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Friends United
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Quaker Life
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| Between Friends | Contents |
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By Katie Terrell, Editor In September 2006 I applied for the position of marketing associate for Quaker Life magazine and Friends United Press. During the interview I was asked, “Why do you want to work for FUM in particular?” I’m embarrassed to admit the question stumped me. “Why FUM? What is FUM?” I wondered. I thought I was applying to work for Quaker Life, a magazine my family had subscribed to for years and which recently had published a couple of my articles. But FUM, I didn’t know who that was or how it related to Quaker Life, let alone why I would or would not want to work for them. It has been amazing to learn that my family history with FUM goes back to its beginnings. My great-aunt taught school for years in Cuba on behalf of FUM. My great-grandfather was a member of the board, serving such committees as those on peace, mission and education. His father was co-editor of the Christian Worker, which later became the American Friend, which is today Quaker Life magazine. My grandfather never missed Sunday worship at Fairview Friends Meeting in New Vienna, Ohio, where my dad is the current clerk and I am a member. I participate on the Wilmington Yearly Meeting nominating committee, attended Iowa Yearly Meeting sessions in 2008 and have brought the morning message to meetings in Indiana, Western and Wilmington yearly meetings. All of these connections make me part of the FUM family. Over the past two and a half years I have learned, “Why FUM?” Part of the answer is the long history my family has with FUM. But the other part is that I believe in the mission and the ministry of this organization. FUM does amazing work in Belize, Cuba, East Africa, Jamaica and Ramallah, as you read about in the November/December issue of Quaker Life. FUM also does amazing work in North America, connecting and informing through communications such as Quaker Life magazine, bringing Friends together in Triennial sessions and conducting its mission with the guidance of a General Board — representatives of a diverse group of yearly meetings who truly walk with God as guide. And yet so many of our constituents remain unable to answer, “Why FUM?” My experience — my ignorance — is not unique. Quaker Life readers, 30 yearly meetings and their affiliated monthly meeting members are all part of the FUM family, yet they may not even know it. They may not know, “Why FUM,” when in fact, they are FUM. This year I hope to use Quaker Life as an educational tool, informing and equipping readers about the history, the beliefs and the “whys” of FUM. I would love for you to continue the dialogue in your meetings and homes. Included in this issue are a historian’s view of FUM’s history that acknowledges a long trend of controversy (pp. 10–15), a grappling with the question of whether FUM is being faithful to its mission (pp. 21–23), stories of how others have come to work for FUM (pp. 16–20) and a prayer for discovering a way forward together (p. 42). I hope this issue helps you answer the question for yourself, “Why FUM?” |
10 Friends United
Meeting and its Identity: An Interpretative History 16 Leaving the Bank for the Mission Field: Called
to Friends United Meeting 20 A Home in FUM 21 Are We Faithful? 24 Jesus Weeps _______________________________ 6 Sacred Moments 7 News from Friends United Meeting 26 Ask Tom 27 Queries 28 News 29 Peace Notes 30 Reviews 32 Passages 36 Classifieds 50 Inspirations _______________________________ The answers to the question, why FUM, are the foundation, the building blocks of this international organization of Friends meetings and churches. We hope you will find this issue to be educational and informative, a study of the past, present and future of FUM.
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