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Friends United
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January/February 2010
Sacred Moments by Sylvia Graves, FUM General Secretary
General Board Meets and Affirms the Future of FUM as a Christian Organization
Update on FUM Ministries in Jamaica
FUM Identity Addressed at October Board Meeting
Upcoming Events
Students Reflect on Friends Theological College
Spiritual Life at Friends Theological College
What's a Friend Like You (a Friend from a Strictly Unprogrammed Meeting Tradition) doing in a Place like This (an African Orthodox Christian Quaker Church)? — Tales from a Volunteer
Indiana Meetings Seek Creative Solutions through the Ministerial Excellence InitiativeCorrection: Kevin-Douglas Olive was incorrectly referred to as the clerk of Homewood Friends Meeting in the November/December 2009 issue of Quaker Life (p. 29). He is actually the clerk of Ministry & Worship, not of the meeting.
Sacred
Moments
By Sylvia Graves, General Secretary
One constant in my life has been my connection to West Newton Monthly Meeting of Friends near Indianapolis, Indiana. The sermons, quiet worship, music, Sunday School classes, youth group and Quaker business procedures have provided the standard by which all my spiritual experiences have been measured. The people there have provided for my growth, encouraged me in ministry, taught me the importance of serving God in all I do and have modeled taking God’s love around the world. West Newton Friends Meeting is my spiritual home. But it’s not the same as it used to be.
Since I can remember, we have followed the same worship routine. For over 50 years we had a really talented and accomplished choir, but it has faded away. Many of the young adults, including my own children, moved out of state after college. Many of our spiritual pillars have passed on. We have a few children but they all wish there were more kids their age. We’ve had some new families over the years, but our overall attendance has dwindled to less than 25. The space between the people in the pews is getting wider and wider. Sound familiar?
We understand that an attendance of 25 is more than many struggling meetings, but we have wanted to be intentional about choosing our direction rather than just dwindling away. We made some attempts at self-evaluation and goal setting, but they have not shown measurable improvements. For the past four or five years we have given considerable thought to finding a new way to function. We have openly explored the idea of combining with one or two of our neighboring Friends meetings, but haven’t felt clear to do that. So, early last spring, we put out the word that our agenda for a regular meeting for business would include a discussion about our options that might even result in closing our doors. No one predicted the outcome of that meeting.
After some time given to the idea of gathering for worship in a smaller place, perhaps even in homes, people decided that the meetinghouse was the most central location. After some discussion of closing the doors and allowing everyone to find a new place on their own, people expressed how much the fellowship of these F/friends meant to them — they didn’t want to part. Finally, someone suggested that we “reinvent” ourselves. So that’s what happened.
We moved out of the pews in the sanctuary to the fellowship hall where we put our chairs in a circle. We told our pastor he didn’t have to prepare a sermon and preach and, in fact, we’d rather he didn’t. We stopped putting the hymn numbers in the bulletin and started taking requests, even from the children. And we decided to release all the committees and deal with the business of the meeting as a whole, except when it is helpful to appoint a task group.
The pressure is off. The Spirit seems free to move. We have people speaking in meeting for worship who seldom, if ever, spoke before. For now it feels right to us. Everyone feels welcome and is welcome. We have loosened the old boundaries and been released from our old habits. Now our group is growing a bit. Now we feel encouraged rather than discouraged. The spark seems to be rekindled. The old kind of Quakerism seems new again.
General
Board Meets and Affirms the Future of FUM as a Christian Organization
By Micah Bales, Young Adult Friends Representative
I traveled to Richmond, Indiana, this past October for a meeting of the Friends United Meeting General Board. The board meets three times a year, but this year there was one more meeting than usual, a called meeting held at Stony Point, New York, late in September. I was not able to be present at this called meeting, as my wife, Faith, and I had just returned from our honeymoon. The mood of our last regular meeting in June had been troubled, and a special meeting was called for board members to thresh out our shared difficulties and help us come to a clearer place in our ongoing discernment about God’s will for Friends United Meeting as an organization and as a fellowship.
As Friends began to arrive at our meeting this October, I realized that some serious work had been done at Stony Point. In June, many board members had been uncertain about the value of continuing FUM in its present form, suggesting that a “redemptive separation” might be necessary. Now, however, the board was united in love and respect for one another. I saw evidence of a deep willingness to bear one another’s burdens and seek the will of God together, even as many of us have sharp disagreements. I experienced the presence of genuine love among the board members, calling us into greater patience and humility.
There were some important affirmations made at Stony Point that were restated at our meetings this October. The first, and most foundational, is that we are convinced that God still has a purpose for FUM. At the Stony Point meeting, Friends came together and openly examined whether it might be time for FUM to change drastically in composition, or to be laid down entirely. Friends waited together to hear whether God did indeed have “a hope and a future” for Friends United Meeting as an organization and as a Christian fellowship. The answer that they heard was, yes. We sense a call to continued work together and to continued relationship with one another as Friends United Meeting.
Another important affirmation that came out of Stony Point and was restated this October is that FUM is a Christian association. For many years, the question had been held up: “What is FUM?” The alternatives that I usually heard given were: “Are we a denomination? An association? A non-governmental relief organization?” This fall, the FUM General Board has reached clarity that we are a Christian association, which, “does not have the ‘right’ to impose an authoritative will or doctrine upon constituent members.” Whatever pretensions Five Years Meeting/Friends United Meeting ever had to be a decision-making body for its constituent yearly meetings, any such notions have now been definitively set aside. The FUM General Board does not pretend to impose itself in the decision-making processes of yearly meetings.
My sense from this meeting is that there has been a breakthrough in FUM this fall. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the General Board has been freed from the spirits of division, suspicion and enmity that have for so long plagued this body. While we acknowledge that there are still deep differences in understandings both within and between the yearly meetings of FUM, the Lord has opened the hearts of those on the General Board and granted us the Spirit of love and unity. Praise God for the work of Christ in our midst!
Update
on FUM Ministries in Jamaica
Terri Johns and Sylvia Graves travelled to Jamaica on separate occasions in 2009 to convey the support of FUM without steering the ministries there in any particular direction, at the same time encouraging Jamaica Yearly Meeting (JYM) and Friends Education Council (FEC) to determine their goals and strategies for change and then see if FUM could be of assistance.
Meanwhile, there has been some interest expressed in North Carolina Yearly Meeting (NCYM) to partner with JYM in the area of leadership development. A proposal for how that might take shape is developing, but has not yet been approved. It remains undefined how FUM and NCYM would work together to advocate for this ministry, channel donations, etc.
In our FUM General Board meeting in October it was agreed that FUM should (1) nurture/encourage NCYM’s interest in taking on more responsibility for ministry in JYM and (2) give up our seat on FEC and leave the business of the restoration of the ministries at Swift-Purscell and Lyndale children’s homes to FEC/JYM. Both decisions reflect the past three years of deliberations in the General Board to align our diminishing resources with our ministries in ways that help us do what we do well and let go those areas we are struggling to manage. The board does not want to abandon JYM, but feels like rebuilding support for the homes would be a discouraging venture.
FUM
Identity Addressed at October Board Meeting
By Sylvia Graves, General Secretary
Since 2006, when our General Board began work on a Strategic Plan to guide the work of FUM, the board has continued its discussion on the identity of FUM. Of the four areas of focus for the strategic plan (Administration, Communication, Evangelism and Identity), it was the Identity group that struggled on and on to find a sense of completion. It was a letter to the Board a year ago signed by the Superintendents of five yearly meetings that steered the Board toward deeper seeking and more candid conversations to identify the “elephants” in the room and place them on the table.
At the June 2009 meeting, it was approved for the Executive Committee, Finance Committee and Trustees to meet and work on a proposal for improving the function and effectiveness of FUM in ways that address the issues of membership, finances and even use of property. Twenty board members gathered in New York for two days in September to work on a proposal which was presented to the General Board in October. Whereas the details of the new plan are not yet defined, we approved taking steps to prune our tasks to reflect those we can manage well (given our financial and human resources) and realign our financial requests for ministry so that they more accurately reflect the actual cost of that ministry. A task force was appointed to work out the details to present at the February General Board meeting.
Some people left the meeting saying it was the best they had attended because they felt that board members exhibited gentleness, felt led by the Holy Spirit to unite in doing our work and seemed to realize that some conflicts are never going to change. By recognizing that our central purpose is to follow Christ we have enough in common to move ahead.
More extensive than normal updates from each of the ministry fields and reports from Field Staff brought us greater perspective on the work of FUM. (Highlights from those reports can be found on pages 23-26.)
The next General Board meeting will be held at Powell House in New York on the second weekend of February 2010. The June meeting will be moved to July and will follow the USFWI/Quaker Men triennial sessions in Kenya where we will have our second joint meeting with FUM’s African representatives.
The Art of Faith Workshop
Hosted by J. Brent Bill and Beth Booram
Quaker Hill Conference Center, Richmond, Indiana
February 20, 2010
Transforming Hearts Month
To raise funds for Kenyan Peace Curriculum
www.fum.org/contributions
February
Quakers Uniting in Publications
Annual Gathering and Writers Conference
Quaker Hill Conference Center, Richmond, Indiana
April 21-25, 2010
Young Adult Friends Gathering
University Friends Meeting, Wichita, Kansas
May 28-31, 2010
USFWI/Quaker Men Triennial
Sun N Sand Beach Resort, Mombasa, Kenya
July 1-4, 2010
Extend your stay in Kenya and visit FUM project partners for 2–10 day
tours following the Triennial. Visit www.fum.org for more information.
Students Reflect on Friends Theological College
“FTC has produced pastors, evangelists, Christian educators, chaplains, social justice workers, peacemakers and other church leaders for the entire continent of Africa. FTC is located in the western province of Kenya. It neighbors other institutions … founded by Quaker missionaries who began their work at Kaimosi in 1902. FTC is surrounded by a green canopy natural forest, a habitat for African monkeys. It is the only place where the black and the white monkey species are found. The weather is always cool and conducive for the academic work.” — Edward Aligula
“FTC has inspired me to motivate a church in such a way that the needy are being cared for. I intend to be a model to the youth for a bright future — many of our young people are lost for lack of knowledge. I am praying for God to intervene in me so that I may create a positive impact on my nation till all people turn to worship the Lord our God.” — Ogot Benedict
“FTC has students of diverse background and we get to learn from one another. Some students come from Congo, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda. This is indeed a blessing of diversity. From this we learn what God has done as far as his wonderfulness is concerned. … FTC has indeed changed my life and I encourage whoever wants or aspires to be in leadership to consider FTC as a center of spiritual and academic excellence. May God bless you as we work together to fulfill the great commission.” — Rodgers Wekesi
“The college began in 1942 with certificate and diploma programs. Another program was begun in the year 2007. This is the degree program. We being the pioneer class, we do not see ourselves just ending at this level, but we wish for it to proceed on and on. We understand that nothing good comes in an easy way. We are strong and determined with confidence in God knowing that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13)” — Henry Agalomba Sabatia
“The degree program at FTC is faced with a lot of opposition. We are often discouraged from pursuing a ‘valueless’ certificate. However, a few of us are committed to complete the course despite the fact that some students have ceased to continue with the training. I appreciate all the missionaries who planted this theological college here at Kaimosi. I thank all the principals both from the USA and Kenya who have contributed much to the growth of the college. Regardless of the challenges we are experiencing now, our commitment to the Lord’s call defines our today and future victory as servants of Christ.” — Josephat Muchele
“The growth of the college since 1942 has included changing from one name to the other. It was first called Kaimosi Friends Mission, later Friends Bible Institute, and finally it is now being called Friends Theological College. My interest is in the mission of Friends Theological College: to equip dynamic preachers and informed educators by preparing theologically gifted students for further study, even elsewhere in our African continent or in the overseas continents.” — John Sirengo
“I personally appreciate the efforts of FUM and other individuals that are willing to donate to help sustain the college and the students. As the college grows the margin of needs widen, calling for more funding. From the principals Rich Davis, Patrick Nugent, Ben and Jody Richmond and present Ann Riggs, supported by FUM, we are seeing great positive changes in infrastructure, spiritual life and academics. Thank you to FUM and individual Friends who enable us to have an opportunity to study at FTC.” — Kepher Shikuku
“The Principal Ann Riggs is an American lady within this locality but with the virtue of a mother’s love toward the FTC community. She has passed challenges and has brightly magnified programs, flourishing the college. … Ann Riggs wants to ensure the college receives high learning standardized facilities, including Microsoft for computers and revised library editions. She also wants to leave behind a bond between FTC and other Friends universities in the USA. Ann Riggs deserves thanks and God bless her to time indefinite.” — Nick Obaga
“As a fourth year degree student, life at FTC is not that smooth. There is need for friends within and without to help students pay fees. Right now there is a shortage of staff and other facilities like computers, classrooms, etc. It’s my prayer that whoever reads this article will see the need and help save the college in one way or the other. Many students after completion of their studies are suffering from unemployment since the Kenyan Quaker church does not employ pastors; it is done only in two or three yearly meetings.” — Kutima Francis
“Friends Theological College is a community full of friends rather than enemies. FTC always makes sure that each member is informed. Loving one another is also emphasized just like Christ taught. Furthermore, we have good relationships between tutors and students, teaching staff and the non-teaching staff. What may be lacking in the college is computer literacy. I do say that the FTC management team should look into this concern with great interest. Therefore, I appeal to all FTC members to be good ambassadors of the college for it to continue growing to the highest level of our expectation.” — Nakalila Carolyne
“Training pastors should not be perceived as a waste of time. It is an investment. It may appear costly in the short run but in the long term a highly trained and contented human resource is very beneficial. Henceforth, a church that is not developing new skills by encouraging and supporting its staff in training programs is preparing for failure. Congratulations to FTC that offers theological training to pastors all over the world.” — Pamela Igesa, FTC chaplain
Spiritual
Life at Friends Theological College
By Namaswa John Majimbo, FTC Degree Student
Having joined Friends Theological College (FTC) last year, there is one thing that I strongly look forward to — the start of each day at the college chapel. Students gather after breakfast at 7:30 a.m. for daily worship. The worship and praise team leads the college community in 15 minutes of singing with the accompaniment of musical instruments. How wonderful it is to see everyone including the administration and faculty members participating! It is a joyful experience and because the chapel is next to the road even passersby move slowly as they enjoy our music.
The week is divided into different worship activities as follows:
Monday — Students and faculty members offer music presentations either as individuals or small groups. The way time flies by, not all presentations are heard as everyone is eager to participate. As music is the medicine of the heart, we leave the chapel in very high spirits.
Tuesday — This is a day of theme exploration. Every month the college chaplain gives out a theme to be explored. My goodness how we look forward to those sessions as pastors put their training skills in practice!
Wednesday — This is a special day as students experience spiritual refreshment and academic relief. The faculty offers a sermon in the morning. In the afternoon we have convocation, normally a guest speaker or faculty member who facilitates group discussion. Here we reflect together on a theme from the Bible, share our joy and struggles as our Christian witness and provide spiritual aid and prayers to encourage one another.
Thursday — This is a day set aside for prayer. Individual members put forward different prayer items. Everyone prays and as we come before the Lord the experience is so strong that we physically feel the power of the Holy Spirit working within us. Among the things we pray for is the church to grow and to evangelize the whole world for the purpose of glorifying God.
Friday — Students always deliver sermons on Friday.
Sunday — This is a day for practical ministry where students leave early to offer services to the wider community, in particular to nearby Friends meetings and institutions like Kaimosi primary school, special schools and Friends Hospital Kaimosi. Here the trainees are helped to gain meaningful experience as they share the word and pray with the outside world. Every student is eager to minister on Sundays.
In conclusion, I would like to say that besides the academic and social skills gained at FTC, the spiritual life nurtured during the whole week is very meaningful.
What’s a Friend like You (a Friend from a Strictly Unprogrammed Meeting Tradition) doing in a Place like This (an African Orthodox Christian Quaker Church)? — Tales from an FUM Volunteer
By Lisa Stewart
My 2005 leading to “check out” FUM and learn what “those Friends” were all about propelled me into an amazing spiritual journey. In 2008 my clearness committee at Palm Beach Monthly Meeting approved supporting my leading to be “an unprogrammed Quaker visiting among programmed Friends.” I felt I was supposed to simply go to listen and be Present. At that time none of us could have predicted where that would lead. What began at the FUM Triennial in Des Moines has taken me to Kenya for a General Board meeting, to North Carolina for a Triennial, and twice more to Kenya for three months each as volunteer field staff working out of the Africa Ministries Office.
When I first set foot in Kenya, I was overwhelmed by the strangeness of it all. The smells, sounds, colors, languages, villages, people, traffic, all were something I had never before experienced. I’d seen photos and news clips but they were nothing compared to experiencing it all first hand. It seemed every 100 feet was a new photo op so my camera chips were filled to the max and my notebooks were loaded.
While there I attempted to participate in everything I possibly could. I listened and asked questions. I learned about Kenyan Quakers and Kenyan culture. Today Kenya feels like home and I can’t wait to go back. I’ve learned that the Friends there are not all that different from us in Southeastern Yearly Meeting. Surely, on the surface, it looks like we’re not even in the same pew let alone the same church. But scratch below the surface and one realizes that we are all seeking the same experience — inner peace through a closer connection to God and a commitment to Friends’ Testimonies.
The Africa Ministries Office (AMO) is an incredibly exciting place to work. Every day presents something new, sometimes easily handled and sometimes quite challenging. The staff members have different skills which balance one another well and I detect loving respect for one another in a Spirit-centered environment. I believe they all work for the glory of God. The routine receipt of the monthly wires and funneling those funds into the different partner projects gives one an appreciation for just how much these missions cost and just how critical are the donor monies from the United States.
The AMO routinely handles dozens of tasks daily. A very few of the ones in which I was involved were: organizing the 16 yearly meetings into a cohesive whole, working with yearly meetings to standardize pastor salaries, nurture the Uganda Yearly Meeting, visit and show support to yearly meetings, attend “harambees” (fundraisers), coordinate the education secretaries’ and general secretaries’ efforts, establish a Peace Curriculum in Friends schools and keep Friends Church Peace Teams viable in an effort to avoid violent reactions to future elections.
Two of the more unusual tasks that I had not anticipated were Friendly hospitality and Quakerism workshops. Many Friends from all over the United States and elsewhere pass through Kisumu on their way to one project or another. Eden and James Grace have made hospitality a part of their ministry so, in turn, it also became a part of mine. Being able to meet Friends at the little airport and offer overnight accommodations is helpful to visitors and the tales of their travels and their ministries enriches our lives. I loved learning how Quakers at the United Nations are studying the peacemaking process in Kenya, how a Friend is making and distributing BioSand water filters to provide potable water for Friends’ hospitals and communities, the variety of volunteers who come to work on the Peace Center building and what would spur a young man from Guilford College to teach computer applications in a Kenyan Friends school. One house guest didn’t even know about Quakers until she visited us; she had just heard from a friend that John Muhanji would be a good person to contact when she came to do research for her dissertation.
The most special visitors during my stay, however, were the North Americans who came as part of the Peace Curriculum writing teams. The four from George Fox University came to meet with representatives from all 210 Friends secondary schools to finalize the curriculum they and the Kenyans had been working on for over a year. Friends all over should be thrilled to learn that the Kenyan Minister of Education approved the curriculum and suggested that if it is successful in Friends schools the Education Ministry will place it in all the schools in Kenya!
Shortly after the George Fox team left, we hosted four more North American Friends who came to lay the groundwork on a Peace Curriculum for Friends elementary schools. There are more than 1,000 of them. Their leader, Charlotte Stangeland, came from William Penn University where she teaches curriculum development. Accompanying her were her husband, Lloyd, and Rich and Sandy Davis who lived in Kenya for five years when Rich was principal at Friends Theological College. Besides generating great enthusiasm for this project among elementary school principals and teachers, it was also a valuable experience for the five of us. Although we came from very different branches of Quakerism, we learned that love and respect grow in relationships when the Holy Spirit is invited to participate. We acknowledged that any trepidation we might have anticipated about our traveling together was shortly laid to rest. We attended several yearly meetings, worship services and someone offered a prayer of gratitude before all meals — all in the vocal tradition. Just before our last dinner together, Rich said, “Let us honor Lisa’s tradition tonight by praying in silence and listening to what God has to say.” I was so touched I could hardly pray.
The other unexpected project in which I found myself more and more involved was leading workshops on Quakerism and particularly open worship. I guess you might say it all started four or five years ago when Central Yearly Meeting sent their then general secretary, Evans Nyenzo, to a seminar in Australia. While there, Evans experienced silent worship every day for over a week and thought it so valuable that he wanted to share it with his yearly meeting. He didn’t want to change their church services, he just wanted to enrich their spiritual lives. So, in 2008, when he learned that I was in Kenya, Evans asked me to speak about Quaker history, faith and practice to his pastors. When I asked him how many, I thought he said eight. It turned out to be 80!
With the help of the writings of our dear Friends, John Punshon, Howard Brinton and Wilmer Cooper, I was able to give them an overview of Quaker history, Friends’ Testimonies (they call them “values”) and silent worship. Subsequently, a group of Friends from that area, including Evans, wanted to try silent worship but were reluctant to try it on their own. They felt they needed more information as well as guidance so they waited another year until I returned.
This past summer when I did go back I met with 24 Friends in the Lwanda Friends Church. I shared with them more information about open worship, including the many quotes from Scripture that suggest a direct connection with the Divine is possible. They seemed eager to try and, at first, felt that five minutes would be long enough. When I suggested that they were now ready to proceed on their own they protested, insisting they were not ready. They wanted very much to continue but still had many questions. They were not clear about what to do and what was supposed to happen so we arranged another session the following Friday. That night, one woman called me to say thank you and to tell me she loved me. She said she spoke to God for the first time in her life and told him things she had never before been able to tell anyone.
I ended up returning to Lwanda to worship with them in silence four more times. They are now sitting in worship every second and fourth Friday for 30 minutes each time. Because of their interest in one of the books I was carrying, Friends for 350 Years, by Howard Brinton, I pledged to send them some copies to use for discussion on the days they worship. At the time I had no idea how I would manage to fulfill this promise. Happily, upon my return to the States, Southeastern Yearly Meeting gave me some money to support my ministry and it was exactly enough to buy and ship one copy for everyone in the group.
In conclusion, I want to share with you something so interesting that John Muhanji told me when I commented about how much I admired the Lwanda Friends Church pastor. He not only welcomed a stranger into his church but fully participated without feeling threatened. John told me that Friends who are already steeped in Scripture, and are already committed to living a life dedicated to God, would also be familiar with the concept of silent worship. He said these Christians would embrace it more readily than someone who has little familiarity with the Bible.
Now when I ask myself, “What am I — a Friend from a strictly unprogrammed meeting tradition — doing in an African orthodox Christian Quaker church?” I know I am right where I belong.
Indiana
Meetings Seek Creative Solutions through the Ministerial Excellence Initiative
By Matthew Hisrich, IYM ministerial advocate
Part of the mission of the Indiana Yearly Meeting is “to do cooperatively the tasks which can best be done together.” One of the opportunities along these lines that arose recently was the chance to apply to the Lilly Endowment in Indianapolis to be part of a collection of denominational groups starting funds to assist pastors with their financial burdens. The result is IYM’s Ministerial Excellence Initiative (MEI), launched in January 2009.
The MEI has three main goals: (1) support and incentivize meetings to engage in discernment that will find creative solutions to meeting needs and vitality; (2) educate pastors and meetings to promote greater awareness and understanding of the financial issues facing pastors, and how freedom from financial stress can lead to increased pastor well-being and meeting vitality; and (3) alleviate financial burdens to aid and encourage continuation of qualified people in ministry.
Already, 11 monthly meetings have taken advantage of this opportunity, providing over $45,000 in new financial support for pastors. Below is a bit about some of these:
- One of the meetings contacted the yearly meeting as part of their effort to call a new pastor. After hearing a presentation on the Ministerial Excellence Initiative at their monthly meeting, they applied for and received a matching grant from the MEI for health care and called the pastor candidate they were considering. After the pastor’s arrival, the Initiative has allowed him the chance to review his compensation package and assist in getting him connected to both health insurance agents and financial advisers as he works to make the transition to a new pastoral call.
- At another meeting, the pastor felt his meeting took good care of him, but he was not contributing to retirement and he had to have a second job to make ends meet. In addition, he had children in college and was himself finishing his Master of Divinity degree. After talking over the matter with the meeting’s treasurer, we began a series of conversations to determine what would be the most helpful grant to apply for. The meeting soon after applied for and received a match to help with retirement savings.
- One pastor we worked with dove right into ministry when he got the call. He now has a collection of seminary course work under his belt, but he also has an almost completed undergraduate degree. Both he and his meeting are anxious for him to finish his undergraduate work so that he can put that behind him and concentrate on seminary training. By agreeing to put up a sum toward his expenses, the meeting was able to apply for a grant that would match their contribution dollar for dollar. In June, they received their acceptance letter and their pastor is now going to be able to complete his degree much sooner than would otherwise be possible.
- Another meeting was struggling with three big challenges: the loss of a pastor, declining attendance and a building in need of significant repairs. A pastor with a heart for such meetings soon took on the charge of pastoral ministry, and engaged in numerous creative methods to reach out to the community and renew the spiritual lives of the congregation. The meeting is now averaging 40 on Sundays. Part of this process was and continues to be working with the yearly meeting to receive assistance in the form of an evangelism and outreach grant, coordinating with the Friends Disaster Service for help with church repairs and applying for and receiving a grant from the MEI to help pay off medical expenses.
These are just four examples of the kinds of assistance the Ministerial Excellence Initiative can offer. It’s easy to see that every meeting is different and has different needs and priorities. Thankfully, the grant process is flexible enough to meet them where they are. In fact, one of most inspiring stories coming out of the MEI so far is that of a meeting that was recently laid down. During the course of their discernment around this process, the members decided to include in their closing minute a request that proceeds from the sale of the parsonage be directed to the ongoing support of the Initiative. In the words of the pastor, “The work of this meeting as a group may have come to a close, but the work of Jesus Christ in Indiana Yearly Meeting has not.” At its best, a yearly meeting can serve as a unifying force among a diverse collection of monthly meetings serving in widely differing communities and contexts, issuing a prophetic call forward into a shared future in which we can accomplish more as distinct parts of one body of believers than as independent parts operating alone. The Ministerial Excellence Initiative offers an opportunity to act this out — “to do cooperatively the tasks which can best be done together.”