Unity of Buffalo is a mission-centric ministry which means that the mission of the ministry, as has been spiritually discerned by the congregation, is our guiding principle for all decisions and programming. Our governance structure is based on the idea of a “three-legged stool” consisting of the congregation, the Board of Trustees, and the Senior Minister. The qualifications, role and responsibilities of each "leg of the stool" are described in our Church bylaws. It is essential to the health and vitality of our ministry to have an active and engaged congregation, Board and Senior Minister, each playing their part in taking responsibility and having a sense of ownership for the ministry.
The formal governance of our ministry is described in our Church By-laws, which you can view here.
Our Board of Trustees consists of six members of the congregation elected by the membership and our Senior Minister. The Board meets monthly throughout the year (usually taking one month off over the summer and not meeting in December). Our Board members welcome your input and suggestions at any time. If a member of the congregation wishes to discuss a topic during a Board meeting, a request may be made to be part of the agenda by contacting our Board President at least one week prior to the meeting.
Board minutes once they have been approved by the Board are posted on our Church bulletin board for one month. A notebook of all past Board minutes is kept in the Church office and is available for viewing upon request.
Financial updates are provided in our Church newsletter on a bi-monthly and also in our Sunday bulletin. Requests for further information about our finances or to see more complete reports may be made to our Church Board treasurer or the Senior Minister.
We are committed to a policy of transparency and open communication with our congregation.