Lighting the Leadership Chalice: Carver-Style Policy-Based Governance

DVD Cover: UU University at General Assembly 2009: Stewardship | MultiGenerational | MultiCultural | Governance | Theology | Justice: This DVD provides video presentations from sessions held at General Assembly, Salt Lake City, Utah, in June 2009.

Developed by John Carver, Policy Governance addresses numerous board conundrums—interminable meetings, overloaded agendas, vague accountability, micro-management, and loss of vision!

Starting back in the late 2000s, Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations studied and used the concepts of Policy Governance® developed by John and Miriam Carver, adapting it to a form commonly called Policy-Based Governance. Some congregations still use this model.

An Introduction to the fundamentals of governance: How can you best liberate your congregation's creative energy to transform souls and bless the world?

The final third of the webinar concentrates on the Carver-style policy governance approach.

Questions asked and discussed:

  • Would you like to see your congregation's creativity and energy liberated to transform souls and bless the world?
  • Have you been thinking there's more your congregation is capable of achieving if only "the system" could better align and support its ministries?
  • Are you eager to explore the possibilities for congregational governance with other open-minded, dedicated leaders?

We often think of governance as separate from a congregation's mission and vision, as separate from the difference a congregation exists to make in the world. But what if we unite the way we do our congregation's business with our deepest sense of mission and vision? What might that enable us to do?

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

About the Authors

Robert L. Eller-Isaacs

The Rev. Rob Eller-Isaacs is co-minister of Unity Church–Unitarian in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Laura Park

Laura Park would have been astonished in college to be told she was going to be a congregational governance consultant....

For more information contact .