The process of reviewing Follen’s governance structure has been in full swing all fall, with 29 volunteers reviewing 9 different areas of Follen. These groups are developing a proposal for a modified governance structure that would have 1 governing body rather than 2, with the twin goals of supporting the vibrant volunteerism that makes Follen who we are, and building a transparent, durable governance structure that will provide strategy, oversight, and accountability.

All of these hardworking volunteers met together on a recent wintry night to share the work done by their own team and to understand and respond to the work of the other teams. The Transition Management Team (Gordon H., Jen V., and Melissa H.) is compiling the notes from this meeting and will have them ready for a governance review workshop in January.

There will be several opportunities coming up for input from the entire congregation in February and March. However, if you have something to share before then, feel free to email the Transition Management Team at governance@follen.org.

 

Governance Area	Question
Bylaw drafting and revisions	How do we revise our bylaws to align with the new structure?
Ministry Team Structure	What is the role, structure and membership of the ministry teams?
Board Structure and Roles	What is the structure and membership of the board and standing committees?
Personnel/HR	How will HR responsibilities be defined between the various entities?
Safety/Legal	How will safety and legal responsibilities be defined between the various entities?
Facilities/IT	How will facility management responsibilities be defined between the various entities?
Finance	How will finance management responsibilities be defined between the various entities?
Lay Leader Training	What should lay leader onboarding and training look like?
Transparency	How can we ensure the congregation has visibility into the church decision-making process and can make their voices heard?