A few words
About Us
Like other UU congregations, Beverly Unitarian Church is self-governing. Ultimately, all matters of church business and operations are determined by the congregation. We operate under a set of bylaws, updated periodically through congregational votes.
In most cases, the Board of Trustees, which consists of seven members, has responsibility for formulating policies. These include a chair and vice chair, three officers responsible for specific areas, and two trustees at large. The three officers are: Secretary, Treasurer, and Property Trustee. The trustees at large serve as liaison to other church committees.
The Board is elected at a congregational meeting in the spring. Members serve two-year terms, for a maximum of two consecutive terms. Staggering of terms means that roughly half of board members at the beginning of each new fiscal year have just been elected or re-elected to a second term. For the spring election, a Nominating Committee proposes a slate of candidates, with anyone at the meeting free to propose additional nominations. The Nominating Committee is elected at a congregational meeting in the fall.
The Board is responsible for hiring and supervising staff. Currently our staff consists of three part-time positions: Minister, Director of Religious Education, and Administrator. We also contract with people to provide childcare, set up the sanctuary for services, and perform routine building maintenance.
Each spring the Board proposes a budget for the following year, based on preliminary budget projections formulated by the Finance Committee. The budget is then voted on by the congregation. A few other matters are also reserved for congregational votes: for example, unusually large expenditures, any purchase or sale of real estate, and position statements by the congregation about public issues.
In practice, a small congregation like ours does a lot through personal initiatives by members and friends. There are plenty of opportunities to contribute in ways small and large, and it’s usually easy to find someone who can help fit any particular effort into the larger picture.