Nurturing Quakerism: The Campaign for Friends General Conference Friends Reflect on FGC's Role in their Lives During the introduction of the Nurturing Quakerism Campaign at the 2000 Gathering in Rochester, two Friends spoke of the significance that Friends General Conference has played in their lives. Muriel Bishop was Gathering Clerk when she belonged to Canadian Yearly Meeting. Now she is a member of North of Scotland Monthly Meeting, Britain Yearly Meeting. At this year's Gathering she recounted important lessons she had learned at annual FGC Gatherings, particularly the afternoon she spent wandering the campus in clown make-up as part of a workshop on clowning. She was accosted by an angry Friend, and pledged to muteness in her clown role, she could only respond through pantomime. After some initial tense exchanges, the angry Friend relaxed and eventually got to the point of genuine laughter at the spectacle he had helped to create. Muriel concluded her remarks with an admission that she was not comfortable asking people for money, followed by a truly eloquent and heart-felt plea for Friends to support the vital work of FGC. Alex Kern of Cambridge Monthly Meeting (New England Yearly Meeting) spoke about how important FGC programs have been in supporting his spiritual journey. Alex told a story about a youth leader at an FGC Gathering who reached out to and believed in him. This significantly changed his life. Countless lives have been touched by experiences with other Friends through Friends General Conference.

Approximately half of the $2 million has been raised to date through the "quiet phase" of the campaign. This sum speaks well to the strong support of many Friends who recognize the importance of FGC programs and services to Friends, according to Campaign Clerk Mary Ellen McNish (Byberry Monthly Meeting, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting). The Campaign now moves out to each of FGC's 14 affiliated yearly meetings. Educational programs and solicitations will take place over the next two years as we seek the broad support of meetings and Friends.

The Campaign for Friends General Conference grew out of a multi-year discernment and planning process, FGC General Secretary Bruce Birchard told Gathering attenders. Through this process, FGC's Central Committee was led to initiate several important new programs and services for meetings and Friends:

• The new FGC Traveling Ministries Program connects meetings with seasoned Friends who can provide support, lead workshops and retreats, and offer other ministries as requested.
  
• A new program of smaller and inexpensive regional conferences provides opportunities for Friends from many parts of the country to come together for worship, fellowship, and learning in addition to the large annual Gathering.
  
• New Young Quakes conferences provide opportunities for high school age Young Friends to learn more about their Christian and universalist roots. The expanded FGC Religious Education Program is also offering more workshops, retreats, and travel by both staff and committee members to help with meetings' religious education needs.
  
• An expanded Publications Program is producing our newsletter, FGConnections, and providing a strong FGC presence on the internet. Our two web sites, www.fgcquaker.org and www.quakerbooks.org, offer extensive information on FGC programs and services-materials such as the collection of resources from Fostering Vital Friends Meetings-plus online ordering from the FGC Bookstore.

This is the first major development campaign that FGC has ever undertaken. However, within the first month of the campaign, a tremendous boost came when a Friend gave $100,000 outright and pledged up to another $100,000 in a challenge gift to be used to match contributions of $5,000 or more. Even though this donor has never attended a FGC Gathering or served on a FGC committee, he has a very strong commitment to his meeting and to Quakerism. He had followed the development of FGC's new services with great interest, and he made this major gift out of a clear leading to do so. His full challenge was met within the first ten months of the campaign.

$500,000 of Nurturing Quakerism Campaign funds are being used to cover the start-up costs of FGC's new and expanded work. $700,000 of campaign funds will be used as lim-ited term endowments. The interest from these new endowments will provide income to help sustain FGC's expanded services and help cover the extensive travel costs of FGC volunteers and staff.

The income from the new endowments alone, however, will not sustain the increased costs of FGC's new services. FGC must also receive greater Annual Fund support from the meetings and Friends it serves. The Nurturing Quakerism Campaign is asking meetings and Friends to consider increases in their ongoing contributions to FGC's Annual Fund. FGC is asking those who are not currently Annual Fund donors to consider annual contribu-tions to support our important work among Friends. FGC seeks to raise $800,000 in Annual Fund gifts during its 2000 and 2001 fiscal years as part of the Nurturing Quakerism Campaign.

The Nurturing Quakerism Campaign, like all FGC work, is being accomplished mainly through the effort of volunteers. For more information on assisting, or for information about the Campaign, please contact Michael Wajda, FGC's Development Manager, at (215) 561-1700, or email michaelw@fgcquaker.org. Also, when the campaign comes your way over the next year or two, please consider offering generous support to this work of renewal and recommitment to the future of Quakerism.

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