Faith-filled Governance
Creating a culture where every voice matters.

Rev. Cynthia Vemillion Foster

August 11, 2026
1-2:30 pm Eastern 

In our spiritual communities, we tend to focus on… well, the spiritual. This is, after all, why we exist. And yet, we are also entrusted with many practical concerns. Buildings must be maintained, finances stewarded, staff supported, and decisions made with clarity and care. Governance is not separate from our spiritual work—it is one of the most meaningful expressions of it.

Faith Filled Governance invites us to see board leadership not as a sacred calling. Rather than choosing between spirit and structure, we are invited into a dynamic dance in which God’s purpose partners with wise and thoughtful practices. In this space, discernment informs decision-making, transparency builds trust, and accountability becomes an act of love.

Participants will be invited to imagine governance not as something that pulls us away from our spiritual mission, but as something that protects, sustains, and strengthens it. When we lead with both faith and skill, we create communities where vision is clear, resources are honored, and ministry can flourish with confidence and joy.

Ultimately, Faith Filled Governance is about alignment—allowing our practices to reflect our deepest beliefs, so that what we build with our hands is guided by what we know in our hearts.

Rev. Cynthia Vermillion-Foster- An ordained Unity minister since 1997, Cynthia has served Unity ministries in both the US and in Canada.  Her passion for systems thinking and adaptive leadership has led her to pursue consulting, mediation and transitional work. Openheartconsulting.net

In 2018, Cynthia completed the Interim Ministry Network’s training, and has served on their Board of Directors since 2024. She has served several communities as a transitional minister and has recently completed a 2-and-a-half-year assignment with Unity Church of the Hills in Austin, TX.

In addition to Interim Network training, Cynthia is a certified Healthy Congregations Facilitator, and has two certifications from Conrad Grabel University’s Peace Studies Program:

Conflict Management and Congregational Leadership
Conflict Management and Mediation

Cynthia was Director of Member Services for Unity Worldwide Ministries from 2016 to 2021, where she oversaw all aspects of ministry services, including ministry development, consulting and transitional services, conflict transformation, ethics, ministry employment, and credentialing.

Cynthia’s first career was as a ballet dancer.  The metaphors of dance and movement continue to inspire Cynthia on the spiritual journey, which she views as an ongoing dance of discovery, growth, and transformation.