Congregational Meetings
Unitarian Universalist congregations are self-governing. Each church calls its own ministers, creates its own policies and budgets, owns its building and property, and voluntarily elects to become a part of the Unitarian Universalist Association.
Congregational meetings are the most important element of the way we govern ourselves. At these meetings, we elect our Board of Trustees, decide on our budget, vote on our stand on key local and national issues, and make other decisions critical for our church and congregation.
As stated in our Bylaws, any member may vote if present at any meeting of the congregation held at least thirty (30) days after signing the Membership Book, but all are welcome to come to the meeting. Our democratic process is part of what gives our faith its identity. Your participation is a way of living our principles. You can check your membership status on Breeze, the church directory.
Special Congregational Meeting
October 2, 2024
We will have a special Congregational Meeting at 7:00pm on October 2 on zoom https://zoom.us/j/92082846359.
The purpose of the meeting is to vote on a change to our bylaws to meet an IRS requirement that would allow UUCville to be considered for federal tax exempt status as a non profit organization.
The section we need to add to our bylaws is mandated by law for 501(c)(3) organizations in case at some point they dissolve.
To meet this criteria, the proposed addition to the bylaws reads:
Upon the dissolution of the UU Congregation of Charlottesville, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose.
Previous Congregational Meetings
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Congregational Meeting:
Sunday, June 9, 2024, at 12:30 pm
Our Annual Congregational Meeting on June 9th, 12:30 pm after the service, is an opportunity for our whole community to gather in person and online to contemplate our past year together and to plan for the upcoming year.
Click Here for Meeting Zoom Link
The 2024 meeting will be a hybrid meeting, both in-person and on Zoom. Votes from in-person and online will be tallied. Members need to attend either online or in-person to vote, as absentee votes are not allowed. We have had an exciting year, and we are looking forward to seeing you!
As stated in our Bylaws, only members who have formalized their membership by 05/08/2024 can vote in the Congregational Meeting, but all should feel welcome to participate. Our democratic process is part of what gives our faith its identity. Your participation is a way of living our principles.
Agenda:
1. Introduction and Review of Procedures
2. Call to order & establish a quorum
3. Greeting
4. Opening words and chalice lighting
5. Approve agenda
6. Annual Reports
7. Approve minutes of June 4, 2023 Congregational Meeting
8. Lead Developmental Minister’s report
9. President’s Report
10. Treasurer’s Report
11. Adoption of Long Range Plan
12. Election of Board of Trustees members and congregational elected committees. The slate includes:
Board of Trustees
Board Vice President-Bev Ryan (second term)
Board Secretary-Tammy Wilt
Board-at large-Sylvie Semmelhack
Board-at large-Chris Little (second term)
Nominating Committee
Cathy Lawder, Kelsey Cowger and David Shutt agreed to serve second terms
13. Presentation of Budget for 2024 2025 for approval
14. Closing words and extinguish the chalice
15. Adjourn
PDFs of Supporting Materials
Minutes of the 2023 Congregational Meeting
Lead Developmental Minister’s Annual Report
Board President’s Annual Report
Vice-President’s Annual Report on UUCville Committees
Love Into Action Three Year Plan
Slate of Candidates for Election
Budget Memo (April 2024) for the Proposed Budget FY 2024-2025
Proposed Program Budget FY 2024-25
Congregational Meeting:
Sunday June 4, 2023, at 12:30 pm
Proposed 2023-2024 Budget Information
These links provide detailed information for the proposed FY 23-24 budget. If you have questions/concerns, please email: treasurer@uucharlottesville.org
Agenda for the June 4, 2023 Congregational Meeting
FY 2023-2024 Proposed Line-item Budget and Memo
FY 2023-2024 Proposed Program Budget
Video of the May 7th, 2023 Budget Conversation with Pam McIntire & Kay Frazier
2022-23 Annual Reports
Lead Developmental Minister’s report, Rev. Tim Temerson
Minister of Faith Development’s report, Rev. Leia Durland-Jones
President’s Report, Pam McIntire
Treasurer’s Report, Kay Frazier
UUCville Committees and Groups Annual Reports 2022-2023
Draft Minutes from the June 2022 Congregational Meeting
Draft Minutes from June 5, 2022 Congregational Meeting
Election of Board and Committee Members
Adoption of New Mission Statement
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville Mission Statement 2023
Congregational Meeting: Sunday, June 5, 2022
after the service at 1 pm
The 2022 meeting will be a hybrid meeting, both in-person and on Zoom. The Zoom link and call-in number will be the same as our Sunday services links.
Votes from in-person and online will be tallied, so in-person attendance is not necessary for voting. Members will still need to attend either online or in-person to vote, as absentee votes are not allowed. We have had an exciting year, and we are looking forward to seeing you in person or on Zoom for this meeting!
Agenda of the Congregational Meeting
1. Parliamentary lesson and review of zoom procedures
2. Call to order & establish a quorum
3. Greeting
4. Opening words and chalice lighting
5. Approve agenda
6. Annual Reports
7. Approve minutes of June 27, 2021, Congregational Meeting
8. Treasurer’s Report
9. President’s Report
10. Report from our Lead Minister, Rev. Linda Olson Peebles
11. Election of Board of Trustees members and congregationally elected committees
12. Change to Bylaws with respect to the 501(c)3 statement
13. Presentation and Congregational Approval of 2022-2023 Budget
14. Ministerial Search Committee presents our new Developmental Minister Rev. Tim Temerson
15. Closing words and extinguishing the chalice
16. Adjourn
Supporting Materials
Annual Reports
Treasurer’s Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2021-2022
2021-2022 Annual Reports from Board, Staff, Committees, and Group
2021-2022 DAF Year-End Board Report
Draft Minutes from the June 2021 Congregational Meeting
Election of Board and Committee Members
Motion to Amend Bylaws
Motion to amend the bylaws
Intention to operate as a 501(c)(3) compliant organization amendment
Community Security Policy
Budget Information
These links provide detailed information for the proposed FY 22-23 budget. If you have questions/concerns, please email: treasurer@uucharlottesville.org
Video of the 22-23 FY Budget whiteboard meeting with Board President Pam McIntire and Board Treasurer Kay Frazier.
Treasurer’s Report, April 2022
FY 2022-2023 Proposed Program Budget
FY 2022-2023 Proposed Line Item Budget
Comparison of 2017-2022 budgets
Statement of Financial Position, May 23, 2022
Congregational Meeting, Sunday, June 27, 2021
1:00pm
Online Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/98724594185
Agenda of the Congregational Meeting
1. Establish a Quorum
2. Prayer
3. Approve Agenda
4. Approve Minutes of the Congregational Meeting from June 6, 2021
5. Approve change in Bylaws to replace our name:
ARTICLE I ‐ Name, Mission, Participation, and Denominational Affiliation
I.1 ‐ Name
The name of this religious organization is the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville (hereinafter referred to as the “Congregation”).
6. Nomination to Board: Steve Brecker (2-year term replacing Pam McIntire)
7. Approve Budget for 2020-2021
Link to Proposed Budget HERE
Link to new Bylaws: HERE
Voting will happen immediately after the budget presentation, online through Election Buddy. You can stay in the meeting while you vote.
If your email is accurate in Breeze, you will receive an email with the link and a unique password at the start of the meeting. You have until 6/26/2021 at 2 pm to make sure your email is accurate. Board President Lorie Craddock will give out the access key when voting can start. People without an email address will receive a paper copy of this email as well as a packet of all pertinent information and will be able to call in with their vote. Please contact Sean Skally, DAF with any questions at 434-443-2184.
Congregational Meeting, Sunday, June 6, 2021
1:00pm
Draft Minutes from the Congregational Meeting
Please contact Sean Skally, DAF with any questions at 434-443-2184.
We learned late Friday 5/28 that UUC did not receive a second PPP loan and the proposed budget is being withdrawn from consideration until the Treasurer and the Finance Committee can publish a new one. We did not vote on a 2021-22 budget at the June 6 Congregational Meeting.
Click here to read letters from our Board President and Assistant Minister
Click here to read about choosing our new name
Click here to read about the slate of candidates for the Board and Board-appointed committees to be voted on at this meeting.
Congregational Meeting, Sunday, September 27, 2020
1:00pm
Online Zoom Meeting
Join the meeting here: https://zoom.us/j/93400561610
Meeting ID: 93400561610
All members are invited to attend the congregational meeting on the 2020-2010 Fiscal Year Budget and the vote to change the name of our congregation. All are also invited to a Budget Q&A discussion after the 11:00 service on September 20.
Congregational Meeting Results – Note from the Board
Here are the documents about the proposed budget:
Proposed Line Item FY 2020-2021 Budget
Here are the documents about the proposed name change:
Name Change Document Resource Page
These documents will also be sent out in an email 10 days before the congregational meeting and will be posted on our website.
NOTE: All members with active email addresses within our Breeze directory received an email from DAF Sean Skally through Election Buddy with information on the votes. If you do not receive this email by the end of Monday, September 14th, please email Sean Skally ASAP
Congregational Meeting, Sunday, August 23, 2020
1:00pm
Online Zoom Meeting
On Sunday, August 23 at 1:00PM there will be an Congregational Meeting to vote on ordaining our Director of Faith Development, Leia Durland-Jones. The meeting will be online and the Zoom link and information about voting will be sent out a few days before the meeting. Anyone who has been a member since at least 30 days prior to the meeting is eligible to vote. The voting will be done by secret ballot using the online service ElectionBuddy. The voting will take place during the meeting and we anticipate the results will be available at the end of the meeting.
The official question on the ballot is:
Should we, the members of Thomas Jefferson Memorial church, ordain Leia as our Minister of Faith Development with the title of Reverend Leia Durland-Jones?
This Congregational Meeting is an opportunity for church members to come together in community and vote on the critical question of ordaining Leia as our Minister of Faith Development. Over the last year, the Task Force to Explore Ordaining Leia has facilitated two Congregational Conversations, had tables in the social hall for discussions, engaged in numerous conversations with individuals and groups, made presentations to the board and posted on the church website. The Task Force News and Views posts can be found at https://uucharlottesville.org/tag/ordainingleia/.
The Task Force brought the question of ordaining Leia to the board in February and the board voted unanimously to bring the question to the congregation.
Although we have not been able to meet in person in recent months, we remain a loving community committed to justice. We have been able to share and support each other during these difficult times and with the hard work of our wonderful staff and numerous volunteers, we continue to be a place of hope and sanctuary.
Please come to this important Congregational Meeting and join in the spirit of community. I hope you will add your voice by participating in this important vote.
I look forward to having this meeting together.
In faith,
Lorie Craddock
President, Board of Trusteesl Meeting to Vote on Ordaining Leia
Annual Congregational Meeting, July 12 2020
The congregational meeting on Sunday July 12 was a great success as we did online voting for the first time. The annual reports from the Treasurer and Assistant Minister give a helpful look back as we look forward.
Assistant Minister’s Report
Board President’s Report
Treasurer’s Report
Congregational Meeting Draft Agenda
New Board & Committee Members
Elizabeth Breeden, Vice President of the Board of Trustees.
Beth Jaeger-Landis, Secretary of the Board of Trustees.
Pam McIntire, Member-at-Large of the Board of Trustees.
Breck Gastinger Member-at-Large of the Board of Trustees.
Jim Gorham, Member-at-Large of the Board of Trustees.
Elaine Chapman, Nominating Committee.
Ann Salamini, Nominating Committee.
Josie Taylor, Personnel Committee.
Congregational Meeting to Vote on Ordaining Leia
This meeting was postponed due to Covid-19
The congregation will vote on whether to ordain Leia on March 29 at a congregational meeting after church. This is a critically important vote for our congregation. If you want to vote on March 29, you must be an official member of the congregation by at least February 28. Becoming a member of the congregation requires signing the church’s membership book.
If you are not a member of the church and you would like to be one and participate in this important vote, please sign the church membership book as soon as possible.
For more information about the possibility of ordaining Leia, you can find links to the two comprehensive question and answer documents through “News and Views” posts on the church website .
Task Force Members: Lorie Craddock, Elizabeth Breeden, Larry Moulis, Dawn Dirks, Laura Horn, Elaine Chapman, Karen Prairie and Pam McIntire (Chair), Mary Rose Curtis (Honorary Member). If you have any questions, please contact Pam McIntire at pem3xe@pmcintire.com
Congregational Meeting October 20, 2019
There will be a very important Congregational Meeting in the TJMC-UU Sanctuary on October 20, 2019 following the Sunday Service. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. Please find the complete agenda and supporting documents attached to this email.
At this Congregational Meeting we will be voting on the draft budget for 2019-20. For your convenience, both the program budget and the line item budget are attached to this email as well as the Treasurer’s Report and the Budget Information Letter.
I sincerely hope each and every one of us is able to attend the meeting.
Childcare will be available and it will be a Soup Sunday!! As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or any member of the Board of Trustees.
Thanks to all and see you at Church!
Lorie Craddock
President, TJMC-UU Board of Trustees
president@uucharlottesville.org
Links to Documents
Congregational Meeting Minutes September 15, 2019
Note: there is an unattributed comment on Pg. 20. If you know who made that comment, please let us know so we can complete the meeting minutes.
VIDEO: Budget Informational Session
Budget Letter from the board treasurer
FY20 – Proposed Budget 10/20/19
FY20 Proposed Budget: Program Version 10/20/19
Treasurer’s Report for 10/20/19
Congregational Meeting Draft Agenda October 20, 2019
Congregational Meeting September 15, 2019
There will be a very important Congregational Meeting in the TJMC-UU Sanctuary on September 15, 2019 following the Sunday Service. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.
At this Congregational Meeting in addition to acknowledging and approving different reports and minutes, there are four major items on the attached agenda.
1. The congregation will vote to fill three vacated positions on the TJMC-UU Board of Trustees. Liberty Powers, Pam McIntire and Elizabeth Breeden were appointed by the Board a couple months ago to fill these vacancies for the interim period between Congregational Meetings. All three have accepted nominations to continue in the positions and you will find the slate of these candidates attached to this email.
2. The Board will honor the Glenn Short Sanctuary Capital Endowment Fund and present and thank the Committee that manages the Fund. Long-time member Glenn Short left a substantial amount of money to TJMC just over a year ago and we will raise a toast to his loving spirit and amazing generosity.
3. There will be a presentation by David Mellor about changing the name of our church. Following David’s presentation, there will be a congregational vote using the Public Witness process to decide if the congregation wishes to pursue further study of the name change. PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT A VOTE ON CHANGING THE NAME OF OUR CHURCH, it is a vote on whether or not to go into a period of study about changing the name of the church.
4. Budget Vote Postponed. Our Treasurer Stan Walker writes, “Unfortunately, we have been unable at this point to determine to my satisfaction the correct amount of the FY20 pledge commitment. I no longer have confidence in the amount used to create the budget we are due to vote on this Sunday. The consequences of passing a budget with an unrealistic income could be dire. Accordingly, I will move on Sunday that we postpone the budget vote until the Finance Committee and the Board are able to produce a budget with a more accurate income estimate. I sincerely regret that this has occurred. We are working as quickly as we can on a revised budget. I hope to be able to present it to the congregation in just a few weeks.”
As stated in our Bylaws, only members who have formalized their membership by August 14, 2019 will be able to vote at the Congregational Meeting, but all should feel welcome to attend. Congregational Meetings are an important part of church life. It is one way the Board and the Congregation communicate with each other and we learn more about the health and well-being of our beloved community.
I sincerely hope each and every one of us is able to attend the meeting.
Childcare will be available, and a light lunch will be available for purchase beforehand. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or any member of the Board of Trustees.
Thanks to all and see you at Church!
Lorie Craddock
President, TJMC-UU Board of Trustees
president@uucharlottesville.org
2019-09-15 Congregational Mtg Agenda
2019-06-02 Congregational Mtg Minutes Draft
FY20 Proposed Budget – Program
Congregational Meeting June 2, 2019
An update of the major items of business:
Annual reports:
Annual report from the Director of Faith Development
Annual report from the Board President
Elections:
Board of Trustees: Lorie Craddock elected Board President, Stan Walker elected Treasurer, Kelsey Cowger re-elected at large, Breck Gastinger elected at-large.
Nominating Committee: Sally Taylor re-elected. Breck Gastinger, Lisa Shutt, and Mary Beth Wiley elected.
Personnel Committee: Donna Redmond re-elected. Carol Gardner and Jim Gorham elected.
Votes taken:
Rev. Erik Wikstrom’s negotiated resignation terms were approved.
Please note these other related Board developments:
There are currently vacancies for Vice President and one at-large seat. The Nominating Committee and Board will work to fill those as soon as possible.
Rev. Alex McGee has been assigned worship coordination responsibilities for upcoming six months.
If you have questions, please contact: president@uucharlottesville.org
Material prepared for the meeting include:
1. Minutes from our last congregational meeting,
2. Agenda & slate of candidates for election,
3. FAQ about the Lead Minister and Director of Administration & Finance transitions,
4. Letter from Rev. Erik Wikstrom, Lead Minister,
5. Letter from Christina Rivera, Director of Admin & Finance.
https://uucharlottesville.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/document-congregational-meeting-minutes-draft-2019-06.02.pdf
https://uucharlottesville.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/document-congregational-meeting-minutes-draft-2019-06.02.pdf
Congregational Meeting September 9, 2018
Revised Proposed 2018-19 Budget:
The agenda for this meeting will include:
– affirm Board appointments made since the last Congregational Meeting,
– affirm slate of candidates for 2018-19 year
– approve the 2018-2019 Budget
Material for the meeting are:
– minutes from our last meeting,
– slate of candidates for election,
– and the 2018-19 proposed Budget.
The Board is scheduling three sessions to present its budget to the congregation and answer questions. Please plan to attend one!
Thursday, August 30, 8pm (cookies at 7:30!), Social Hall
Sunday, Sept 2, 11:45am, Sanctuary
Tuesday, Sept 4, 6:15 – Online meeting using Zoom, See the church calendar for the Zoom link
Congregational Meeting June 3, 2018
All members of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church community are invited to attend a Congregational Meeting on Sunday, June 3, 2018 in the church Sanctuary after service. The agenda for this meeting will include:
Elect slate of board candidates for 2018-19 year
Approve the 2018-2019 budget
Annual report presentations from Treasurer, Lead Minister, and Board President
Please take the time to review the meeting materials:
minutes from our last congregational meeting
slate of candidates for election
proposed budget (If you would like to see more detail, a line item version of the budget is available in the church office.)
The budget reflects a second year of the strategy adopted by the congregation with the 2017-18 budget. It includes resources for professional coordination of our annual stewardship/giving process, and includes revenue that conservatively reflects the fruits of that work. It also restores our membership as an IMPACT partner congregation through our monthly social action collection program.
As the Board of Trustees indicated last year, we expected this to be a second year of deficit budget. I would like everyone to have a chance to review and discuss the budget, its assumptions, and our vision for the church prior to the vote, so please join me for a discussion at 11:30am this Sunday 5/27 in Lower Hall #2 (remember, only one service!).
As stated in our Bylaws, only members who have formalized their membership by May 4, 2018 will be able to vote at the Congregational Meeting, but all should feel welcome to attend. Our democratic process is part of what gives our faith its identity. Your participation is a way of living our principles.
Child care will be available, and a light lunch will be available for purchase. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or any member of the Board of Trustees.
Faithfully,
Adam Slate
President, TJMCUU
president@uucharlottesville.org
Congregational Meeting November 12, 2017
At the Congregational Meeting held on Sunday, November 12, we voted to update our bylaws to reflect the changes in our governance structure approved by the congregation on June 4, 2017.
The new bylaws are available for review, as are the previous bylaws.
In addition, Board President Adam Slate presented an overview of the report presented to the board by stewardship consultant, Mark Ewert, and of the board priorities for the next year created on the basis of this report. Adam’s presentation in pdf.
Congregational Meeting June 4, 2017
All members of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church community are invited to attend a Congregational Meeting at 11:15 on Sunday, June 4, 2017 in the church Sanctuary after the 10:00 (summer time) service. The agenda for this meeting will include:
- approve the minutes from the March 26, 2017 Congregational Meeting
- financial statement report
- affirm Board appointments made since the last Congregational Meeting
- affirm slate of candidates for 2017-18 year
- approve the 2017-2018 Budget
- affirm proposed Governance updates
Please take the time to review the meeting materials, which include the minutes from our last meeting, slate of candidates for election, a info sheet on the Governance Updates proposal, and the 2017-18 proposed Budget.
TJMC-UU 03-26-17 Congregational Mtg Draft Minutes
TJMC-UU 2017-18 Slate of Candidates
Proposed Governance Updates
TJMC-UU 2017-18 Proposed Budget
The TJMC-UU Board has spent a great deal of time these past three years analyzing our revenue patterns, expenses, and programming. The result of that analysis is this budget which we believe speaks to both the TJMC that we are and the one that we are led to embody in the world. A TJMC that is a powerhouse for Justice in Charlottesville; a congregation which holds Justice as one of the core tenets of how we operate both internally and externally. This budget contains a deficit that allows us to move beyond the current stalemate of cutting programs via cutting staffing into an expanded vision of TJMC. A TJMC with sufficient staffing to help move us into the next phase of a program church model.
We absolutely know you will have questions about this budget and the church that we become with this resourcing. We have created two opportunities for you to meet with Board members to discuss not just the numbers but the church that we embody. Please join us:
Sunday May 21st 10:30a.m. Lower Hall 2
or
Sunday May 28th 11:15a.m. Lower Hall 2
As stated in our Bylaws, only members who have formalized their membership by 05/05/2017 will be able to vote in the Congregational Meeting, but all should feel welcome to participate. Our democratic process is part of what gives our faith its identity. Your participation is a way of living our principles.
Child care will be available during this congregational meeting. A light lunch will be available for purchase from our awesome Youth! As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or any member of the Board of Trustees.
Sincerely,
Karen Ransom
President, TJMCUU
president@uucharlottesville.org
Draft Minutes of the June 4, 2017 Congregational Meeting
Congregational Meeting March 26, 2017
All members of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church community are invited to attend a Congregational Meeting on Sunday, March 26, 2017 in the church Sanctuary after the second service. The agenda for this meeting will include:
- Confirm Board appointments made since the last Congregational Meeting
- Approve the minutes from the October 2, 2016 Congregational Meeting, financial statement report
- Approve the Ordination request from Pam Philips
- Presentation of proposed Governance updates
Please take the time to review the letter to the Board from Pam Philips requesting that TJMC-UU ordain her as a Unitarian Universalist minister. As part of the Unitarian Universalist Association polity, the ordination of ministers is a right and responsibility of member congregations and as such can only be conferred by congregations.
As stated in our Bylaws, only members who have formalized their membership by 2/24/2017 will be able to vote in the Congregational Meeting, but all should feel welcome to participate. Our democratic process is part of what gives our faith its identity. Your participation is a way of living our principles.
Child care will be available during this brief congregational meeting. A light lunch will be available for purchase from our awesome Youth! As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact any member of the Board of Trustees.
12 October 2016
Dear TJMC UU Board of Trustees,
I write to formally request that the congregation of Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church Unitarian Universalist ordain me into Unitarian Universalist ministry. Having completed the requirements of the Ministerial Fellowship Committee and been granted Preliminary Fellowship, I am eligible for ordination. This congregation has nurtured and supported my call to ministry. Therefore, I can think of no greater honor than to be ordained by the congregation that has loved me into ministry.
An ordination also provides the opportunity for educating the congregation about our heritage of congregational polity and for fostering ties to the larger denomination. We hope to invite congregants from my teaching congregations in Glen Allen and Richmond to join us. Likewise, clergy, religious professionals, and seminarians from around the region will be invited to participate in the ceremony.
With joy and gratitude,
Pamela Philips
* * * * *
CONGREGATIONAL MEETING October 2nd, 2016
The congregation voted voted to approve the public witness statement proposed by the Racial Justice Steering Committee. 94 percent of members attending the meeting voted in favor of the proposal while 6 percent opposed it.