Article 9. Organizational Structure & Governance

9.01 The Church. This Church serves as the over-arching organizational body for all of its activities - both sacred and mundane. It is the metaphysical container that holds and supports:

(a) Our shared purpose, philosophy, culture, and unified cosmology.

(b) Our organizational and collective capacity to serve our shared purpose.

(c) Our strategies for internal self-governance.

(d) A coherent and independent lawful identity and structure that facilitates fair, lawful, and purposeful interactions with other churches, organizations, groups, individuals, and legal entities.

9.02. Self-Governance. The Church shall be self-governed in all aspects of the pursuit of its purpose and the execution of its mission.

(a)Jurisdiction. The original jurisdiction of this Church shall be the natural domain as established by God, and as described through the terms of this Constitution.

(b)Governance Principles. The following core principles describe the approach to governance processes that we embody and strive to embody.

i.Purpose Driven. Our purpose is primary. It is the shared impulse to serve the Earth and her living community. And we organize in such a way as to maximize the expression of our shared purpose.

ii.Decision Making. Each of us are expressing the desires of the Creator as agents of free will. With our unique perspectives, we will not always agree. We aim to utilize our unique perspectives and collective intelligence as we measure our decisions. Thus we operate by Consent. Each of us seeking resonance between our own guidance and the living impulse of the Church.

iii.Decentralization. We organize the work of the Church into circles. In this way we distribute power and authority. Each circle serves a more specific area of work. And each circle is empowered to organize among its members in whatever way works best for the joyful and effective accomplishment of its purpose.

iv.Circles. Circles are imbued with and empowered to express a subset of the purpose of the organization. The two key pieces of a circle are a clearly defined purpose, and a regularly recurring rhythm for the members to gather and express that purpose.

v.Autonomy. Members of a circle are empowered to express the organizational purpose and their circle’s purpose as they are guided to do so. As long as it is in accord with this Constitution, it does no harm to the Church, nor infringe on the domain of another individual or circle.

vi.Positive Use of Power. All power is that of the Creator. Our so called personal power has been bestowed by the Creator. We aim to utilize our personal power towards the ends of connection rather than separation. To serve oneness and not to control. To uplift the one shared being that we all are, and not to manipulate towards our personal gain. To serve others, and not selfish ends.

vii.Transparency. Authority and responsibility are made clear through written documentation. These documents shall be publicly viewable. Keeping these transparent are key to orienting our power positively.

viii.Accountability and Trust. We intentionally utilize our free will to co- create expressions of our shared purpose, leaning into the formation of social memory complex. As such, the quality of relationship between members of the team is significant. We hold one another accountable to living our unique truths, and strive to do so in harmony with one another. How we hold one another accountable is an art, and we can tell we are doing it well when we experience trust being built.

(c) Dynamic Governance. Holacracy and Sociocracy, both of which are existing organized systems for practicing dynamic governance, are the models that we draw from most directly.

9.03. Leadership Accountability Policy. Any individual who fills a leadership role in the organization bears a unique honor and duty. In order to ensure that the power and influence that go along with being in a position of leadership is used for positive service, we adopt the following Leadership Accountability Policy and process:

(a) Any individual fulfilling a leadership role within the organization must first commit to using their power in a positive way.

(b) If any Steward determines that a leader is failing to uphold this commitment, that Steward is empowered to initiate a restorative process.

(c) The restorative process that is preferred is the Harmony Council process, as described herein. Alternative restorative processes may also be proposed and used as appropriate and as needed, as long as all parties involved consent.

(d) While the restorative process is underway, the leader in question shall temporarily abstain from decision making and undertaking significant business or actions on behalf of the organization.

(e) In the case that a suitable resolution cannot be found with reasonable attempts being made, the Stewards Circle shall be empowered to consider the removal of the leader through majority vote.

9.04. Conflict Resolution. Whereas we acknowledge that interpersonal conflict is a natural and anticipated aspect of community life, we proactively contemplate and develop processes and systems to support the transformation and resolution of conflict when it occurs.

9.05. Harmony Council Technology. The basic Harmony Council process is as follows:

(a) Support Person. Each of the people in conflict have an ally, or support person – with whom they feel safe and who is attuned to them at a nervous system level – tracking their needs, and advocating for them in the council.

(b) Neutral Mediator. Additionally there is a neutral mediator managing the flow of the whole conversation. We find that having so many nervous systems in the room offers abundant co-regulation, which supports metabolizing conflict at a deep level.

(c) Clear Container. A time frame and space suitable to all parties is agreed upon. We find that minimizing distractions and maximizing a sense of mutual safety is best.

(d) Harmony Council Agreements. Central to the Harmony Council technology are the following agreements:

i. Practice Radical Self-Responsibility. Be willing to take accountability for your contributions to a dynamic and own your stories, judgments, and feelings. It can require acute self-examination and reflection from others to see them clearly.

ii. Be Generous. Interpret each other’s words, tone, and behaviors generously. Listen and reflect with curiosity and openness. Assume everyone is doing the best they can in each moment. When someone is triggered they might not have access to radical self-responsibility. Be willing to offer compassion with the recognition that the triggered one will find their way back to alignment with the agreements.

iii. Track Impact. Be aware of your impact on others, even if it differs from your intent. And tend to any negative impact, within your integrity. This is a way to cultivate compassion. Be willing to give and receive feedback and reflections from others in the group and find ways to create repair when needed.

iv. Make Space for Each Other. If you speak often, try stepping back to offer space for others to contribute. If you tend to speak less, challenge yourself to share more. This is particularly important in a group mediation — the more people involved, the more relevant this becomes.

v. Cultivate Transparency. Lean into sharing vulnerably about what is alive for you in the dynamic. Revealing tenderness can be edgy, and creates deeper intimacy and connection. Use discernment to cultivate balance between vulnerability and what feels safe, relevant, self- responsible, and compassionate to share in any given moment.

vi. Honor the Container. Our intention is to harmonize even though we might not experience harmony immediately in this container. Discomfort can arise as we move through conflict into harmony. Stay with the process. As we clear blocks to essence and become more transparent, harmony naturally arises. We choose to evolve in this way.

9.06. Emergency Powers. An “emergency” exists – for the purposes of this section – if a quorum of the Stewards cannot readily be obtained because of some catastrophic event. During an emergency, notice of a meeting of the Stewards only needs to be given to those Stewards for whom such notice is practicable.

Necessary or prudent action taken in good faith during an emergency binds the Church and may not be the basis for imposing liability on any Steward, employee, member, or agent of the Church on the ground that the action was not authorized. The Church Stewards may also adopt emergency bylaws, subject to amendments or repeal by the full membership, which may include provisions necessary for managing the Church’s operations during an emergency including:

(a) Procedures for calling a meeting of the members and;

(b) Quorum requirements for the meeting. The emergency bylaws shall remain in effect during the emergency and not after the emergency ends;

(c) Modifying lines of succession to accommodate the incapacity of any officer, employee or agent;

(d) Relocating the principal office;

(e) And designating alternative principal offices or regional offices, or authorizing Stewards to do so.