Governance: Roles and Responsibilities Core Teams The Core Team is the central team in any member congregation or organization of GCC that organizes the power that the organization holds. With an organizer, the Core Team can decide to go into local action (within congregation, neighborhood, etc). The organizer will hold the Core Team accountable to GCC standards. The Core Team can initiate and lead a GCC-wide action, if the issue is city- or county-wide and involves other congregations, by bringing it forward through the Strategy Team. General Assembly The General Assembly gathers the whole organization when recommended by the Strategy Team and ratified by the Delegate Assembly. General Assemblies can be used to launch a significant new initiative or campaign in the public eye. They are important political demonstrations of strength, and may be used as external Actions to invite political and civic leaders into relationships of mutual accountability. Delegate Assembly Each organization will select a delegate to serve a two-year term on the Delegate Assembly. A delegate can be trusted to speak for the organization he or she represents, and: o Leads congregation’s/organization’s core team o Is responsible for dues collection for their congregation o Takes quotas for their congregation for GCC actions and assemblies. o Attends training o Participates on action teams and subcommittees Each organization has only one vote in the Delegate Assembly, but these meetings are open to attendance and vocal participation from all members of GCC. This is the largest representative body and will meet bi-monthly to discuss, approve or modify strategic initiatives recommended by the Strategy Team. It also approves the members of the Strategy Team. If there is not a consensus amongst voting members, decisions require a 2/3 majority of those present. Issue Action Teams These teams are at the heart of GCC’s work. They are comprised of people from many member congregations and organizations, and are led by people who have been to our regional or national trainings. The Issue Action Teams’ primary linkage to GCC governance is through the Strategy Team: Issue Action Teams will be represented by at least one leader at the monthly Strategy Team meeting to consult and strategize. The Lead Organizer consults with Issue Action Teams on how they wish to organize their leadership, depending on the size and focus of the Issue Action Team. The Issue Action Teams can create Research Teams to delve into more specialized issue areas, which can also offer input and recommendations to the Strategy Team based on their findings.

Strategy Team The Strategy Team is an elected group of no more than fifteen members, including the co-chairs, which meets monthly with the Lead Organizer and Staff. The members of the Strategy Team will include Issue Action Team leaders, clergy and lay leaders from GCC member congregations and organizations, all recommended by a Nominating Committee. A member of the Strategy Team must not place personal interests or the interests of the organization they represent above the wellbeing of Greater Cleveland Congregations as a whole: the Strategy Team seeks to represent the wholeness of GCC in discussing, planning and recommending strategy with the staff. The Strategy Team not only discusses and recommends strategy to the Delegate Assembly, but also has a critical role in GCC leadership development and membership recruitment. The Strategy Team hires and fires the Lead Organizer, who hires and fires other Organizers. The Strategy Team can create sub-committees, including but not limited to budget, fundraising, media, and recruitment. Members can be removed by a majority vote of the Strategy Team if they fail to meet leadership criteria. Strategy Team members are elected to two-year renewable terms and should be: o Primary leaders who can turnout 25 people. o People who devote approximately10 hours per month to GCC activities o Participants in Issue Action Teams or Strategy Team committees. o Fund-raisers for the organization. o Active recruiters of new member congregations and organizations. o Participants in national or regional IAF training. Nominating Committee The Nominating Committee, appointed by the Strategy Team, will recommend new members of the new Strategy Team. This Nominating Committee receives suggestions from Delegate Assembly representatives, from clergy of member congregations and from current members of the Strategy Team. The Strategy Team receives a list of nominations from its Nominating Committee and must vote by 2/3 to approve the new members, who are then ratified by the Delegate Assembly. Executive Team The Executive Team consists of the Co-Chairs, Treasurer, and Lead Organizer. The co-chairs are elected by the Strategy Team, ratified by the Delegate Assembly and have defined, staggered three-year terms. The Executive Team has administrative authority for the day-to-day operations of GCC, including fiduciary responsibility, much of this delegated to and managed by the staff through the Lead Organizer. As a small leadership group that meets as needed and more often than the Strategy Team, the Executive Team has authority for decisions and public statements in “rapid response” situations. They are leaders at the Strategy Team table, and responsible for working with the Lead Organizer to create the agendas and lead Strategy Team and Delegate Assembly meetings.