POLITY - continued

A third form, and one of the earliest forms of government in the United States, was that of the old New England Town Hall. When a decision was to be made everyone gathered in the town hall, debated, and voted. In church government this kind of independent polity is found in the Baptist, Disciples of Christ and United Church of Christ churches. All powers reside within the congregation, and the congregation is responsible for all decision making.

This third form of church government overwhelmingly characterizes the United Church of Los Alamos. The congregation is the basic decision-making unit of the church although, for practical reasons, most of the decision-making resides in the Boards of the Church. The Executive Board, which meets monthly, oversees all the work of the Church and makes major decisions between meetings of the congregation.

The United Church of Los Alamos has very little power residing in any single person. While the President of the Congregation, a layperson, is elected annually, the President’s powers are limited to moderating the meetings of the congregation and the Executive Board. This gives certain indirect powers of influence and persuasion, but the President has but one vote, like every other member.

The powers of the ministers are those of preaching, teaching, administering the sacraments, conducting weddings and funerals, and serving on the various Boards and Committees of the church. In that capacity the ministers give guidance to much of the program planning of the church. Depending on the denomination to which the minister belongs, he or she may or may not be a member of the congregation and thus may or may not have a vote.