Council

DUTIES, PROCEDURES & REQUIREMENTS: Council

Applies to: Council

Introduction: Per By-law 5.0 Our Congregation shall be governed by a Council made up of the Pastor, Moderator, Clerk, Member at Large, Chair of the Diaconate Team, Chair of the Christian Development Team, Chair of the Property Team and Chair of the Finance Team.

Duties:

A) Determine Our Congregation’s direction;

B) Be responsible for Our Congregation’s operation ;

C) Schedule the Annual and any Special Meetings of Our Congregation;

D) Set the dates and times for worship services at the recommendation of the Pastor or Diaconate Team;

E) Interpret and ensure compliance with our Constitution and Bylaws, Policies, and Duties, Procedures and Requirements. Except for those reserved for Our Congregation’s membership, have authority to grant waivers to them by a unanimous vote;

F) Ensure individual Council members and Teams are performing their duties;

G) Instill cooperation between the various Teams, Volunteers and Paid staff including coordination of events and conflict resolution;

H) Review, revise, or recommend revision (amendments) when necessary, to our Constitution and Bylaws, and Policies;

I) Provide equal employment opportunity for paid positions;

J) Vote on membership status of Our Congregation by:

1) Adding new members;

2) Granting letters of transfer;

3) Changing to inactive;

4) Returning to active. (Constitution and Bylaws 4.1 & 4.3);

K) Resolve any real or perceived Conflicts of Interest for Council Members, Paid Staff, or Moderator selected Volunteers.

L) Act on any recommendation for the removal of a Council member, Team member, or volunteer;

M) Act on any recommendation for the removal of a Pastor;

N) Create individual positions or teams to report directly to the Council as needed. Call persons to fill these positions or teams. This may include a Pastoral Search Team, Bylaw Team etc.

O) Appoint persons to serve as UCC delegates;

P) Hear appeals of individual Council member’s, Team’s or Volunteer’s decisions;

Q) Expend resources from the Memorial Fund;

R) Provide, as seems appropriate, temporary voting rights to Team members substituting for Team Chairs;

S) Act on emergency spending requests; (Purchasing)

T) Comply with all related Policies.

Individual Member Duties:

A) Provide a brief written report highlighting activity to other Council members by electronic means at least two days before regular meetings. If nothing has occurred report that there is no new information. In cases where a Team meeting is scheduled less than two days before a Council meeting, provide report as soon as possible;

B) When a Team chair is unable to attend a Council meeting, attempt to have another Team member of the same Team do so;

C) Complete the Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form Annually;

D) Recommend, when thought to be legitimate, consideration of an appeal of an individual Council member’s, Team member’s or Volunteer’s decision when so requested;

E) Recommend, when necessary, removal of a Council member, Team member or Volunteer;

F) Recommend, when necessary, removal of a Pastor.

Procedures & Requirements:

A) Create and manage special Teams and individual positions that report to the Council (N above) as follows:

1) Define the purpose of each team or position; and

2) Set an expiration date no later than two years from creation date; and

3) Call persons to serve by majority vote except that a Pastoral Search Team member shall require a two-thirds or more majority vote; and

4) Determine if position or Team shall provide a report to be included in the Annual reports;

5) Upon reaching the expiration date, extend Team or position for up to two years and either reappoint or replace persons serving as seems appropriate;

6) Disband Teams and individual positions when purpose is fulfilled.

B) The Memorial Fund (N above) is for the purchase of new items for Our Congregation. It should not be used to replace worn equipment (Capital Outlay Fund) or mission purposes (Local Aid Endowment)

1) Determine need. Give strong consideration to requests from a donor or family member of the memorialized individual;

2) Ascertain cost following the Purchasing Policy;

3) Check with Finance Team to ensure sufficient funds;

4) Arrange for purchase;

5) Hold special ceremony or notify Our Congregation when appropriate.

Amending the Constitution and By-laws, Amending Policies, Amending Duties, Procedures, and Requirements, Membership Meetings of Our Congregation, Paid Staff, Purchasing, Removal of a Pastor, Removal of a Council Member, Team Member, or Volunteer, Safe Church, Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI), Voting, Voting Without Meeting