1. The Structure Working Group
The Visioning Process for the Churches of Ohio, West Virginia, and Northern Kentucky as we unify faith community

2. The Structure Working Group
The Visioning Process for the Churches of Ohio, West Virginia, and Northern Kentucky as we unify faith community

3. The Structure Working Group
The Visioning Process for the Churches of Ohio, West Virginia, and Northern Kentucky as we unify faith community

4. The Structure Working Group
The Visioning Process for the Churches of Ohio, West Virginia, and Northern Kentucky as we unify faith community

5. The Structure Working Group
The Visioning Process for the Churches of Ohio, West Virginia, and Northern Kentucky as we unify faith community

6. Form First, or Function? Louis Sullivan “Form ever follows Function”
What an object or system is going to be doing dictates how it must be constructed
Think of practical examples in your life:
A teapot with no spout is a poor teapot
A train car with no wheels won’t travel
A bicycle with square tires will get tired fast
So too are our organizational structures

7. Structure & Mission: A Relationship
For many years in the Ohio Conference, Structure has determined our Mission
“How We are Organized” has been the limiting factor of how missionally connected we can be
We believe God calls us to a Mission that dwarfs our current organizational structure
We believe our Mission ought to drive our Structure—not the other way around

8. That They May All Be One (Judicatory)
There will be one unified Judicatory
The Judicatory is the organizational setting that makes connections between the local church and the national setting
The Judicatory will have a Leadership Board elected at an annual meeting of the UCC faith community in this area
This Judicatory unifies the existing Associations (CSEOA, EOA/WRA, NWOA, SONKA) and the Ohio Conference into One Body

9. The Leadership Board
Oversees & assists the development of 3 support centers (physical plants, finances, staff)
Assumes responsibilities of current conference Board of Directors and much of what is done by the governing bodies of the associations
Includes all Executive & Ministerial staff
Appropriately & faithfully reflects the diversity of the congregations and people throughout the wider setting of the UCC in this area
Includes a Leadership Development Team to identify persons for future service on the board & assist in developing the gifts for leadership

10. Called Positions Part I: Area Ministers
Based in each of the Support Centers
Responsible for health & well-being of the congregations within their support area
Will resource Committees on Ministry, Search and Call, and provide pastoral care to authorized ministers & congregations
Will work in partnership with other Area Ministers supporting each other
Each will have a specialty responsibility for work in the entire judicatory (i.e. Committees on Ministry, Search and Call, Lay School, etc.)

11. Called Positions Part II: Executive Minister
Supports Area Ministers by
Supervising area service staff
Assuring collaboration and sharing of resources in the Support Centers
Representing the entire territory in ecumenical and national UCC settings
Assuring the evaluation of Area Ministers by Support Center advisory boards
Will be a specialist in at least one essential ministry (i.e. Generosity Development, Church Vitality, New Church Development, Prophetic Witness, Faith Formation, etc.)

12. Called Positions Part III: Possibilities
Additional short term or long-term specialists in other essential ministries as determined by the Board
May be full-time
May be part-time
May be volunteer
All staff are considered all-Judicatory staff
All decision-making around additional called positions will be accomplished cooperatively & be led by the Leadership Board

13. Appointed Positions
All administrative, financial, and support persons as needed
Will function within a team but may be dispersed physically as mission leads
Hired and supervised by Area Ministers or the Executive Minister within defined budget parameters in collaboration with the Leadership Board
May differ in configuration by support area as mission & needs dictate

14. Perceived Advantages to the Proposal
Focuses first on collaboration & unified purpose, then on how structure allows for collaboration
Reduces overlapping tasks & fills gaps by sharing ministry across the geographic territory
Permits a more efficient administrative structure that will yield greater investment in essential ministries
Allows specialists to thrive in their settings
Expands time the Area Ministers in the support centers have for pastoral ministry by reducing administrative responsibilities

15. Comments and Questions
All of this is a proposal—not a final system set in stone
Your feedback will shape the next iteration of this design
No question is out of bounds
No idea is beyond consideration
God calls us to dream big today!
What Comments and Questions do you hear a still-speaking voice naming for you?

16. Closing Prayer (NCH #875)
Jesus said, “You ought always to pray and not to faint.” Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger women and men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers, but for power equal to your tasks. Then, the doing of your work will be no miracle—you will be the miracle. Every day you will wonder at yourself and the richness of life which has come to you by the grace of God. Amen!