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.

Read Follen’s Bylaws.

Follen has three governing bodies: the Parish Board, the Program Council, and the Coordinating Team.

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

The 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 the Parish Board, the Church’s Annual and Long-Range Plans and the Church Budget. The Program Council coordinates Follen’s seven Action Teams, the committees which run Follen’s services and programs.

The Coordinating Team is responsible for setting the agendas of the 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 the Parish Board and Program Council coordinate their actions. That team consists of the Parish Minister, the Chair of the Parish Board, the President of the 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, to be approved at the May 2024 Annual Meeting.

Follen Annual Report

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. View the Follen Annual Report 2021.

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. To learn more about how Stewardship works watch this video.