Announcing Our New Bylaws

Over the past several years, the Church Council has been making an intentional shift toward a mission centered in community organizing principles, grounded in anti-racism values. In consultation with our faith and community partners, we have updated our mission and vision, we’ve worked deeply with Crossroads Antiracism Organizing and Training, and we’ve undertaken a year-long discernment process to rewrite our Bylaws. The intention behind these shifts is a committed effort to formalize the Council’s relationships and accountability to communities impacted by systemic oppression. We believe that is the only way we can take sustainable action toward liberation.

Please feel free to read our new Bylaws as affirmed by the community in September 2023. Highlights of the shifts reflected in our new bylaws follow.

Reach out to us at info@thechurchcouncil.org if you would like a printed copy of the new bylaws mailed to you, or if you have any questions.

Community Organizing

Our new bylaws affirm our organizing principles: Grounded in anti-racism, we organize by accompanying, facilitating, and convening faith communities to be in accountable relationship with community-based groups, led by communities impacted by systemic oppression.

Board Membership

Historically, our bylaws have limited our board membership to representatives from Christian churches. However, in practice, we have partnered with leaders from all faiths as well as community-based groups. Our new bylaws open our board membership to all who share our mission, vision, and values.

Shared Leadership

In alignment with our shift towards mutual interdependence and accountability, the Church Council moved to a Co-Executive Director model in May 2023. Our Board structure will similarly take on a co-leadership model, utilizing the positions of Immediate Past-President, President, and Vice President as a shared leadership team.