Guidelines for a Parent Meeting
What Does It Mean to Have a Worship Group “Under the Care of the Meeting?”
Quakerism tends to be a grass roots religion. Worship groups have been known to spring up spontaneously, and grow into vital meetings on their own. But the process of germination and growth is helped enormously by the active involvement of an established meeting which takes the new worship group “under its care.”
What is involved in caring for a worship group? Here are some guidelines for meetings facing this question.
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It is important to remember that new worship groups are vital to the future of Quakerism. Established meetings should always be looking for opportunities to plant new worship groups, and should joyfully welcome such opportunities when they arise spontaneously. Sometimes meetings worry that they will be weakened if the energy of some of their members is diverted into a new worship group. Trying to hold on to members by discouraging them from creating their own worship group is an almost certain way to alienate them from the meeting. The energy of the infant group is likely to spill over into the parent meeting.Any leading to start a new worship group is a sign of life and vigor that should be lovingly responded to.
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If the meeting is approached about helping to start a new worship group, either by one of its own members or by a visitor from outside, the first step is to appoint a clearness committee to meet with the Friend making the request. The clearness committee would explore just what is being proposed, and why it is considered necessary, remembering that this may be an important opportunity for the meeting.
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The next step is to explore whether there are at least two or three other people who are willing to help establish the new group. These might either be people who intend to be part of the group once it is established, or meeting members who are willing to expend energy in getting it started, but do not intend to leave the parent meeting. Once this group is identified, the clearness committee meets again, to help them clarify their vision.
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If the leading seems to be clear, and the group seems to be ready to proceed, the clearness committee recommends to the meeting for business that the meeting take the new worship group under its care.
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The parent meeting should be prepared to provide advice and counsel as needed, and to send visitors regularly to meet with the new worship group.
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Friends from the worship group should plan to attend meeting for business at the parent meeting, and report regularly to the parent meeting on their activities and concerns.
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Membership in the worship group will be through the parent meeting, and marriages will be held under the care of the parent meeting. Normally only established monthly meetings can exercise this kind of semi-legal authority.
- When the worship group is strong enough to manage its own business independently, it may ask the parent meeting for recognition as a monthly meeting in its own right.
Suggestions for further reading:
- The version of Faith and Practice used by your yearly meeting may provide valuable additional guidance.
