Heard it at Council: August 2025
By Kate Silfen, Church Historian | August 12, 2025 Council Meeting Report
Council gathered for a meeting with a full agenda on a warm August night. Over the month of July and beginning of August, Maren Batalden and Christine Del Favero had a series of one-on-one meetings with Council members and other leaders to hear their thoughts about three major issues: 1) our committee structure, 2) our staffing model, and 3) ways to advance our commitment to become an anti-racist church. They gave a presentation synthesizing what they had heard in these series of meetings.
In terms of our committee structure, many members mentioned a desire to learn more about the work of other committees, especially ones with overlapping missions. Maren and Christine noted general excitement around the idea of engaging members who are not currently serving on a committee. They also heard a desire to create deeper connections over a shared meal. Maren and Christine proposed a more flexible model where several committees gather a few times a year to discuss ways of building on our vision to deepen our community, promote social justice, and engage in conversations about our financial stewardship.
Regarding our search for a new associate pastor, council members and leaders are not eager to launch an immediate national search. Many expressed an openness to seeing other staffing models but want to fully understand the needs of the congregation before determining the number of ministers we will have on our staff. Council commissioned the Human Resources Committee to assess our staffing needs and propose a timeline for implementing any potential changes.
Several members of the (G)RACE Speaks Committee came to our August meeting to present a proposal to help us advance our commitment to becoming a more ethnically diverse and anti-racist church. In consultation with Maren and John Edgerton, members of the (G)RACE Speaks Committee have drafted a proposal to hire for a new, time-bound position: Consultant for Congregational Belonging and Engagement. This would be a two-year part-time or full-time position for a part ministerial presence, part DEI consultant, and part change agent. The consultant would work collaboratively across the church, engaging members, staff, leadership, and visitors in practices of welcome, equity, and transformation. Council unanimously moved that (G)RACE Speaks be authorized to finalize this position description and present it for approval at our September meeting.
Council members noted that the congregation is invited to several exciting events in the coming months. Our annual “Welcome Back” brunch will be held at 10am on Sunday, September 7th. June Cooper will be leading a Green Book Tour in December, and Old South members should let her know if they would like to attend. Kate Silfen reported that a small group being led by Phil Stern is planning a celebration of our 150th anniversary at our Boylston St. location in December. Mark your calendars for the evening of December 6th!