FGConnections
Winter 2001:
Quaker Conferences
 
Getting Together
 
Thinking about Entitlement
 
Discipline of the Gathering
 
FGC Nurturing Quakerism Campaign

Junior Gathering Goals

Understanding Racism and Privilege among Friends

FWCC Triennial Meetings

FGC's Small Conference Program



Connections Home and
Back Issues


Quaker Conferences

Getting Together
By Deborah Haines. A history of the conferences and gatherings that came together for the "Friends General Conference" of 1900. "The Swarthmore gathering marked a major transition. Hicksite Quakers were shedding their history of inwardness and isolation, and taking on a new identity as religious liberals, open to inquiry and difference of opinion, eager to involve themselves in the affairs of the world."

Thinking about Entitlement
By Barbara Greenler. "Many people searched for ways to be exceptions to the rules. The merest suggestion of a rule was too much for some Friends... When asked to respect a rule, the response was 'Oh, I thought it would be okay if I did that.'"

Discipline of the Gathering
By Liz Perch, Conference Coordinator. "It has been said that the Gathering of Friends is the most complex conference of its kind. This is a hard claim to dispute, as it isn't clear that there is another 'conference of its kind.'"

FGC Nurturing Quakerism Campaign
A report on the Campaign. "From these presentations Friends learn how the Campaign is helping to fund the new Traveling Ministries Program, Young Quakes Conferences, an expanded FGC regional conference program, other new services in religious education and publications, including FGC's presence on the world wide web."

Junior Gathering Goals
By Christie Duncan-Tessmer, Junior Gathering Coordinator. "Ask anyone who has taught First Day School, led a group of children at yearly meeting or worked with kids at Gathering and they will have stories to tell. I think of the time I asked a couple of first-graders who were looking in each other's mouths what was going on. They told me they were looking for the Light."

Understanding Racism and Privilege among Friends
By the Subcommittee on Ending Racism and Privilege among Friends. "Acknowledging and naming the seen and unseen racism and privilege that pervade our society is the first step to ending it."

FWCC Triennial Meetings
By Annis Bleeke. "At Triennial meetings worship is shared from the variety of Friend's experience. Friends who approach worship at Triennial meetings with open hearts and a desire to learn are enriched by the shared experience. Throughout the eight days of meetings there is worship and study in small groups, giving Friends the opportunity to learn together and grow into a community seeking to know God."

FGC's Small Conference Program
By Theo Mace. Stories from FGC's small conferences: "As FGC goes forward into the new century with its goal of serving more broadly its Quaker constituency, tantalizing new topics for small conferences are constantly arising."


From FGConnections. Friends General Conference, 1216 Arch Street 2B, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Connections Home and Past Issues
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