Organization & Governance

As “congregationalists,” we believe that we hear and respond to God best by listening with and to each other for the leading of the Holy Spirit. We do this through prayer, discernment, discussion and sometimes voting. In congregational churches, every member of the congregation has voice and vote in the church-wide decisions we are called upon to make, like choosing a pastor, making a change to our bylaws, taking a stand on an issue of conscience, or using our endowment to rebuild a kitchen to start a meal ministry. We make those decisions at…

The Congregational Meeting

The whole congregation meets to consider important decisions before the church. Notice of an upcoming congregational meeting is made public in church communications and all members are asked to participate on the specified date.

Pastor

Our Pastor is not appointed by a Bishop or other authority, but rather is elected by prayerful search and vote of the congregation. Our pastor is the head of our staff and serves as a spiritual and organizational leader, lending guidance and support to…

The Council, Boards, and Officers of the Church

A church is a complex social organism, with many things to accomplish, so we divide the work among groups, that is, boards and committees, each of which has responsibility for a particular area of the life of the church (our music program, our faith formation program, our fellowship events, our financial affairs, and others).

Members are elected to serve on our boards and committees by vote of the congregation at one of our congregational meetings.

When the church is not in a congregational meeting, the governance decisions of the church are made by the Church Council, a body consisting of at-large members and the officers of the church.

The President of the Church is the chairperson of the Church Council. We have a church Treasurer, who handles the financial records of the church. Our Registrar keeps track of our membership and other statistics of the congregation. The Clerk has responsibility for posting notices and taking minutes of official meetings.

Our Boards (in alphabetical order):

Congregational Care (providing support and compassion to those in need)
Deacons (supporting the worship life of the congregation)
Faith Formation (organizing faith learning for all ages)
Fellowship (nurturing connections between members)
Finance (overseeing the financial well-being of the congregation)
Mission and Social Justice (organizing us to make a difference in the world)
Music (sharing the ministry of music in church and out)
Trustees (stewardship of our physical resources, especially building and land)

Committees, Task Forces and Ad Hoc Groups

The work of the Council, Staff and Boards is augmented by a few standing committees, such as Human Resources or Tech Team; occasional task forces, such as Stewardship; and ad hoc groups that self-organize to achieve a specific goal, such as Women’s Fellowship, the Witness Stones Project or Community Meals.

All of the above serve to promote and extend our Mission: Love First!

Our Mission: Love First!

The Mission Statement of the Kingston Congregational Church is very simple: “Following Jesus, we will LOVE FIRST. Love God, love people, love the world.”

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KINGSTON CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
2610 Kingstown Rd., Kingston, RI 02881
Phone: (401) 783-5330
Email: office@kingstonucc.org