Ours is a congregational church in the sense that governance
is all at the local level. This is a free church which governs itself.
Our by-laws require the election of officers (Moderator, Clerk, Treasurer,
and Treasurer-Elect) and seven Trustees who together form an eleven
member Board of Trustees, or twelve members when we have Co-Moderators.
Major decisions such as the calling or dismissal of the minister,
or the expenditure of dollars not in the present budget, occur only
at congregational meetings. The annual budget is determined mostly
by the annual canvass. The church realizes some other revenue, such
as space rental, but mostly we operate from year to year on what members
are willing and able to contribute. The minister serves in an advisory
role on the Board, but has no vote.
Hence, it can be said that a UU congregation is whatever
its membership decides it will be. We profess no exclusive domain
on Truth. We are non-creedal, non-dogmatic, and non-doctrinal. We
believe individual human beings have both the right and the responsibility
to live their own lives and to find meaning where they perceive and
discover it. Ours is a difficult and demanding faith where doubt is
affirmed and celebrated. In this church, Christians, Jews, Humanists,
Neo-Pagans and Buddhists sit in the same pew and worship together,
learn from one another and are enriched by the religious diversity
which unites us rather than separates us. If you are comfortable with
this way of being religious in the world, you are invited to discuss
membership with our minister.
Ours is a human institution. We make no claim to having
the only true path to a meaningful understanding of the holy. Ours
is not the One True Church. We struggle together and we are
proud of our heritage. We celebrate our unique process and welcome
all seekers as fellow travelers on the path in pursuit of the good.
