In this feature we seek out answers to questions of broad interest, drawing on experts in congregations, the UUA, and elsewhere. If you would like to submit a question, please write to InterConnections at 25 Beacon Street, Boston, MA, 02108, or e-mail dskinner@uua.org.

Q We’re a small congregation where a few members want to raise the American flag on holidays like the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, etc. There has been little opposition from most, but one person has made it clear that if we raise the flag, he’s never coming back. I feel stuck in a political nightmare.

A When this congregational president posed the question above on the UU-Leaders e-mail list she got lots of support, and answers. Here are two:
“Good process usually results in good results. The decision to raise the flag needs to be made either by the board or by the congregation. Hold a forum after services on one or two Sundays where both sides can vent their concerns and, hopefully, listen to each other. Then I would hold a straw vote where members get to vote on the question. Then the board makes the final decision based on the forums and the vote.” —the Rev. Richard Nugent, interim minister, UU Church of Arlington, Va. (1,075 members).

“The relationship between church and state is a knotty issue that people have been wrestling with back to the birth of the U.S. and beyond. Most Christian churches accept the authority of civil authority insofar as it is legitimately exercised. The point of all this is that the question of what flags to display at church is the tip of a rather large and interesting iceberg, not something that I think a congregation would be wise to blow off if it has become a point of contention. It can be a starting point for a most interesting exploration of the congregation’s view of itself.” —John Levine, First Unitarian Society of Ithaca, N.Y. (539 members).

Q We had an awkward situation recently when our church sold a piece of furniture that a member had donated. The member felt we should have kept it. We felt that once it was donated it was the congregation’s to do with as it wished. Do other congregations have policies covering donated items?

A The UU Area Church (182 members) in Sherborn, Mass., has a policy that has worked, says President Pat Manley. Donors are made aware of the policy when a gift is proposed and the policy is occasionally publicized churchwide for the benefit of all members. Here it is, in part: “All gifts . . . immediately become the property of the UUAC and are given with the understanding that the gifts have been donated with no restrictions, including restrictions on use, sale or disposal. Anyone wishing to donate items, including, but not limited to, furniture and furnishings, computer equipment, books and publications, with restrictions on their use, must obtain approval in advance from the executive committee.”

Q Barbara Harrison, a member of the board of trustees at Unity Temple UU Congregation (376 members), Oak Park, Ill., asks: Our board of trustees is moving toward a policy governance model and one of the ways we are planning to make this happen is to strengthen our program council and make it more responsible for day-to-day decisions. Have other congregations gone this route and if so what exactly did they do to create a more active, responsible program council?

A If you have some suggestions for Barbara, please contact her at twobara@ync.net.