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Friends United Meeting |
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December 2002
News from Friends United Meeting
Commitments
By Retha McCutchen
It is sobering to write an article titled "Commitments" in today's climate—a sniper is randomly killing people in the D.C. area (pause to pray for Friends and general board members in those very neighborhoods). The Israeli military killed civilians in Gaza's Rafah refugee camp and a Palestinian Jihad member retaliated by detonating a bomb, killing innocent Israeli's returning from work (pause to pray for the Ramallah Friends Schools community daily affected by these events). Israel retaliated by more attacks in the West Bank while the U. S. draws plans to eliminate an "axis of evil" (pause to ask God's wisdom for leaders of the United States government).
Jesus speaks peace in the midst of turmoil: "I say this to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage, I have conquered the world." We are challenged to believe that God is in charge and that the witness of Friends will make a difference in the world where we each reside. God is bigger than governments. God is stronger than the mighty military. God is more powerful than money. God cares about the Afgani child starving on the streets of Kabul. As Christians, we are God's hands and feet in this place and time.
Out of that place described in a Psalm where we learn to "be still and know that I am God" we each practice Jesus' direction to "love your neighbor as yourself." We must go beyond asking, "who is my neighbor" and "who is not?" and see a neighbor in every person we meet. This commitment will change our world.
General Board Meets In New Triennium
"Striving to walk cheerfully and pressing on towards the mark we, the members of the General Board, gather to begin our work in this new triennium and to begin this second century of service through Friends United Meeting. The challenge to make a difference in our world with its many hurts are numerous. Through dedication and faithfulness, we seek to be a healing witness to the power of the living Christ." This opening minute read by Presiding Clerk Brent McKinney opened the first General Board meeting of the 2002-05 triennium.
New and returning board members participated in orientation and received a handbook to assist in understanding the work and responsibilities of a FUM General Board member. These handbooks will be available to pass on when new board members are appointed, assisting with continuity.
The 2002 financial report showed the General Fund projecting a break-even ending providing the usual year-end gifts are given. The Finance Committee presented a balanced budget for FUM's 2003 General Fund in the amount of $1,323,991. The board approved this budget. In addition, Friends United Meeting receives approximately 1.2 million annually for FUM projects worldwide. Rich Davis was introduced as the new development officer.
A minute from Baltimore Yearly Meeting requested the General Board to confirm FUM's policy regarding sexual orientation, and to review and clarify roles of staff relationship to committees. This minute was received and after discussion was referred to the Executive Committee.
Patrick Nugent and Mary Kay Rehard led worship on Sunday morning. Former Kenya missionaries Herbert and Beatrice Kimball were also in attendance. Out of the silence of worship, board members offered prayers of thanksgiving for the Kimballs' faithful work over the years and for this new family just beginning their ministry in Kenya.
Executive Committee members for the triennium are: Clerk Brent McKinney (NCYM), Assistant Clerk Susan Kirkpatrick (IN YM), Recording Clerk Wanda Coffin-Baker (Western YM), Treasurer Don Garner (IN YM), plus at large members, Ann Davidson (NYYM), John Porter (NCYM), Mary Lee Comer (Western YM), Cliff Loesch (Great Plains YM) and Margaret Stoltzfus (IA YM).
Board members were privileged to attend Earlham College dedication of the Landrum Bolling Building.
Prayer for Peace
The 2003 Chain of Prayer theme is "Prayer for Peace." This is an opportunity for Friends Meetings/Churches across FUM to join in prayer for peace, to pray that all of us may be faithful in our witness to Jesus Christ, and to uphold the common ministries of Friends United Meeting. There is still time to register to participate in the Chain of Prayer by logging onto the FUM website or by calling the office.
All participants will receive a copy of a new tract, "It is time to Pray for Peace" in addition to the normal materials (poster, list of prayer requests and various teaching aids) that come with the optional packet.
FTC Library Expanded
By Sandy Davis
The expanded and upgraded library at Friends Theological College makes study much easier for the students.ÊIn the center of the building, the circulation desk sits between the entrance and exit doors.ÊThe card catalog is in the center with the shelf list catalog sitting atop the map and large picture cabinet to the back of it. The return trolley is also to the immediate left of the card catalogs.ÊOn the right is a special study desk and on the wall is the large wall shelf unit to display new books.ÊStudents love seeing the new books before they are shelved.ÊBetween that shelf and the window is a new tape cabinet for the growing number of cassette tapes and CDs.
Next are the shelves for the library books.ÊAll pamphlets are in storage boxesÊon this end of the shelves.ÊBooks starting with the catalog numbers of 000 (reference) are at the back and wind around to end with 999 toward the center.
To the back left is the new office area with a viewing window. The librarian, Sirila Muganda, catalogs new books received from M-bags. The door leads to the new bookshop and to the right of it is the cabinet and file cabinet for visual aids.ÊAll of the pictures have been laminated (a gift from Iowa YM) and are filed in these two cabinets. To the right is the area for "pigeon hole" mailboxes. The standing maps and the periodical files are hidden from view.
Because of this building, students and tutors are being served well and many local people have benefitted from the work done.Ê The entire construction was done by local people.Ê Most supplies were purchased locally.Ê The shelves, tables, card catalog, desk, etc., were all made by a local carpenter and his staff.Ê Because you gave and prayed, many have had food for their families and feel a sense of pride in what they have contributed to the community through the Bible college.
Pressing on Towards Kenya: Lessons in Obedience and Trust
By Mary Kay Rehard and Patrick Nugent
What are your deepest longings? Each of us has longings and desires nobody can fulfill, which nothing on earth can satisfy. These deepest longings are planted in us by God who made us and desires to work through us. In our travels among Friends this fall speaking about Friends Theological College (FTC) and our hopes for our work there, we have often shared our sense of call for this work.
As a married couple for 11 years with two young daughters, we have been appointed as Field Staff by Friends United Meeting (FUM) to serve hand-in-hand as principal at Friends Theological College (FTC) for three years. Since college, Patrick and I have had a deep longing for overseas service, and we thought in our retirement we would eventually find a way to make it a reality. But this desire was quickened by the events of September 11—sensing the need is more urgent now than ever before to be mindful of how we allow God to use our lives. We saw in our own nation how brief our lives are in the face of eternity. We wanted to reach out, to join thousands of others who are responding to the terrifying violence with hope and trust. We want our lives to proclaim and witness to the coming reign of God that is already among us, in which "Love and faithfulness will meet together; righteousness and peace will kiss each other." (Psalm 85:10)
Like all our deepest longings, we believe this longing to serve comes from God and is a reflection of God's longing to draw closer to us. We experienced this call to service as an invitation from Christ to know him more deeply and fully: "Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me." (Revelation 3:20) We heard Christ call out to us as freshly as did the brothers in their boats who left their nets to come and follow him. It has taken us longer than it did them to actually "leave our boats" and make the necessary preparations, but our excitement is high, and we are eager to begin the work at FTC after we complete Kiswahili language school.
God can work in surprising ways when we leave room for the Holy Spirit! Our family began praying together regularly several years ago, most evenings and many mornings. Family prayer led us to invite others from the three nearby meetings to join us for weekly waiting worship in our home. In time, we also began to gather with two other couples each Sunday evening to pray with one another, to "meet together and know one another in that which is eternal, which was before the world was." (George Fox, Epistle 149) We shared using these questions: How is God working in my life this week? Where do I see signs of hope in the world around me? What is Christ asking of me? How can I follow Jesus more closely? These times of reflection opened a space for discovering the deepest longings of our hearts, and provided companions for discernment and encouragement as we began to respond to Christ's promptings.
Since accepting the appointment to serve for three years in Kenya with FUM, we have discovered that, like the longing to serve, trust is a grace, a free gift from God. Perhaps we never thought we could trust God enough, but God doesn't require us to muster up enough trust to follow Christ. Like manna, God provides us enough trust for each day.
And Christ remains alongside us, in the present moment, illuminating the part of the path we are on—not way back in the past or far ahead in the future. God is working among us here and now: "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" (Isaiah 43:19) During the course of our discernment about our leading to serve at FTC, we've experienced a growing inner freedom to say "Yes!" to God, and to release our attachments to who we think we are and what we think we should be doing. We've discovered obedience to be a joyful experience of uniting with God's purposes for our lives.
Our skills and experience in college teaching and administration drew us to the work at FTC. Both of us have devoted many years to work in higher education. FUM hired us in part because of these skills and experiences and in some outward respects we are well prepared for this work. But we go now to serve as principal at Friends Theological College because this is where God is asking us to meet Christ, and we know that inwardly we are not fully prepared to meet the challenges ahead.
A friend pointed out to us that God calls us as we are, not as we wish we could be someday. God calls us now, so that in our need, there is room for the Holy Spirit to work in and through us. We ask for your prayers that this may be so, and we are eager to see, as we visit among Friends both in Kenya and in North America in coming years, what new things God is doing among you, and to share good news about God's work among East African Friends!
Copyright (c) 2002 Friends United Meeting
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