An update from the Board
Dear friends, fellow congregants, and supporters of UUCB –
As we enter a new year with bright ambitions, let’s take a moment to celebrate a wonderful 2023. Though we bid farewell to our beloved minister, Reverend Joan, we also welcomed in an exceptional interim minister, Reverend Cathy; our religious education programming has continued to expand and blossom, with exciting new events for kids and adults alike, including a monthly Pub Theology meetup, a recent church sleepover with the youth group, and plenty of game nights and potlucks; and our musical program continues to awe churchgoers and community members at Sunday services, monthly concerts, and special events, like the beautiful Prayers for Peace Collaborative Choral Concert in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. We painted the kitchen! We were awarded a $250,000 grant to support our upcoming capital campaign. And we’ve continued to welcome more community groups into the church. There are so many more accomplishments to celebrate – read our 2023 Annual Report for more.
Through our Sunday Share the Plate and the efforts of the social justice committee, we donated more than $12,000 to local nonprofits. We rounded out the year with 250 active members and received generous pledges from 169 individuals and families and many additional donations and contributions for which we are so grateful as we could not operate our church or host our many programs without this support. Thank you!
Dear members, if you still need to make your pledge for 2024, please do so! It is so helpful for the Finance Advisory Committee and the Board of Trustees to have pledges in hand to estimate how much income we can expect for the year. If you don’t know if you’ve made your pledge or have questions about what it is and where it goes – please talk to Rev. Cathy or a board member.
Please don’t forget – board meetings are held every third Wednesday of the month at 7 pm in the Alliance Room, and ALL MEMBERS are welcome to join us! We love company. We also can be reached at board@buffalouu.org (but please remember human volunteers are reading the emails and practice kindness).
And if you have any questions, concerns, or feedback about the budget or anything else, please catch me or any other board member after church on a Sunday or send us an email.
Many blessings,
Thea Hassan, BOT Treasurer
Contacting the Board: Questions, concerns, comments? Send us an email at board@buffalouu.org.
Board Meetings: Third Wednesday of each month at 7pm, at least 10 months of the year. Currently they are held either in the Alliance Room at church or via Zoom: – https://uuma.zoom.us/j/97736244745. Members of the congregation are welcome to be present at these meetings, except when the Board is in executive session. (IMPORTANT: If attending via Zoom, please email the board in advance so they know to expect you). Board activities and decisions are reported in the monthly Newsletter; minutes are filed in the church office, where they are available for review by church members.
Board Election and Service: The seven-member Board of Trustees is elected by the congregation at the January congregational meeting. The Officers of the Board (President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer) are elected by the Trustees from among the Board members. For more info on the Board of Trustees, see our Bylaws.
Term Expiring January 2025
Kate Bell-Schwede, Vice President
Denise DePietro, Member-at-large
Shawn Sweet, Member at-large
Term Expiring January 2026
Thea Hassan, Secretary
Christine Slocum, President
Term Expiring January 2027
Bill Parke, Member-at-large
Paul Zanolli, Treasurer
Policy Documents
Annual Report 2023
Policy Book – April 2023
Bylaws – Dec 2023
Personnel Manual – 2023
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo is a freestanding, self-supporting congregation, governed by its own members. The congregation is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association, and pays a “fair share” membership in that association, as well as in the Central East Regional Group of the UUA.
The congregation is governed by an elected Board of Trustees, and is legally and financially independent of any denominational authority. The congregation operates as a legal not-for-profit entity incorporated in the State of New York and is governed by congregationally adopted ByLaws.
The Board of Trustees leads the congregation in a model called “policy-based governance” in which their primary responsibility is to provide leadership to the minister, staff, and congregation through a clearly articulated and coherent mission, vision, outcomes, and policies. These are published in a Board of Trustees Policy Book, which is a living document open to refinement as conditions may require. Based on the policies, a set of processes and procedures are developed to guide day-to-day operations, supported by advisory committees, task forces and ministry teams.