The Follen Church Society is a self-governing member of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (UUA). While Follen’s volunteer leaders may seek guidance from the UUA, ultimately Follen’s own members are in charge of Follen’s policies and practices.

This form of church governance is known as congregational polity. There are no bishops or elders overseeing Follen. The congregation, in collaboration with the parish minister and staff, makes all decisions about Follen’s operations and mission.

Learn more about Follen’s bylaws.

Governing Bodies

Follen has 3 governing bodies: Parish Board, Program Council, and the Coordinating Team. Please see your Follen directory for up-to-date governance membership.

Parish Board

Parish Board reviews policy and procedural questions, oversees the church’s property and finances, and conducts long-range planning.

Program Council

Program Council serves as the principal operating body of the church and shall be responsible for the management and implementation of the affairs and activities of the church and each of its action teams in conformity with policies adopted by Parish Board, the church’s annual and long-range plans, and the church budget. Program Council coordinates Follen’s 7 action teams, the committees that run Follen’s services and programs.

Coordinating Team

Coordinating Team is responsible for setting the agendas of Program Council and Parish Board and deciding who has decision-making authority with respect to all matters of the church.

The parish minister sits on both the Parish Board and the Program Council. A small team helps Parish Board and Program Council coordinate their actions. That team consists of the parish minister, the chair of Parish Board, the president of Program Council, and the church administrator.

Governance Structure

Follen’s governance structure is also illustrated in this Follen org chart.

Long-Term Plan

In the spring of 2023, Follen’s Parish Board announced the appointment of the Long-Term Planning Team—a team of 6 creative, thoughtful, and committed members to lead the development of a long-term plan for Follen Church (PDF), which was approved at the May 2024 Annual Meeting.

Based on a recommendation from the Long-Term Planning Team, in 2024–25, the Governance Advisory Task Force reviewed the existing governance structure and produced a directional proposal (PDF) that was approved at the 2025 Annual Meeting.

Follen Annual Reports

Each spring Follen issues an annual report, with essays from the minister and other staff, the annual budget and financial information, and summaries of activities by volunteer groups.

To request a copy of an annual report, please email our team at communications@follen.org.

Stewardship: How Follen Is Funded

Every year, Follen members and friends pledge annual contributions during Follen’s stewardship campaign. Learn more about this year’s stewardship campaign.

Most of our programming is provided by staffers, so most of our operational budget goes to staff salaries.