2. Executive Direction and Limitations

2.1 Role of the Senior Minister
The Senior Minister is the chief executive and spiritual leader of Foothills Unitarian Church, responsible for leading the ministry and managing church operations in alignment with Board-defined Ends and Policies.
Accordingly, the Senior Minister shall:
Serve as the head of staff, accountable for staff performance, work environment, and alignment with church values.
Lead the ministry team in worship, pastoral care, faith formation, public witness, and programs that embody the Mission and Vision.
Act as the public representative of the Congregation to the wider community and denomination.
Establish and oversee procedures, operations, and systems to implement Board policy and report regularly to the Board.
Ensure ministers and staff act with undivided loyalty to the congregations’s mission.
Confidential pastoral conversations and communications with a minister, held in their professional role, are confidential as a matter of religious discipline. Such communications shall not be disclosed without the informed consent of both minister and the individual who shared the information, in accordance with clergy-penitent privilege.
Ministers are mandatory reporters under Colorado law and will fulfill legal obligations while maintaining pastoral care and discretion to the fullest extent possible.
The Board shall review this definition periodically, upon request, or in conjunction with Bylaws or policy review cycles.

2.2  Global Delegation to Senior Minister
The Board delegates its authority to manage the work and resources of the Church, except as expressly defined by these policies, to the Senior Minister as the Board’s official connection to church operations.

2.2.1 Legal and Ethical Integrity
The Senior Minister shall not cause or allow actions or practices that violate any applicable laws, regulations, or professional codes of conduct, or that compromise the ethical integrity of the church.
Accordingly, the Senior Minister shall not:
Fail to ensure compliance with all relevant local, state and federal laws.
Fail to adhere to generally accepted accounting and human resources practices.
Fail to inform the Board of any civil disobedience undertaken by or on behalf of the Church.
Allow professional misconduct by staff, including but not limited to harassment, exploitation, or abuse of power.

2.2.2 Interpretation of Membership Identity
To uphold clarity and consistency in applying the Church ByLaws regarding membership status, the Board delegates authority to the Senior Minister to define the meaning of a “prolonged period of inactivity” as referenced in the ByLaws.
Accordingly:
The definition must align with the Church’s mission, reflect reasonable and holistic patterns of congregational life, and avoid surprising reasonable people.
The definition must be documented in organizational guidance.
The Board shall affirm the definition annually.
 

2.2.3  Information Retention and Distribution
The Senior Minister shall not allow inadequate protection, retention,or access to church records.
Accordingly, the Senior Minister shall not:
Fail to preserve essential historical records, nor historical documents related to shared experiences important for congregational health.
Restrict member access to relevant documents, except where legally or ethically confidential.
Risk loss or misuse of intellectual property, data, or physical records.
Lack written procedures for the retention, backup, destruction, and distribution of key records.
Interfere with the Board’s authority over its own records or fail to support their stewardship.