Dear Westside Community,

We are writing to update you regarding one aspect of our board work.  The board is responsible for supervision of our minister, Reverend Christopher. As we self-organize to cover the different board roles and responsibilities, we have designated two board members to be the leads for this function: Laura Pierce and Marco Deppe.

We recognize that it may not be obvious how concerns related to staff should be handled, and that without formal channels for feedback, concerns can fester or lead to gossip rather than resolution.

The managerial structure of our congregation is that Rev. Christopher is the head of staff and supervises all other staff members. He in turn is supervised by the board.  The Personnel Committee is advisory rather than carrying supervisory responsibility.  For example, the personnel committee may be consulted to develop appropriate HR policies. So, any grievances related to staff should go to Rev. Christopher, while grievances related to Rev. Christopher should go to Laura Pierce and Marco Deppe as the board’s designated supervisors.  They will then work with Rev. Christopher to address issues and/or elevate serious concerns for a full board discussion.

Reverend Christopher has been with our congregation for one year and three months. As a part of supervision, we will conduct an annual performance review for Reverend Christopher this fall. We are working out the process now and will share more about it in October. As a part of this process, we will solicit input from members of the congregation. This feedback will be a catalyst for development, by helping to identify strengths as well as opportunities for improvement. We will coordinate our efforts with the Committee on Ministry, which has specific goals and requirements and reports to the UUA to support and evaluate Reverend Christopher during his first three years of ministry.

We appreciate all congregation members attempting to work through official channels to provide feedback.  

Thank you,

WSUU Board of Trustees