The Sturdy Three-Legged Stool:

Shared Leadership at Unity Church

We are in excellent hands as we cross the threshold into 2024, so our next minister need not be all things for all people!

This issue of Board Walk and Talk focuses on Unity’s leadership structure and how it has evolved over time. It contains important information that we think you will find helpful to know and understand before you cast your vote on Sunday April 21, 2024, for the next called minister of Unity Church-Unitarian.

Following the departure of Rev. Roy Phillips in 1998, the board saw an opportunity to create an organizational structure different from the single CEO model that had previously been used. They understood the importance of ensuring that no one person holds all the power in the management and administration of our church. This shared ministry concept was one of the things that attracted The Revs. Janne and Rob Eller-Isaacs to apply to Unity Church.

The current Ministerial Search Team (MST) recently brought to our attention -- based on input they received from tabling in Parish Hall, emails, cottage meetings, and the congregational survey -- that there appears to be a fair amount of confusion about the governance of our church. 

Governance: The system by which entities are directed and controlled.

It is concerned with structure and processes for decision making, accountability,

control and behavior at the top of an entity.

As we prepare to call a new senior minister, it seems fitting to provide you with a basic overview of our current leadership structure to support you in your discernment process.

Perhaps the most salient thing to know is there is a great deal of continuity in the management of our church. Unity operates according to Policy Governance, and within this governance framework the board is responsible for determining the makeup of the “executive” (whether an individual or a team). Over the last 25 years, Barbara Hubbard has faithfully served on the executive team, even as others have evolved and changed and will likely continue to do so into the future. 

As many of you probably know, on February 1, 2024, Laura Park, who has been a member since 1998 and has worn many hats at Unity Church during her tenure, will become our next executive director. Laura is a nationally known expert in Policy Governance. The newly called senior minister will join Rev. KP Hong and Laura Park as the third member of the executive team. The executive team is ultimately accountable for bringing our aspirational ends to life, through ministry and programming, and reports directly to the board. As a member of the executive team, the new senior minister will be a member of collaborative, supportive team, and not the CEO for the organization, neither solely responsible, nor solely in charge.

There is much more information about our governance structure on the board page of our website should you care to dig a little deeper. The board has the utmost confidence in this shared leadership model that was created and introduced at Unity Church in 1999. We believe wholeheartedly that the new called minister, in collaboration with Laura Park and KP Hong, will form a sturdy three-legged stool to lead the congregation into the future. We hope you agree.

Yours in Faithful Service,

Unity Church Board of Trustees 

P.S. Rev. Kathleen Rolenz will offer a blessing of the ministerial search team (who are volunteer servant leaders) at both worship services on Sunday, January 7, as they enter the “quiet phase” of their search process. We hope to see you there!

As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns about this email or anything else that is on your mind: board@unityunitarian.org.

Unity Church-Unitarian | 651-228-1456 | unity@unityunitarian.org

www.unityunitarian.org