Our fellowship is governed by members, led by our Board of Trustees and guided by our Bylaws. Berrien UU has approximately 40 members.
Bylaws
Our fellowship is a non-profit corporation. Our bylaws define our basic governing procedures, such as how one becomes a member or voting member and when elections are held.
Five-Year Plan
Our Five-Year Plan provides guides the congregation and its leaders in working to fulfill the mission of the Fellowship.
Our Board
The business, property, and affairs of the fellowship are managed by the board of trustees. To be elected and to serve as a trustee a person must be a voting member. The board has five trustees elected by members at the Annual Meeting and holding office for two years. The board sets long-term policies and makes sure the fellowship is on a path to fulfill its mission. Board meetings are held monthly (see the calendar for dates). Fellowship members and friends are welcome to attend the meetings and encouraged to read the [board meeting minutes].

Diane Gibbons
Board President (2023-2024), Co-Leader of Green Sanctuary Team
Diane Gibbons first joined BUUF's Board of Trustees in July, 2019. Diane is retired with four adult children, seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren. She first attended a UU church when she lived in Illinois. "I enjoyed the people and spiritual freedom I found with the UU faith." A few years after moving to Southwest Michigan, Diane discovered and joined BUUF. She is a member of BUUF's Green Sanctuary Team and enjoys volunteering in the Children's Garden and at the Soup Kitchen. Her passion for Ethical Eating is a way to encourage people to live many of BUUF's values. Diane travels frequently and loves to collect seeds and rocks wherever she goes for use in her home garden and at BUUF.

Joan Guilfoyle
Board Vice President and Chair (2023-2024)
Joan has been a UU for many years but this is her first time on such a board. With 50 years of family ancestry in the State of Michigan, Joan also hails from Illinois, Minnesota and Washington DC. She retired from federal civil service in 2016, having worked for the large land and resource management agencies such as National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Major projects included the reintroduction of migrating whooping cranes into the eastern U.S. (and other endangered species), seeking to manage the over-population of free-roaming horses and burros on western rangelands, de-listing the American Bald Eagle and diving for WWII barrels in Lake Superior! She led movement, breath and spiritual-practice workshops and retreats through her Gorgeous Spirit NGO for ten years; and spends her free time kayaking, hiking, reading, many dance traditions and political activism.

Jim Fuller
Treasurer (Board appointed through June 30, 2024)
Boat builder, paddler, mechanical engineer, retired HVAC technician, and son of BUUF founders, Marv and Kate Fuller. Jim previously served BUUF as Endowment Chair and Bookkeeper. His goal for Treasurer is to create efficient, sustainable systems for managing and communicating BUUF's financial status.

Vicki Thomas
Board Secretary (2023-2025)

Rev. Dr. Roger Brewin
Board Trustee (2023-2025)
Roger Brewin became a UU minister in 1977 and is currently retired from active ministry, after serving nine UU congregations. He is Minister Emeritus of First Unitarian Church of Hobart, IN. Roger is a long-time board member of HUUmanists and is editor of their journal, "Religious Humanism".

Nico Rojas
Board Trustee (2023-2025)
Nico has been a member of BUUF since 2016. He has previously served on BUUF’s Nominating Committee. He has also assisted with technology during Sunday services and other events and is one of BUUF’s OWL trainers. Nico is a video editor at Big Foot Media of Chicago. He lives in Bridgman with his wife Katharine Lion and their son Oliver, who participates in our RE program. Nico originally hails from Bogota, Colombia and attended Universidad de Los Andes.
Elected Committees
Leadership and Nominations Committee
Leadership and Nominations Committee members are elected at the Annual Meeting. The committee shall consist of at least three members serving two-year terms. One member shall be elected in some years and two members shall be elected in other years as needed to maintain the minimum membership. The committee is responsible for developing, soliciting and nominating members for the Board of Trustees, Endowment Committee and Nominating Committee for the election held during the Annual Meeting.

Joanne Krettek
Leadership and Nominations Committee (2022-2024), Endowment Committee (2022-2025, 1st term), Sunday Services Chair
Joanne has been a devoted member of BUUF since 2001. She has served as a volunteer Religious Education teacher, Interim Director of Religious Education, and worked as BUUF's Office Administrator from 2016-2022.

Liz Goodwin
Leadership and Nominations Committee (2022-2024)
Liz is a long time UU and became a member of BUUF in 2021. She lives in St. Joseph with her husband Mike. Together they were active in the Evanston, IL, UU congregation for many years.

Harvey Johnson
Leadership and Nominations Committee (2023-2025), Membership Committee Chair, Co-Chair Green Sanctuary Team
Harvey has been a member of BUUF since 2001. He lives in St. Joseph and works as an Industrial Hygiene consultant with Michigan OSHA. He is married and has three lovely and brilliant daughters and one grandson. He co-leads the Green Sanctuary team to make BUUF good stewards of the earth.
Endowment Committee
Endowment Committee members are elected at the Annual Meeting and the committee shall consist of at least three members serving three-year terms. One member shall be elected annually to maintain the minimum membership. The committee is responsible for managing the fellowship’s endowment funds. The Endowment Committee is completely independent of the board. Therefore, members of the Endowment Committee may not concurrently serve on the Board of Trustees. Participation is limited to two terms.

Joanne Krettek
Leadership and Nominations Committee (2022-2024), Endowment Committee (2022-2025, 1st term), Sunday Services Chair
Joanne has been a devoted member of BUUF since 2001. She has served as a volunteer Religious Education teacher, Interim Director of Religious Education, and worked as BUUF's Office Administrator from 2016-2022.

Beth La Fleur
Music Director, Tech Manager, Endowment Committee (2021-2024, 1st term)

Gloria Weberg
Endowment Committee (2023-2026, 1st term)
Gloria has been a member of BUUF for more than 30 years. She achieved centenarian status March 2, 2022. Gloria has served BUUF in many capacities over the years and remains a very active member of the congregation.
UU Resources
Unitarian Universalist Association
Berrien Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), the central organization for the Unitarian Universalist (UU) religious movement in the United States. The UUA’s 1000+ member congregations are committed to Seven Principles that include the worth of each person, the need for justice and compassion, and the right to choose one’s own beliefs. UU congregations and faith communities promote these principles through regular worship, learning and personal growth, shared connection and care, social justice action and service, celebration of life’s transitions, and much more.
Mid America Region of the Unitarian Universalist Association
Berrien Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is a member of the MidAmerica Region of the Unitarian Universalist Association which includes nearly 200 UU congregations in parts or all of these states: Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Kentucky, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska.
The MidAmerica Region seeks to covenant with each other to find new ways of partnering and standing together on the side of love for the flourishing of our world, our communities, our congregations and our members.