elected for a term of up to three years. Persons may be re-elected for a second term, but then be in-eligible for election for one year. Vacancies shall be filled until the next annual meeting by action of each board or committee.
EXPECTATIONS
REMOVAL
EXPECTATIONS
- Regular worship attendance
- Financial support
- Regular attendance at monthly meetings (Teleconference or call in may be counted as attendance).
- Attend occasional meetings outside of regular meetings, as needed
- Work on projects outside of monthly meetings during the month.
- See Board Job Descriptions for specifics.
REMOVAL
- Any board member who misses regularly scheduled monthly meetings will be contacted by Chair and asked if they would like to be removed from the board.
CHURCH COUNCIL
Section 1. Membership
The Church Council shall consist of the following:
Pastor(s)
Moderator
Vice-Moderator
Clerk
Treasurer
Church-at-large: One member
Chairpersons of the following Boards and Committees:
Trustees Cafe Church Life Faith Formation Missions & Social Concerns Deacons
Voting members of the Church Council must be members of the congregation. If, through
amendment to these Bylaws, additional Boards or Committees are created, the chairperson of such
new Board or Committee shall be a member of the Church Council. If an existing Board or
committee ceases to exist, the membership of the Church Council shall be reduced accordingly.
Church-at-large members serving as members of the Church Council shall be elected at each annual
meeting for one three year term and may be re-elected for a second term, but then be in-eligible for
election for one year. A vacancy for a member at large shall be filled until the next annual meeting by
appointment by the Church Council. A chairperson of one of the above listed Boards or Committees
may be represented at any meeting of the Church Council by a qualified alternate from said Board or
Committee.
Section 2. Meetings
The Church Council shall meet at least four times during the year. The dates of each year's Church
Council Meetings will be announced by the Moderator at the Annual Meeting. Congregational
meetings may be called by the moderator, the pastor, or upon written request of four members of the
Council. Written notice of any special meeting and its purpose shall be given at least one week prior
to the date of the meeting. All meetings of the Church Council shall be open to any member of the
church. The moderator shall be the chairperson of the Church Council and preside at its meetings.
The clerk shall serve as secretary at all meetings of the Church Council.
Section 3. Duties
It shall be the function of the Church Council to visualize the entire task of the church and to confer
and consult with the pastor(s) as to the general direction of the church's activities and to cooperate
with the pastor in the formulation of a well-rounded church program. The Church Council shall
schedule special meetings for the purpose of long range planning, and serve as a means of
communication among the various Boards and Committees represented on the Council, as well as the
church as a whole. Vacancies occurring among any of the church officers (except that of pastor) shall
be filled by appointment by the Church Council. Upon a vacancy in the pastorate, the Church
Council shall appoint a Search Committee.
The Church Council shall have the authority to appoint such Committee members as may from time
to time be necessary in order to carry out its duties. In addition, the Church Council shall have such
other powers and duties as are set forth elsewhere in these bylaws.
ARTICLE X – STRUCTURE OF Boards and Committees
Section 1. Board Membership
Membership on each Board shall be for a term of three years. Persons may be re-elected for a
second term, but then be in-eligible for election for one year. Vacancies shall be filled until the next
annual meeting by action of each Board.
Section 2. Committee Membership
Committees will be responsible for recruiting their members. Each Committee will have at least five members. However, Committee membership can exceed five at the discretion of the Committee. It is recommended that a Committee consist of no more than twelve members.
Section 3. Election of Officers
Each Board shall submit their nominations to the Executive Team prior to
the annual meeting. The church treasurer shall be an ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees
and shall attend its meeting. The pastor(s) shall be an ex-officio member(s) of all Boards. The
and/or Vice Moderator shall attend and be an ex-officio of the Board of Trustees.
ARTICLE XI - Boards and Committees
A majority of the Church Council shall constitute a quorum for the Church Council; a majority of
the Board of Trustees shall constitute a quorum for the Board of Trustees; and the members present
any other Board or Committee shall constitute a quorum for that Board or committee. At any
meeting at which a quorum is present, the vote of a majority of those present shall constitute the
action of the council, Board or Committee. All Board minutes will be posted on the church website
within 10 business days of held meetings.
To nominate a member for a board, please click on button at top of page.
Pastoral relations team
The particular relationship between a pastor and congregants should be tended deliberately, so that the ministries of both pastor and congregation complement each other and further God’s grace in the world. As with any relationship, it must be respected and nurtured to grow in healthy and productive ways. For this reason, a Pastoral Relations Team exists in a congregation to advise, assist, and promote the growth of this vital relationship. The health of the relationship between the pastor and the congregation is not an end in itself but serves the ministry of the congregation as a whole.
Responsibilities of the team:
Works in a context of confidentiality, support, care, and honesty with the pastor, while promoting healthy communication in the congregation as a whole. A Pastoral Relations Team is an appropriate and confidential place for the pastor to test possible goals for the congregation’s life, to receive support for their professional development, to reflect on their overall well-being in ministry, to listen to feedback and strategize potential responses. This team also provides a means for the congregation to express its care for the pastor by advocating for appropriate compensation and encouraging times for relaxation, exercise, vacation, spiritual development, and personal relationships outside of the congregation. This team helps both the pastor and the congregation set and maintain appropriate expectations about the scope of work. A Pastoral Relations Team is not an appropriate place to circumvent church processes of decision-making, for team members to relay anonymous complaints, for individual members to lobby for or enact their own ambitions for church life, or to empanel an adversarial group opposed to the pastor’s leadership. Finally, while the Pastoral Relations Team encourages assessment of the shared ministry between the pastor and the congregation, they do not lead the process of pastoral evaluations.
Members of this team are nominated and selected by the Church Council in cooperation with the Minister.
Responsibilities of the team:
Works in a context of confidentiality, support, care, and honesty with the pastor, while promoting healthy communication in the congregation as a whole. A Pastoral Relations Team is an appropriate and confidential place for the pastor to test possible goals for the congregation’s life, to receive support for their professional development, to reflect on their overall well-being in ministry, to listen to feedback and strategize potential responses. This team also provides a means for the congregation to express its care for the pastor by advocating for appropriate compensation and encouraging times for relaxation, exercise, vacation, spiritual development, and personal relationships outside of the congregation. This team helps both the pastor and the congregation set and maintain appropriate expectations about the scope of work. A Pastoral Relations Team is not an appropriate place to circumvent church processes of decision-making, for team members to relay anonymous complaints, for individual members to lobby for or enact their own ambitions for church life, or to empanel an adversarial group opposed to the pastor’s leadership. Finally, while the Pastoral Relations Team encourages assessment of the shared ministry between the pastor and the congregation, they do not lead the process of pastoral evaluations.
Members of this team are nominated and selected by the Church Council in cooperation with the Minister.
