Support and accountability for different aspects of right relationship lie within different parts of the congregation.

• The Community supports:
  • Culture supporting restorative process
  • Encouraging people in conflict to engage the processes
  • Communal learning to deepen abilities of all to engage in interpersonal conflict in healthy ways
• The Covenant supports:
  • Clear expectations
  • Clear guidance on solving conflicts directly
  • Clear guidance on who to turn to for more help
• The Right Relationship Team:
  • Leads community in updating covenant, culture, and skills
  • Supports individuals needing assistance with direct conversations
  • Starting point for more formal restorative processes
• The Safe Congregations Team supports:
  • Setting limits for community safety
  • Sex offender limited access agreements
  • Destructive persons’ process
  • Holds the process for asking someone to leave the community
• The Board supports
  • Creating policies; appointing leaders; funding training
  • May receive appeal requests from those in conflict
  • Formally approves vote to remove someone from leadership or membership; or to leave congregation
• The Minister supports:
  • Pastoral care for all
  • Creating worship that supports culture shifts; theology and spiritual practices of engaging in conflict and restoration
  • Has boundaries with conflict between congregants; rare to have a “side”
  • Rarely leads conflict process

The RRT has a nuanced role among these relationships. The RRT is accountable to the mission and covenant of the congregation and should therefore be a committee (team) of the board. But because of the confidential, vulnerable nature of the work, the RRT should meet with the minister regularly for support and guidance, much like the pastoral care team.

In sticky situations where there is a conflict on the board or with the minister, contact your UUA primary contact.