We received this report both as hardcopy via snailmail and as e-mail from the UUCF-LIST posted by Bruce Vernor and received by us on April 18, 1998. This is Bruce Vernor's e-mail, modified only as follows:
The Board decided at its meeting on April 14th to distribute this response to those who were interviewed by the Ombudsman Committee and to the Ombudsman Committee members. An article will be in the next newsletter. In addition, copies of the response will be available in the church office. I am adding it to the list serve.
Regards to all,
Bruce
Recommendation 1. Church leaders, particularly the Board
and the Senior
Minister, should publicly encourage---and demonstrate---civility
and
respect for others.
Response: Board members and the Senior Minister
reaffirm their belief that
it is of great importance for all leaders and members of the
congregation
to treat others with respect and civility. The members of the
Board will
continue to make every effort to respond to others with
consideration.
Leaders can, for example, try to do this in several ways: by
responding
with empathy to the expression of concerns; by probing, where
appropriate
for a full understanding of a member’s concerns; or by restating a
member’s
concerns to try to reach a common understanding of a differing
viewpoint.
Members of the congregation also can support a climate of civility
and
respect by their responses in public meetings and
exchanges.
Recommendation 2. The Board and the Senior Minister should
facilitate
resolution of differences of opinion rather than becoming parties
to
conflicts (e.g., in town meetings). In particular, they should
listen to
dissenting views respectfully, and take others’ opinions into
consideration
rather than abruptly countering them.
Response: We agree that facilitation is an important
part of the role of
the Board and of the Ministers to ensure that all voices, all
points of
view, are considered. In that process we attempt to listen to all
views,
to clarify our understanding of them, and to reflect that
understanding by
restating it. However, in addition we believe that the Board, as
the duly
elected governing body, has a responsibility to research issues and
make
recommendations to the congregation.
Town meetings and the monthly exchanges being held by the
Lay
Ministers for Fellowship provide opportunities for members to
express their
opinions. The Board is continuing to investigate and to implement
strategies and structures for both town meetings and congregational
meetings --- from efficient counting of votes, to placement of
microphones,
to discouraging applause after statements of opinion --- to ensure
that
all voices are heard respectfully by both the Board and the
congregation.
Recommendation 3. The Senior Minister should be sensitive
in his dealings
with members and friends that he sets the tone for the whole
Congregation.
Response: The Senior Minister reaffirms his belief
that all members,
professionals, and staff should treat others with respect and
civility.
Recommendation 4. The Board (or the Lay Ministers for
Membership) should
outline the new member process in a newsletter article, and explain
(again)
why it was changed a few years ago.
Response: The Board has asked the Lay Ministers for
Membership to outline
(again) the new member process and the reasons for change in a
newsletter
article.
Recommendation 5. Church leaders, particularly the Board
and the Senior
Minister, should be sensitive in their communications that this
Congregation is the spiritual home for many people with different
views and
interests.
Response: Church leaders recognize and accept that
this Congregation is
the spiritual home for many people with different views and
interests. The
members of the Board will continue to make every effort to respond
with
consideration to all points of view, and trust that the members of
the
congregation will do so as well.
Recommendation 6. The Board and the Nominating Committee
should make
special efforts to recruit individuals from all quarters of the
Congregation for leadership positions. In this way our leaders
will be
better able to relate to a much broader segment of the
Congregation.
Response: We believe it is important to recruit
individuals for leadership
positions based on their qualifications, which would include, for
example,
previous leadership positions held, career experience, non-profit
Board
experience, fund-raising experience, leadership classes attended,
in
addition to people associated with a variety of program areas in
the
congregation.
The Congregation's organization manual, mandated by the new
bylaws
is nearing completion. It will include job descriptions for
leadership
positions which will aid the Nominating Committee and the Board in
recruiting volunteers for these positions. Volunteers are urged to
come
forward.
Recommendation 7. The Board and the Canvass Committee
should consider doing
away with Giving Circles, since these contribute to the perception
that
members who are giving a different levels receive different
treatment.
Response: Giving Circles were eliminated from this
year's Canvass as a
result of recommendations made in focus group meetings conducted in
the
spring of 1997.
Recommendation 8. The Board and the Senior Minister should
be particularly
sensitive to congregational reaction regarding holding events that
are
limited to selected members (especially based on giving levels).
Response: We believe that valuing each member
regardless of means is a
central value of this congregation. We also believe that
recognizing
members who give an extraordinary measure of their resources,
whether time
or money, is an essential duty of the church leadership.
Fundraising, we
believe, is a shared responsibility of all of us; there is a
correlation
between our effectiveness in raising money and what we are able to
accomplish together as a congregation.
The Board is continuing to find appropriate ways to
recognize those
who give generously of their time, their talent, or their
treasure.
Communication and Decision-making
Recommendation 9. The Board should have a regular column
in the newsletter
on par with "Gams" and "from Bill..." to address issues before the
Board or
Congregation.
Response: The ad hoc Communications Committee is
exploring ways to
increase communication between the leadership and the Congregation.
One
clear possibility is to re-institute a regular column from the
Board as
existed for much of the last fiscal year.
Recommendation 10. The Board should set up a schedule of
regular open
meetings to provide opportunities for information sharing between
itself
and the Congregation.
Response: There are usually three town meetings per
year. The Board
recognizes the importance of posting dates well in advance in a
prominent
place, and plans to do so. In addition, all Board meetings are
open to
members of the Congregation. Near the beginning of regular
meetings
members are invited to comment.
Recommendation 11. The Board should consider recommending
changes to the
bylaws to increase its membership so that it may provide more
effective
advocacy to its constituents.
Response: The Bylaws Committee conducted extensive
research in developing
the Board structure described in the new Bylaws, adopted on
November 4,
1996. The new Board structure began July 1, 1997. The Board
recommends
that we go through a few years of operating with the new Board
membership
size (increased from 9 to 11) before evaluating possible
changes.
Recommendation 12. The Board should consider recommending
changes to the
bylaws to have all significant leadership positions elected by
congregational vote, possibly with contested slates.
Response: The Board believes that possible changes in
election procedures
should be evaluated only after the current bylaws have been in
effect for a
few years.
Recommendation 13. The Board should present all major
issues affecting the
long term functioning of the church to the Congregation in open
meetings,
before making a decision.
Response: The use of Town Meetings is an effective
way to seek feedback
from members of the Congregation, and we will continue to utilize
this and
other methods of disseminating information and gathering
feedback.
Recommendation 14. The Board should set aside a time at
each meeting to
address member concerns, be they submitted verbally or in writing.
All
concerns brought to the Board’s attention should be acknowledged.
Responses should be received within 30 days. Written concerns
should
receive written responses.
Response: We begin each regular Board meeting with
an opportunity for
member comments. We also have a regular time on the agenda for
member
concerns raised in writing or orally to any board member, minister,
or
church staff. It is the current Board’s practice to respond to
written
concerns with written responses unless discussions with the person
lead to
a mutual conclusion that this is not necessary. If the matter
requires
information gathering, we seek to delegate it to someone on the
Board to
research, report back to the full Board and prepare a written
response in a
timely fashion.
Recommendation 15. The Board should monitor the
effectiveness of the Lay
Ministers for Fellowship’s Monthly Exchange in providing a forum
for member
concerns. If this is deemed not effective, the Board should
consider
establishing a permanent leadership-independent Ombudsman
Committee.
Response: Through regular reports from the Lay
Ministers for Fellowship,
the Board monitors the attendance and feedback from the Monthly
Exchange
sessions. The ad hoc Communications Committee is studying all
avenues of
communication within the Congregation and will make recommendations
to the
Board.
Recommendation 16. The Board should endeavor to strengthen
the Finance
Council, which has been dwindling in membership, and provide
adequate
financial oversight. In particular, the Board should ensure that
all
financial obligations mentioned by the bylaws are adhered to, and
that
reports are presented to the Congregation, with appropriate
annotations, as
specified.
Response: The Board has asked the ad hoc Fiscal
Affairs Committee to study
and more clearly define the responsibilities of the Finance
Council, adding
to it development functions as well as oversight of the budget
process.
The Board adheres to all financial obligations specified in the
bylaws and
sees that appropriate reports are made available to the
Congregation.
Recommendation 17. The Board should establish a program
for funding
capital maintenance and capital reserve accounts as dictated by the
Long
Range Plan, and communicate this program to the Congregation.
Response: We believe maintaining our physical plant
is a critical task.
We have had a capital reserve account as a budget line in each of
the years
since the Long Range Plan was implemented. Our working capital has
grown
significantly the past few years and our cash flow situation is
much
improved.
Recommendation 18. Church leaders, particularly the Senior
Minister and
the Board, should pay special attention to thanking and honoring
volunteers
and others who contribute (e.g., sermon contest participants). For
example, the Board and Lay Ministers could set apart time at each
of their
meetings to write thank you notes to volunteers. (This was done by
previous Boards.)
Response: In a church of our size it is very
important to recognize and
honor the many volunteers who make our programs possible. We give
this
special attention in many ways, such as the "Congregational
Treasure" we
honor each month in the newsletter, the volunteer recognition
worship
services that have been held each spring, and sending thank you
notes and
letters to those we know have done some special service to the
church. We
will continue to look for more and better ways to support our
volunteers.
Recommendation 19. The Board should establish a leadership
training
program for current and prospective leaders, including committee
chairpersons. The training should include topics such as
facilitating
meetings, small group process, decision making, the care and
feeding of
volunteers, etc.
Response: The Senior Minister has an ongoing program
of training: the
Ministry Associates program. The Joseph Priestly District offers
many if
not all of the suggested programs for church members and leaders.
The
Board, through the Denominational Affairs chairperson, has
advertised these
programs and many church members have taken advantage of the
opportunities
offered. The Board is investigating the possibility of reviving
leadership
training workshops for members of our congregation, similar to
those that
were held several years ago, and promoting attendance among
interested
members of the congregation, as well as those in leadership
positions.
Recommendation 20. The Board should develop a process by
which it, the
Minister, Lay Ministers for Fellowship, and the Caring Committee
can be
informed in a timely manner of serious illnesses and deaths.
Response: The Board affirms that pastoral care and
counseling is a
responsibility of the Senior Minister of the congregation. Members
are
periodically reminded, through newsletter announcements, to tell
the
office, a Minister, or a Caring Committee member of a serious
illness or
death. Both the Senior Minister and Assistant Minister regularly
tell the
Caring Committee of such events. The Caring Committee Chair is in
regular
communication with the Senior Minister.
Recommendation 21. The Board should charge the Senior
Minister with
establishing a program for conducting pastoral visits, both by the
ministers and the Caring Committee.
Response: The Board affirms that responsibility for
pastoral visits rests
with the Senior Minister. The Caring Committee will continue to
work
closely with him.
Recommendation 22. The Senior Minister and Lay-led Worship
Committee
should include a Joys and Concerns section in each Sunday service,
and show
support for this.
Response: A Joys and Concerns section is a regular
part of each Sunday
service and it is omitted rarely.
Recommendation 23. The Senior and Assistant Ministers
should establish a
procedure with the church office for scheduling counseling sessions
and
meetings with congregants, and communicate this to the
Congregation.
Response: Each year the ministers publish their
office hours and how to
contact them.
Recommendation 24. The Senior Minister should consider
providing more
diversity in Sunday worship services---both in format and
orientation.
Response: The Senior Minister continues to work with
the Lay Ministers for
Worship, the Music Director, and others involved in the worship
life of the
church. As his letter of agreement with the congregation states,
the
Minister has responsibility for worship, and, thus, this is not an
area of
direct Board involvement. He is pleased with current worship
offerings and
believes that there is adequate diversity of services. The Worship
Survey
conducted in May 1997 indicates general satisfaction with the
current
worship format and the variety of worship services being
offered.
Recommendation 25. The Board should ensure that the number
and timing of
lay-led services does not deteriorate, and preferably improves.
Response: The number of Sundays each month in which
the Senior Minister is
expected to preach is stated in his letter of agreement. That
number is a
response to the congregational survey conducted during the
ministerial
search. The Senior Minister believes that the number and timing of
lay-led
services is appropriate. The 1997 Worship Survey indicates general
satisfaction with the current variety of worship services being
offered.
Recommendation 26. The Board should continue the Summer
Minister program,
and if possible, attempt to have a woman fill the slot from time to
time.
Response: The Board intends to continue the Summer
Minister Program. Four
of the last six Summer Ministers have been women. The Summer
Minister
Search Committee will continue recommending hiring the best
candidate
available.
Recommendation 27. The Senior Minister should consider
holding sermon
discussions on Sundays after the second service. (This could be in
lieu of
or in addition to the lay effort recently initiated.)
Response: The social hour is an important time for
the Senior Minister to
interact with a variety of people in different ways. He has
encouraged
lay-led sermon discussions and continues to do so. The Senior
Minister is
available for appointments if anyone wishes to discuss sermons with
him.
Recommendation 28. The Board should consider creating an
Administrator’s
position with broader responsibilities, so that the Senior Minister
can
focus more on worship, and pastoral care and counseling.
Response: Over the past several years, the Senior
Minister has delegated
more administrative responsibility to the church administrator and
is very
satisfied with the balance of his time spent on
administration.
Recommendation 29. The Board should enforce its own
administrative
policies, not call on the Senior Minister to do so (e.g., asking
individuals to curtail announcements).
Response: Neither the Board nor the Senior Minister
believe that the matter
of announcements on Sunday morning is an issue of administrative
policy.
We expect members with announcements will continue to be
considerate of the
need to share the limited time available for this during Sunday
services.
Recommendation 30. The Board should establish a formal
Ministerial
Relations Committee for the senior Minister.
Response: The establishment of such a committee is
being explored by the ad
hoc Staffing Committee, which has as its responsibility the
definition of
evaluation and accountability criteria for all leadership positions
in the
Congregation whether professional or lay.