Church Structure
"Unitarians know how to relax and enjoy each other's company as well as taking time to wrestle with the really important issues," wrote Rev. Dr. Phillip Hewett for the web site of the Canadian Unitarian Council, or CUC, of which the Universalist Unitarian Church of Halifax is a member.
According to church by-laws, we devote our resources to religious, educational, and charitable purposes for the encouragement of free religion.
Any friend of the church may become a member; celebrating in the company of others, while taking time to ponder or discuss the questions and answers that concern us on our spiritual journey.
In becoming a member one agrees to abide by the by-laws, and to discharge and share in the responsibilities consistent with them.
The church's organization reflects the principle of shared ministry. Every friend or member is encouraged to share their own unique gifts to contribute to the work of the committees and groups. Many of them are described under Membership & Belonging, tab Committees and Groups.
Vestry
The Board of Management of the Church is the Vestry. It is tasked with conducting the business of the Church and putting into effect it’s policies. The Vestry is composed of the Officers of the Church and four other members of the Church. Four committees, namely, Finance (Fundraising), Membership, Property, Religious Education, and Worship, provide regular reports to Vestry meetings and send a representative if required. Other committees report to the Vestry as needed -- including but not limited to: Adult Program, Caring, Communication, Fellowship, Human Resources, Library, and Social Responsibility. Vestry has the power to increase its numbers by one, and appoint a Youth Member (age 16-21) for a one year term.
The governance role is to set direction and goals for the church, create policies to act as guidelines in attaining the church's mission; oversee the hiring, evaluation, and continued support of church staff; and to ensure that there are sufficient funds and energy for the continued operations of the church.
The management role entails executing the church's goals. This is done through paid staff and through members' and friends' shared ministries: committee work, running events, and doing any tasks helpful to the smooth running of the church. Vestry ensures that the proper connections are maintained with our national body, the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC); UU Association of America (UUA), and other UU-related international bodies.
Click here to read the UUCH By-Laws (May 2010) from the Vestry Handbook (sec. 4)
Click here to read the Policies & Procedures document (May 2010) from the Vestry Handbook (sec. 6)
