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Friends United
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November/December 2008
Sacred Moments by Sylvia Graves, FUM General Secretary
Yearly Meeting Highlights
FUM General Board Meeting, October 2008
FEET: Friends Energizing and Equipping Together / Connecting Friends Around the World
Your Pennies are Going Places!
Partnerships in Jamaica
Hurricane Ike Made Landfall in Cuba: FUM Accepting Relief Donations
Sacred
Moments
By Sylvia Graves, General Secretary
What privileges I have had — not only to become acquainted with our fellow workers in Kenya, Uganda, Ramallah, Jamaica, Belize and Cuba, but to have spent time together as friends (yes, small “f”). Not that it is much different from becoming friends with Friends from other traditions in North America, for in Friends United Meeting we have many opportunities to learn from and listen to several different cultures represented within our organization.
There are so many areas where we do and understand things differently from other traditions. For example, many of our Meetings invest financially in leadership, usually pastors, and see that practice as a way to support those who are “released for ministry.” Programmed Meetings affirm that these people are recognized for their call, their leadership skills and preparation. Yet others hold to the Quaker tradition that ALL are ministers and to be paid for ministering is outside the realm of acceptance, as is the practice of taking up offerings during worship. Therefore preparing budgets that include staff salaries for our monthly and yearly meetings is an even greater struggle among unprogrammed Friends than it is for programmed Friends. Yet we North American Friends have in common our heritage and the amount of time we have developed into who we are as Friends. Imagine if we came from a different heritage and time frame!
It was delightful to spend time with John Muhanji and Joseph Mamai Makokha following the July triennials. After a fascinating discussion of such topics as paying dowries for wives and the practice of polygamy, which are still among traditions in today’s Kenya, we watched the movie, Fiddler on the Roof. Then John and Joseph watched it again. A few days later, when John was with Sampson Ababu who is also from Kenya, they watched it again, and again. John thought the movie brought out the reality of the pain associated with moving away from old traditions into trusting new ways of doing things. These Kenyan men identified with the character Tevye as he was stretched beyond his capacity to abandon those traditions he valued.
Part of John’s message when he spoke at Valley Mills Friends Meeting (Indiana) was that Kenya is many years behind the developments of America, not only in industry and infrastructure, but in social traditions. He expressed appreciation that FUM has nurtured the Kenyans with education and health care as they have grown, and he is glad we don’t treat them as babies still dependent on their mothers. Yet he knows there are huge differences in our traditions.
We need to support each other as we experience the pain of parting from some traditions while we struggle to keep others. We need to walk side by side as partners as we seek God’s wisdom. We need to do that in Cuba, Jamaica, Belize, Palestine, Africa and in the cultures of our own nation, in FUM, our yearly meetings and our monthly meetings. Like Tevye, let’s keep talking to God about it, too.
Several FUM staff members were able to attend and participate in yearly meeting sessions in 2008. Being in community with the individuals who are Friends United Meeting is always a highlight in the work we do on their behalf. In addition to being present, these are some other highlights we experienced:
Baltimore Yearly Meeting: Maria Bradley, Betsy Meyer, Michael Newheart and Clinton Pettus encouraged attendees to lay down unforgiveness and try love — this theme was evident throughout the conference.
Canadian Yearly Meeting: Continuing the process of “consultation and renewal”; Rachel Findlay discussing Woolman and the Bible; Margaret Frasier of FWCC; Elaine Emily and Bruce Birchard of FGC; cherishing our diversity; prayerful consideration of our relationship with FUM; worship, study, fellowship, discernment and celebration.
Great Plains Yearly Meeting: 100th anniversary celebration; panel of associated Friends organization leaders: Margaret Frasier of FWCC, Michael Wajda of FGC, Sylvia Graves of FUM, Mary Ellen McNish of AFSC and Joe Volk of FCNL; historical presentations.
Indiana Yearly Meeting: gathered at Quaker Haven Camp under the theme “I Want to Know Christ …” from Philippians 3:10; plenary sessions included a Concert of Prayer led by Keith Huffman and messages on knowing Christ in worship, service and celebration shared by Jackie Michaelson, David Brock and Doug Shoemaker.
Iowa Yearly Meeting: Evening programs (skits, youth praise band and cake!); youth involvement and enthusiasm; getting to know Sam and Becky Barber, new FUM field staff to Belize; strong emphasis on missions and those called to this work; Ron Bryan; Ruthie Tippin’s spirited support of FUM.
Jamaica Yearly Meeting: young people led the choruses; Nelly Molloy spoke for the Charles Vincent Lecture on “Staying in There” — encouraging members to remain faithful and courageous in the faith; a panel discussion led by young Friends on what it means to be a renewed individual.
New England Yearly Meeting: Ernestine Buscemi’s keynote address; workshops; responses to the “minute of commitment”; strong youth program (250-300 attended). New York Yearly Meeting: The theme of intergenerational community brought Friends together in new and creative ways during the sessions; Eden Grace, FUM field staff, led the daily Bible study.
North Carolina Yearly Meeting: John Porter’s keynote address; Jan Wood as Bible study leader and Sunday speaker; Randy Quate’s Bible study; strong young Friends program (250 attended).
Southeastern Yearly Meeting: The Walton Lecture workshop and retreat: “Foundations of Liberal Quakerism,” presented by Steve Angell; the Friday night intergenerational folk dance; a reader’s theater production of “What I Heard About Iraq.”
Wilmington Yearly Meeting: Joseph Mamai Makokha’s report at the USFW banquet on the subject of violence prevention in Kenya and his work as chairman of the Friends Church Peace Team; recording the gifts of ministry of four individuals; the Quaker Heritage Center display of pencil sketches by Marty Leigh of all the meetinghouses in Wilmington Yearly Meeting.
Western Yearly Meeting: 150th anniversary celebration; Max Carter’s Bible study; Tom Hamm’s Quaker Lecture on “Luminous Friends”; John Punshon’s Sunday worship; Judy Davis as the missions speaker.
FUM
General Board Meeting, October 2008
Each triennium, yearly meetings appoint new representatives to the FUM General Board. October marked the first meeting of the new board that will be in place through the triennial sessions in 2011. New board members came to Richmond, Indiana, early the week of October 6 for a day of orientation which included a tour of the FUM campus, a skit written and performed by FUM staff members, a history of the organization, a discussion of the role of board members as well as worship and monthly meeting with the staff. Highlights of board sessions included the approval of a new presiding clerk, Kelly Kellum of North Carolina Yearly Meeting (pictured), and a new assistant clerk, Cliff Loesch of Great Plains Yearly Meeting. The general secretary reported on an upcoming project that will include raising $15,000 to send much-needed medical equipment to our hospitals in Kenya. The global ministries report included updates on the aftermath of the hurricane that hit Cuba and the money license we have to carry up to $75,000 to Cuba Yearly Meeting to aid them in rebuilding Friends communities. The communications report emphasized the need for donations to the general fund which supports Quaker Life magazine, Friends United Press, brochures and other mailings. The development report built upon the need of support for the general fund with a PowerPoint presentation highlighting the various resources available from FUM. This PowerPoint is available to monthly and yearly meetings, as well as individuals and other groups. We continue to look for a principal for Friends Theological College and are excited about the appointment of Sam and Becky Barber to Belize. The General Board will meet again in Richmond in February 2009.
FEET:
Friends Energizing and Equipping Together
By Kim Newlin, FUM Development Officer
Friends United Meeting recently sent out a mailing filled with feet. Lots of feet! The booklet included 16 pages of information about the resources, products, services and staff members that are part of the Richmond, Indiana, and Kisumu, Kenya, offices. (If you haven’t received this booklet, please call or e-mail and we’ll get one out to you right away.)
Why send this to you? This booklet is our 2009 case for support, our tool for making you aware of the resources available to you and your meetings, as well as the financial needs to continue those ministries. You may already be aware that field staff raise their own support to cover living expenses (for themselves and their families) while working in the field. The case for support is the Richmond (plus John Muhanji in Kisumu, Kenya) staff’s vehicle for raising our own support.
Why feet? Many hours of brainstorming, planning and formatting went into the creation of the case for support. Last year our case highlighted each staff member, opening the door for our partners to get to know who is doing the work on their behalf. This year we wanted to highlight the resources that carry the good news of the work being done on behalf of FUM around the world. FEET, Friends Energizing and Equipping Together, are a reminder that we are God’s feet in the world, bringing a message of love and compassion to others.
Know that your participation is key to the continuation of these ministries. Know that we are thankful for you and for your generosity. Be assured that we are all FEET!
Connecting Friends Around the World
The annual Chain of Prayer begins January 1 and continues through Pentecost Sunday, May 31, 2009. Meetings in North America, Africa, Cuba, Jamaica, Ramallah and Belize make a “Chain of Prayer” by signing up for a day to pray for the ministries of FUM as well as its member monthly meetings. Some Meetings have special prayer gatherings, others ask individuals to sign up for half-hour time slots and many take up a special offering for the ministries of Friends United Meeting. The Chain of Prayer is an annual event that engages FUM constituents in global partnerships through prayer. For more information or to sign up your Meeting, visit FUM’s Web site: www.fum.org or contact Kim Schull: (765) 962-7573.
Your
Pennies are Going Places!
As of September 10, $4,620.85 worth of pennies has been raised for FUM’s Summer Mission Project: Pennies for Postage! Thanks to your pennies, books and curriculum (nearly 1,200 pounds worth!) will be sent to Kenya, Cuba, Jamaica, Belize and Ramallah. We didn’t quite reach our goal of $5,000, so keep collecting those pennies! Read these stories to see how much fun Meetings are having collecting pennies for this project and others!
“Ours is a small Meeting and at the present time we have no regular attending children. We sent letters to our members explaining what our intentions were, to participate in FUM’s Summer Mission Project and collect “Pennies for Postage,” and asked for help in reaching children in their families or neighborhoods. Our pastor handed out flyers to children in the church’s neighborhood. We came up with some unique programs, stories, crafts and refreshments. We all worked together and for the small amount of children we reached, I feel they were enriched. We also opened the collection to all our members and provided a container that they could put their spare change into. We pray that God blesses this work and ask for prayers for our Meeting that we find ways to reach families with children.” — First Friends, Noblesville
“Our pastor reported 84 kids attended VBS. They sent 16 soccer balls to the Jamaica Boy’s Home and collected $600 for ‘Pennies for Postage.’” — Westfield Friends
“In June our church started a project. Our USFW group decided that if everyone in our church could give $2 a month, then we could give $100 a month for the Adopt-a-Bed program in Lugulu. We passed out empty peanut butter jars and asked everyone to please dump in their spare change. We thought even the children might earn enough to be able to give $2 a month. Well, we started a little slow, but then some people gave more than $2 and we combined the project with ‘Pennies for Postage.’ We will continue this project into the coming year.” — Sandcreek-Azalia Friends
Partnerships
in Jamaica
By Terri Johns, FUM Program Manager
I thought a lot about partnerships before my first visit to Jamaica in August of 2008. Jamaica Yearly Meeting (JYM) and Friends United Meeting have had a rather loose partnership in the past with on-again, off-again support. My time in Jamaica was spent meeting the people, visiting the projects and beginning to build some relationships of my own.
As with any new relationship, I asked a lot of questions, ate the food they offered (salt fish for breakfast was a new one for me), slept in their homes and dormitories and offered my exposed skin to the mosquitoes to become better acquainted. Bottom line is, I put myself in their culture and absorbed all that I could take in within the few days I was there.
I also met with the committee who was working on the JYM strategic plan to get a sense of where they were in this process and what was ahead. I listened, I learned and I asked more questions. It wasn’t my job or my place to tell them how things should be done. After all, this was Jamaica, not the United States. Worship was going to look different and because of that pastoral ministry would not look the same as what I was used to in the United States. That’s the beauty of God’s creation. We’re not all the same, nor should we strive to be the same.
I didn’t come away from that meeting with all my questions answered, but neither did they have all their concerns met. In a relationship or partnership, it is a continual revisiting of the issues to make sure we are on the same track, and the right track. We did make progress and came away with a sense of where we are going, but it will take more meetings for them and more visits from me to get the details worked out as to how we might work together. And, it must be together. It must be in partnership.
FUM should not do it for them. If FUM sends people to Jamaica to take over as if we have all the answers, how does that acknowledge and develop the many gifts and strengths that are evident in JYM? On the other hand, if FUM does nothing, we neglect our brothers and sisters and all they have to offer us. In a partnership, as well as a relationship, there is a give and take. There is an offering of gifts and recognition of strengths. There is a shared sense of purpose and accountability on both sides.
We have a ways to go to complete a plan and to put some accountability in place for this partnership. As in all relationships, the communication lines must remain open and the structure remain flexible to change as the needs change. The ultimate goal, though, is to use the gifts and resources available to each of us to energize Jamaica Yearly Meeting, to add numbers to their meetings and to become better equipped in serving their congregations. Neither JYM nor FUM has all the answers. That’s why we need each other. That’s why it’s called a partnership.
Terri Johns serves as FUM’s program manager, working closely with field staff and mission sites around the globe. She lives in Richmond, Indiana, with her husband and four children and enjoys weekends with her step-sons.
Hurricane
Ike Makes Landfall in Cuba:
FUM Accepting Relief Donations
Hurricane Ike washed over Cuba in early September wreaking havoc on homes and buildings throughout the island. Repairs are underway, but the cost is high. The demand for food and supplies is great because much damage was sustained. With very little building material to be had on the island, supplies must be imported, increasing the cost. The United States government has opened the door for Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to apply for licenses to take money to Cuba for humanitarian aid, and FUM has done just that. We have the license to carry up to $75,000 for food, medicine and building relief for the meetinghouses and pastoral houses in Cuba. Linda Garrison and Terri Johns will make a quick trip to Cuba in early December to carry funds. Our Cuba work team leaves in January to work on reconstruction of one of the damaged buildings and will carry any remaining funds at that time.
Below is a brief narrative of Hurricane Ike’s devastation:
On September 9, Ruthanna Vallejo (cousin of Ramón González-Longoria, Ramon is clerk of Cuba Yearly Meeting) sent news of Cuba and Hurricane Ike: “Hurricane Ike made landfall in Gibara, Cuba, last night. My last communication with them was at 8 p.m. There is no way to contact them as the phone lines are down. However, I was able to talk to my aunt Eirena, who lives in Moa and she told me of the devastation around her town. She has been unable to reach Gibara and she told me that her last conversation with them was around one a.m. She said that the ocean rushed into the city and the winds were fierce at that time. The people in that area were evacuated and brought to the church in Gibara. We also know that the roof on the church in Holguin caved in and Puerto Padre has serious damage to its roof as well. Until we have communication with Gibara we won’t know what kind of damage they have, all we know is that a lot of people were evacuated from their homes and went to the church in Gibara for safety. Please keep them in your prayers and hope we hear from them soon.”
On September 10, Maria Yi, pastor of Holguin Friends, said the devastation in Cuba was immense: “In Holguin, the church lost the roof and the pastor’s house suffered heavy damages. The church doors in Gibara flew off and there is extensive damage inside as well as to the pastor’s house. God was with them during the storm as they all took shelter in the new building. The phone lines are down so there is no contact with Banes, Puerto Padre, Velasco, Delicias, etc. It is believed that there is extensive damage to all. There’s no electricity, water is off and food is not to be found. The government stated they would not help any religious institution in making repairs. The good news is that everyone is fine and now it is our turn to help them rebuild. I don’t know how but I know we will.”
On September 14, we heard from Ramón González-Longoria, and his wife, Rosario, who live in Gibara. They spoke of the massive destruction of homes in many communities of eastern Cuba, but were thankful there were no deaths. There is a concern about food shortages. Banes, Retrete, Vista Alegre, Bocas and Floro Perez are undamaged. The most serious damage to Meeting buildings is in Puerto Padre where a tree fell on the church roof and it is in danger of collapse. The parsonage has lost many roof tiles. The roof of the Velasco church building is gone. Gibara has lost part of the church roof. The wind broke through the doors and went out through the roof. The parsonage is okay. The new dorms were used as shelter for refugees. The roof of the church and the parsonage in Holguin were lost. Delicias lost its tin roof but they have the sheet metal to restore it. During the storm, the new buildings constructed in recent years were very useful as shelters for refugees. Well over 100 people were sheltered in both Banes and Gibara, and about 90 in Retrete (amazing to anyone who’s seen how small it is!).
Ramon felt the plans for the Quaker Ruins in Holguin are likely to be postponed. (This is the site of the new yearly meeting building begun in January 2008.) Even though the need for food and medical supplies is an obvious concern, Ramon and Rosario did not spend a lot of time on it, but emphasized the need for spiritual support. They’re already making jokes and keeping spirits high. They trust we are praying for them and are grateful.