Vision—Clarity—Accountability 

Trying Out a New Governance System

Statement of Conscience and Call to Action

Governance Document of the UUCA (updated January, 2012)

UUCA Board Work Plan/Agenda Outline

UUCA Governing Policies: Monitoring Executive Performance

History of Governance

Meeting Minutes - December, 2011

Congregational Meeting Minutes - November, 2011

Meeting Minutes - October, 2011

Meeting Minutes - September, 2011

After several years of careful study, the UUCA Board of Trustees has given its approval to a three-year trial run of a set of new governing policies aimed at more strategically achieving the goals and values of UUCA. Those policies, developed by the UUCA Governance Task Force, establish goals or outcomes derived from UUCA’s strategic planning process. It defines roles for how the Board of Trustees and UUCA’s staff have worked throughout the year to achieve those outcomes.

     In endorsing the policies, collectively called Policy-based Governance, the Trustees committed themselves to reviewing and revising these policies during the year to ensure they are a good fit for UUCA and its unique culture. During the 2010-2011 church year, the Governance Task Force* focused on educating UUCA’s membership on policy-based governance and how it works and seek input from the congregation.

What is Policy-based Governance?

Policy Governance® offers an approach to governance that was originally developed by John and Miriam Carver to aid non-profit boards. In 2008, UUCA hired Dan Hotchkiss of the Alban Institute (and also a UU minister) to advise it on crafting a modified version of the Carver model to better reflect UUCA’s culture. Both Carver and Hotchkiss models have been embraced by the UUA, and more than 50 UU congregations as well as the Southeast District have chosen it as a more effective approach to running their programs.

     Policy-based governance enables the Board of Trustees to be guided by the core values and vision of the congregation while ensuring that the congregation's resources are used to make a difference in the lives of members of the congregation, in the larger Asheville community and in the world.

     Under UUCA’s version of policy-based governance, the Lead Minister, in our case Rev. Mark Ward, acts as the “Executive” and is responsible to the Board of Trustees for implementing the policies that the Board establishes and operates under the general supervision of the Board.

Policy Governance recognizes the congregation as the source of authority for what we do; ensures accountability for the use of resources to achieve outcomes that the congregation identifies as of primary importance, and defines the roles and authority relationships of Executive (Lead Minister), Staff and Board.

What Makes Policy-based Governance Attractive to UUCA?

It enables us to be clear about our purpose.
Policy-based governance focuses on the congregation's values and strategic priorities. The Board, on behalf of and in dialog with the congregation, answers these questions in the form of written Ends Statements: Why do we exist as an organization? What difference do we want to make in the world? What good do we wish to accomplish, for whom, and at what cost? What do we want to become? What goals do we wish to achieve?

It provides clarity about roles and responsibilities.
It clearly distinguishes between leadership roles of the Board and Lead Minister. It establishes the Lead Minister's responsibility for programs and operations and establishes the Board's responsibility for stewardship of financial, physical and human resources on behalf of the congregation. The Board establishes these roles through written governance policies, which are published as the descriptive but not very creative, “Governance Document” that was drafted by the Governance Task Force last year to be used as this year’s guiding document for the trial.

It ensures accountability for use of resources and accomplishment of Ends.
The Lead Minister is accountable for compliance with the Board's written policies and the Board actively monitors the Lead Minister's compliance with its policies and Ends Statements.

     There is a written Governance Document that lays all this out. There is also a Monitoring Plan that guides the Board in making sure that the Executive is compliant with policies and Ends. We have also felt it is important to publish the Executive’s Work Plan developed by the Executive (and his team, of course) that indicates this year’s plan to accomplish the Ends and the Board’s agenda plan to show how we intend to monitor the governance system AND act as leaders for the congregation.

THIS IS JUST A TEST! Please keep in mind that everything you see here is in a “draft” state.  All is changeable, all is open for comment and suggestions. We are working with these documents this year in order to test out a new governance system. We hope it will make us better leaders and make the congregation a more vital community. 

What is Ahead?

In the coming months, the Governance Task Force will be meeting with various groups within the church as well as in open meetings to begin a dialog about policy-based governance and answer questions about this approach to governing. There will be learning and feedback opportunities for the congregation and various ministry teams and committees throughout the year. The task force will be reaching out to the congregation through various communications tools throughout trial period.

* Governance Task Force is chaired by UUCA President Linda Topp. Members of the task force include Kay Aler-Maida, Mike Horak, Ed Jenest, Michael Vavrek, and Rev. Mark Ward.