Policies

Below are resources you may find helpful. If you have specific questions, you may contact our Managing Director Cathy Christy.

Most of our policy is formulated by the Standards Ministry Team and approved by the UWM Board of Trustees.

The policies and procedures in this section have been adopted by the Association of Unity Churches, Inc. dba Unity Worldwide Ministries to support the mission and vision of the organization. As members of the Association all branches work together in collaboration using these tools to achieve the objectives established by your elected leadership.  Please note that the Association of Unity Churches is doing business as Unity Worldwide Ministries (UWM), and this name is utilized throughout our policies.

Recommended Policies for Ministries

Church Policy Manual. Why reinvent the wheel? Here’s a great manual of recommended church policies and procedures.

Church Presenter Agreement Form. This customizable agreement form between a presenter and a Unity church should be used for every presenter, once you start using it.

Disruptive Behavior Policy Guidelines. This is a starting place for creating a customized policy that works for your spiritual community for handling disruptive behavior.

Risk Management. Check the Sacred Safety page for important information about policies and procedures to keep your ministry's young people safe. Call Church Mutual 800.554.2642 option 1 for your liability insurance needs.

Social Media Policy. Set the guidelines for ministry staff and volunteers who may participate in social media while representing your spiritual community

Unity Worldwide Ministries Policies

Appeals Policy. The purpose of this policy is to create a clear process for conducting appeals for UWM evaluative processes.

CEUs for Credentialed Leaders Policy. The purpose of this policy is to provide standards which support the ongoing growth and development of Unity Worldwide Ministries (UWM) credentialed leaders.

Credentialing Policy The purpose of this policy is to establish clear objective standards for Unity ministers that are consistent across all Unity ministerial programs and to create a clear process for evaluating applicants and candidates throughout the process.

Continuing Education Credits This policy is to support the continuing education and training of our ministers, those serving as spiritual leaders, plus our licensed Unity teachers.

Disaster Response The purpose of this policy is to provide a process for supporting our ministries when impacted by natural or other disasters.

Maintaining Licensed Teacher Status This policy provides clear criteria for maintaining active status, a coherent process for addressing concerns, and processes for regaining active status if it is lost.

Minister Employment Assessment Policy supports ministers who have been away from field ministry for more than a year or who have had one or more abbreviated tenures in a ministry in having a successful re-entry experience.

Ministries Arising from a Split. The purpose of this policy is to support healthy beginnings for ministries that arise from a split with another Unity congregation.

Ministry Employment Readiness Policy. The purpose of this policy is to support ministries to have a successful relationship with their next minister if they have been without a minister for more than two years, have a history of abbreviated tenures with a minister, or lost their last minister due to challenging circumstances. Ministry Employment Readiness will include and explore the reasons for the minister’s departure, the activities pursued since the minister’s absence, and the ministry’s current situation.

Records Policy ensures that records for our members and credentialed leaders are accurately and responsibly maintained.

Restoration policy See the steps to request restoration to member in good standing status with Unity Worldwide Ministries after having been suspended by the Ethics Review System process.

Right to Review Policy gives credentialed leaders the right to review their personal file, and the standards and guidelines under which this is done.

Sexual Conduct policy addresses the issue of sexual misconduct by a Unity credentialed leader. The policy also specifies procedures by which a Unity credentialed leader can ethically transition a pastoral relationship into a personal or romantic relationship.

Special Dispensation policy  When a Unity minister is not available to serve in a ministry, Special Dispensation allows individuals with leadership skills to serve as Spiritual Leader on a temporary basis while they are on a path to become a Unity minister.

Starting a Ministry Without Following Procedure The purpose of this policy is to provide a coherent process for handling situations in which ministers begin ministries without following established UWM policies and procedures.

Tithe Pool Distribution, for travel and lodging reimbursement for Ministry Teams

Use of the Title Reverend.  This policy clarifies the use of the title Reverend for non Ordained Unity Ministers serving in a Unity ministry.

Unity Worldwide Ministries Procedures

Appeals Procedures. These procedures are for appealing a UWM evaluative decision.

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for Credentialed Leaders Procedures. These procedures correspond with the CEU policy for Credentialed Leaders and outline the process for implementing the policy to provide standards which support the ongoing growth and development of Unity Worldwide Ministries (UWM) credentialed leaders.

Credentialing Procedures  These procedures apply across all Unity ministerial programs.

Disaffiliation of a Ministry Procedures. This document is meant to support a clear process for a ministry's disaffiliation from Unity.

Dissolution of a Ministry Procedures. Unity Worldwide Ministries procedures for dissolving a ministry.

Ministry Employment Assessment Procedures. These procedures correspond with the Ministry Employment Assessment policy and outline the process for successful re-entry to employment for ministers who have been away from field ministry or have had one or more abbreviated tenures in a ministry.

Ministry Employment Readiness Procedures. These procedures correspond with the Ministry Employment Readiness policy and outline the process for implementing the policy to support ministries to have a successful relationship with their next minister.

Embracing Ministry Together

See the Ethics page for resources relating to ethics issues.