Make a Difference at All Souls

Members of the Board of Trustees are responsible for the supervision and direction of the affairs of the church, with a particular focus on policy development and oversight. Officers report to the Board of Trustees and perform specific functions for the church, as described below. At the 2019 Congregational Meeting, the congregation amended the bylaws to make the secretary and treasurer members of the Board of Trustees. The moderator, membership secretary, assistant treasurer, and assistant secretary remain as officers of the church, but not members of the Board. These church officers have the right to participate in all regularly scheduled monthly business meetings of the Board of Trustees, but without the right to vote.

The All Souls Board of Trustees works with other lay leadership and with staff to develop and articulate the congregation’s strategic plan. Another duty of trustees is to recommend the annual budget for approval by the congregation. The Board also focuses on oversight, including legal and financial, and policy development. Policies approved by the Board are used by the executive director, ministers, and other staff to guide decision-making. Staff is responsible for the day-to-day management of the church. To ensure accountability through the lens of the 8th Principle, the Board is currently reviewing church structures with a goal of providing flexibility to staff while ensuring our church family lives up to All Souls’ dream of a diverse, justice-seeking, spirit-growing community.

At the 2019 Congregational Meeting, the congregation amended the bylaws to add the secretary and treasurer as members of the Board of Trustees.

• The secretary keeps minutes of the Board meetings; preserves an account of whatever may be of interest in the history of the church; records and ensures the accessibility of all church policies; convenes the first meeting of the newly elected Board of Trustees and presides over the election of the president and vice president; receives and makes available to the congregation the Nominating Committee’s annual report; receives and makes available to the congregation the Church Council’s nominations to the next year’s Nominating Committee.

• The treasurer monitors the church’s funds; assures safekeeping of the books and records of all financial transactions; performs other duties customary to the office; attends Board meetings.

Church officers work closely with the Board of Trustees and staff. They are elected by the congregation at the annual meeting. The church’s bylaws set out the offices and their responsibilities.

• The assistant secretary acts in place of the secretary during the latter’s absence, but without the right to vote; assists the secretary in performing secretarial duties, including ensuring that the church’s official and historical records are preserved and readily accessible; takes minutes for and maintains the membership roster of all Church Council meetings.

• The assistant treasurer helps the treasurer perform the duties of that office, but without the right to vote, including organizing and overseeing the counting of contributions received during regular and special offerings.

• The moderator presides at the church’s annual and special meetings; is responsible for preparing meetings and for assuring that proceedings are conducted fairly and in accordance with the church’s bylaws; gives reasonable opportunity for all members attending these meetings to express their opinions, except for matters relating to the determination of the ballot process; chairs the Church Council.

• The membership secretary is responsible for the official roll of church membership; determines membership status as directed in Article IV of the bylaws; maintains an official list of members entitled to vote in church elections.

Each member of the Board serves for three years. Trustee terms are staggered so that three trustees cycle off and three new trustees cycle on each year. In addition, the secretary and treasurer serve staggered three-year terms.

Officers serve for one year. They may choose to continue to serve up to three consecutive years.

The Board has one working meeting (where no votes are taken) and one business meeting (where business is voted on) each month, and usually has an annual weekend retreat. Occasionally, special meetings are called to address specific issues.

The average workload is about 20 hours per month, which includes meetings, reviewing materials, serving on a Board subcommittee, such as the Personnel subcommittee, or serving as a liaison to a church committee, such as the Finance or Right Relations committees. The Board president and vice president, who are elected by the other trustees, may have a larger workload.

The three roads to nomination are:

• Nomination by the LDNC in its report to the congregation.

• Petition signed by 20 All Souls members and submitted to the secretary before or at the annual meeting.

• Nomination by a member, with three motions to second by other members from the floor, at the annual meeting.

The LDNC reviews all leadership applications and interviews interested candidates. The LDNC recommends nominees to the congregation by presenting a slate of candidates (one person to fill each vacant post), instead of presenting a field of multiple candidates for each vacant post.