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Transforming Governance

Governance—the way we do the work of our congregation—impacts all of us in the spiritual family of Plymouth. By transforming governance, we aim to simplify and clarify our structure, while retaining our Congregational tradition, so that we may increase the effectiveness of our ministries and better nurture our spiritual lives.

Transforming governance will result in clearly defined decision-making power and authority, along with two-way lines of communications that help move issues and goals to the appropriate level of governance.

Transforming governance also will involve more members in the ministries of Plymouth Church and so unleash the creativity and compassion of this congregation.

Now posted: Materials from the March 17 meeting following the 10:30 a.m. service to discuss the Transforming Governance proposal.

NEW: PowerPoint presentation—PDF of slides (revised for March 17 presentation)

NEW: Audio from March 17, 2013 presentation

Audio from Feb. 3, 2013 Sunday Forum presentation.

Timeline of recent and upcoming communications about Transforming Governance

In all of our deliberations, the Governance Committee began by defining and recognizing ourselves as people of faith, children of God, members of a supportive spiritual family with a shared history of a progressive faith tradition. The committee offers this Statement of Values.

The Frequently Asked Questions material that follows below also is available as a PDF.

Why is Transforming Governance needed?
The 2010-2015 Strategic Plan recognized a need to improve governance at Plymouth. Following its adoption, an Ad Hoc Governance Committee was established to analyze our current governance structure. The committee found

• authority, responsibilities and decision-making are often unclear; in addition, some tasks have no home.
• work is distributed unevenly among boards.
• some boards, such as Deacons, are responsible for both setting direction and doing the work. Other boards do the work but have little direction-setting or decision-making authority.
• the boards tend to focus on immediate issues at the expense of strategic goals.
• only a limited number of congregation members may serve currently, while staff are stretched thin.

Extended and intense analysis and consultation has led the committee to propose transforming governance at Plymouth.

What will Transforming Governance look like?
In place of the current eight boards, Church Council, many committees, informal groups and temporary task forces, we propose transforming governance to four types of groups.

There would be
• A Policy Board setting policies to steer the church. Deriving its authority from the congregation, the Policy Board would have in its portfolio visioning as well as discerning and articulating the congregation’s core values, mission and strategic goals.
• A Ministry Leadership Team that does the operational tasks to align the work of the committees to the strategic goals of the church.
• Six committees that aid teams to do their work.
• Working teams engaged in hands-on service.

How will responsibilities be divided among the types of groups?
Under the proposed structure, the congregation still is the ultimate authority on the life of the church; that includes budgets, strategic plans, bylaw changes and other matters that traditionally come before the congregation. Other than “congregation,” all the names for governance structures are working names and may change.

The proposed structure would have as its heart and hands working teams to carry out important activities, large and small, that together embody the way we at Plymouth live the radical love of Jesus. These teams represent the work that is going on today at Plymouth—we want to organize the work we already are doing to make our church more effective, our congregation more engaged. Whether standing groups or temporary, these teams will have clearly defined job descriptions and decision-making authority. Many Plymouth members will be able to serve on teams, which will function with a large measure of autonomy.

For support and resources, teams will link to committees. In the proposed structure, six Committees are responsible for ensuring that our annual operational priorities are carried out. Each committee helps a cluster of teams connected to it to perform as effectively as possible and in alignment with the mission of the church. Each committee will have a minister or a senior staff person assigned to it. The committees’ working titles are: Administration, Fine Arts, Worship, Social Justice, Community Life and Spiritual Formation. Committees don’t do the work, they make sure that the teams have everything they need to do the work of their ministries.

Committees also have a point of accountability—the Ministry Leadership Team. The Ministry Leadership Team, convened by a member of the clergy, consists of the chairs of each of the Committees plus the clergy or staff members assigned to Committees. The Ministry Leadership Team is responsible for ensuring that the congregation’s annual goals are met via the day-to-day, week-to-week operational activities managed by the Committees.

The Ministry Leadership team’s specific responsibilities include committee oversight, resource allocation and initiative management.
• Oversight: The Ministry Leadership Team ensures that the work of the Committees is planned and coordinated, and that questions of responsibility and authority are answered quickly.
• Resources: It drafts the annual budget and ensures that the congregation’s resources are distributed appropriately among the Committees.
• Initiatives: In addition, when ideas arise from any place in the congregation for a new activity or program, the Ministry Leadership Team considers the idea. If the idea is consistent with our mission and direction, and if it can be supported with resources, the Ministry Leadership Team delegates the idea to the appropriate Committee for action.

Finally, the Ministry Leadership Team is accountable to a group we’re calling the Policy Board. The Policy Board always works on behalf of and in conversation with the congregation. In the proposed governance structure, the Policy Board holds ultimate accountability for everything that happens at Plymouth, on behalf of the congregation. To do that, the Policy Board has the responsibility and the authority to:
• Discern, develop and propose strategic direction, plans and goals for the congregation.
• Monitor progress on our strategic plan and goals.
• Oversee wider church relations and facilitate progressive relations with other faith communities.
• Manage high level personnel matters, including a system of accountability for clergy.
• Oversee and manage long term financial needs and establish guidelines for the endowment.
• Recommend the annual budget for ratification by the congregation.

How would current work be allocated among committees?
DRAFT Proposed Committee Assignments

Administration Committee
-Building and grounds
-Personnel
-Investments
-Stewardship
-Planned giving
-Archives

Fine Arts Committee
-Gallery
-Theater
-Literary Witnesses
-Acquisitions
-Representative to building and grounds committee
-Summer music series
-Performance events

Worship Committee
-Lay involvement
-Worship renewal
-All worship services and schedules
-Service music/choirs/instruments
-Worship appointments/Flowers
-Worship spaces/furnishings, etc.
-Sacramental life
-Greeters and worship hospitality

Social Justice Committee
-Neighborhood concerns
-Volunteer opportunities for service
-Poverty/homelessness/hunger
-Justice issues
-Racism and diversity programs
-Global connections
-American Indian Initiative
-Plymouth Community Fund
-Caring for Creation
-Habitat for Humanity

Community Life Committee
-Shared Ministry
-Caring Connections
-New Member Sessions
-Ambassadors
-Small Groups/Fellowship Groups
-Support Groups
-BeFrienders
-Faith Community Nurses
-Prayer Shawls
-Recovery programs

Spiritual Formation
-Sunday Forums
-Scripture study
-Spiritual Enrichment Programs
-Church School
-Confirmation
-Youth Group
-Peace Camp
-Intergenerational Activities

Who would run the church?
The elected Policy Board, in conversation with the congregation, would discern and articulate the direction of the church. In accordance with this direction, the Ministry Leadership Team would develop operational plans that committees, working teams, staff and clergy would use as they carry out the day-to-day work of the church.

Can you give a specific example of how Transforming Governance would work?
Currently, the issue of possible growth for Plymouth does not clearly fall under one board’s responsibility. In the transformed governance, the Policy Board would discern this as a concern of the congregation and begin by defining what is meant by growth as well as the scope of the issue. The Policy Board would muster the necessary resources to consider the issue from a strategic perspective—and, ultimately, establish an overall strategy and goals. How the strategy and goals would be achieved then would become a question for the Ministry Leadership Team, in collaboration with committees.

Who developed this Transforming Governance plan?
Responding to a directive of the 2010-2015 PCC Strategic Plan, the moderator at that time, Mike Monten, in consultation with the senior and executive ministers, provided a committee brief and a list of recruits to the Church Council, solicited additional names from them, and asked for their approval to proceed. After revisions to the brief and additions to the list, the Moderator finalized the committee from the aggregate list.

The Governance Committee members are Lynn Moline, Claire Kolmodin, Betsy Cussler, Lani Bennett, Pat Born, David Buran, Mike Monten, Nancy Siska and Dobson West (who had to resign to attend to other commitments), with consultant Laura Park.

The Governance Committee members, in collaboration with the clergy and the governance consultant, have devoted a great deal of study and effort to the task of transforming governance at Plymouth.

What are the steps toward transforming governance?
The committee will engage the congregation in dialogue through open sessions in early winter 2013. The committee expects to present the governance proposal for a congregational vote in spring 2013. That would include congregational approval of moving ahead on writing new bylaws and articles of incorporation. A separate vote would be taken on the transitional slate of Policy Board, nominated by current and past moderators. Working together through fall 2013, the governance committee and Transitional Policy Board would develop bylaws, articles of incorporation and initial policies. Once that work is completed, the congregation would vote on bylaw changes and vote on the installation of the Transitional Policy Board as the official Policy Board.

What happens to current boards and board members?
As we transition under Transforming Governance, our board structure will continue to operate while the new structure forms. New recruits to boards would be informed that governance is in transition and encouraged to serve the church, even as roles and relationships likely will change during their tenure.

 

SPECIAL MEETING
At a Special Meeting of Plymouth Congregational Church of Minneapolis, held in the Sanctuary on Sunday, April 28, 2013, immediately following the 10:30 a.m. worship service, the following resolution was brought before the Congregation.

Plymouth Congregational Church of Minneapolis hereby approves the conceptual governance design model proposed by the Ad Hoc Governance Committee. To implement this governance model, the Congregation authorizes the election of a Transitional Policy Board at the annual meeting on June 16, 2013. This Transitional Policy Board will complete the governance design, including the development of new articles and bylaws to present to the Congregation for approval.

The measure was approved. Nominations for theTransitional Policy Board closed May 12. For a summary of the model, click here.

Have a conversation about Transforming Governance with members of the Ad Hoc Governance Committee on June 2 or June 9, 9–10 a.m., in Jones Commons.