Governance
Click for a page with links to Board Reports and Surveys.
Click for a page with links to all Church (operational) Policies.
SCROLL DOWN to see the Board meeting summaries “Splinters from the Board”.
We are governed by a democratically elected Board of Trustees.
To communicate with Board of Trustees members, send an email to board@uulans.net
The Board is our church members’ voice between congregational meetings. Board members hold fiduciary responsibility, seeking to act in the church’s best interests. The Board meets monthly during most of the year, usually on the 4th Tuesday on Zoom (changed from the 4th Wednesday in January 2026). Church members may observe the meeting and/ or request to speak*. The minutes from each Board meeting, after approval at the following meeting, are available in a notebook in the Commons area. A short summary (Splinters from the Board) will be provided in the weekly newsletter, and posted below.
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Our Organizational Chart adopted on 9/28/22 shows the structure of our accountability to our Mission and Values. We use a Policy Governance system.
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Our latest Bylaws took effect on January 1, 2023.
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Our democratically elected Board of Trustees is responsible for our Policy and Governance.
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Our comprehensive Board Policy Document, adopted in February 2022, has been periodically updated to this February 2026 version.
All Board meetings are open to church members. If you would like to attend, please see our Board Meeting Visitor Guide.
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From Jan 2022 to Mar 2026, the Senior Minister was responsible for upholding operational policies and revising them as needed. The policies reviewed and revised during that period are listed below. The Board of Trustees is currently reviewing other previous church policies, to be listed on a separate page [ADD LINK]
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Click here for a list of members and terms.
Congregational Committees, as described in our bylaws, have some of their members elected by the congregation. The responsibilities and composition of the Investment Committee and the Leadership Development Committee are summarized below.
Investment Committee: This committee consists of four members elected by the congregation, and two members that are appointed by the Board. The Investment Committee manages the endowment fund in accordance with board policies and determines the amount of interest income that may be used for church purposes. No proceeds from the endowment fund may be spent for salaries, program continuation, or routine building maintenance.
Leadership Development Committee: This committee consists of four members elected by the congregation, as well as the church’s past president and the president-elect. Its purpose is to educate, develop, and support church lay leadership for elected and appointed positions within UU Lansing and elected delegates to UUA General Assembly and Mid-America Regional Assembly.
UU Lansing governance positions: Nominations occur at the Annual Meeting in November, and voting takes place (mail or electronic means) immediately following the meeting. The Committee identifies prospective candidates and presents a slate of nominees and invites nominations from the floor for open seats on the:
Board of Trustees, including Treasurer
Investment Committee
Leadership Development Committee
Delegates to General Assembly and Regional Assembly: The number of delegates is determined by the UUA based on number of congregation members. A slate of nominees is presented by the Leadership Development Committee at a congregational meeting called by the Board, with nominations invited from the floor. Voting to select delegates occurs at the congregational meeting.
