Are you interested in Traveling in Ministry? Would you like to be a traveling companion?

Traveling Ministry
Traveling ministry was an intrinsic part of the Religious Society of Friends from early times until recent history. It was Friends traveling under the leading of the Spirit who brought the revelation of the Inner Light of Christ to the colonies. Later it was Friends traveling with concerns that took the message of equality for all people to the meetings and settlements across North America. Seasoned Friends carried concerns of their meetings, as well as news of family and F/friends across this continent and to meetings all over the world. Local meetings nurtured the spiritual gifts of their members, helped discern clearness, and provided oversight for Friends when they felt called to travel in this way. Friends grew in the Spirit and stayed connected with each other across the miles. The goal of the Traveling Ministries Program is to reweave that web of spiritual connection. -from TM website
For more information visit http://www.fgcquaker.org/traveling/

Traveling in the Ministry as an elder
I was invited by Pat McBee of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting to travel with her as her elder, or spiritual companion, as she led the Quaker Workers Retreat at Kirkridge Retreat Center in Pennsylvania, an annual gathering of people who work for Quaker organizations. The late Larry Thomasson also traveled as elder, we were an eldering team. This was the first formal experience I had had as an elder. Larry and I met with Pat once in advance of the gathering to hear what her ideas were and what her expectations of us as elders was. Pat has worked with elders many times and has a clear set of expectations as to what our role should be (including where she wants us to sit during sessions). For the following weeks leading up to the retreat Larry and I held Pat and the overall gathering in prayer. When the retreat began Pat introduced us as her elders and explained a bit about what that meant. To be honest I do not completely remember the content of the retreat, partly because I am writing this two years later, and partly because as an elder, I was focused intensely on holding Pat, the group, and the space in prayer, so did not take in the content as much, except to pay attention to whether or not Pat was being faithful to what she understood she was to do in that space. The whole weekend was a powerful experience, and formative for me as my first named experience in eldering. I remember in particular that participants named how important it was to them to have elders there, that it helped them to know that the Spirit was present, it helped them to feel grounded, and it allowed them to release whatever they needed to into that space, knowing that they were being held. I remember that Larry felt he was particularly focused on Pat, and I felt I was focused on the whole group, which was a good balance. It was particularly interesting to be the youngest person present, and to be there as an elder. Some people talked about that, and how they were surprised at first but really valued me and my contribution. It was a deeply important point for me, to be publicly named as possessing a gift for eldering by someone who is a spiritual elder and mentor for me.

I had another opportunity to elder for Pat for a day-long listening session she facilitated on the issue of the Quaker Sweat Lodge, at Friends Center in Philadelphia. This experience was very different from the first. It was a larger group of people, less time overall, and a much more intense issue to deal with. I was also the only one eldering that day. With only a few days to prepare, it felt less grounded and harder. I remember feeling like I was just holding onto Pat as hard as I could, lifting her up in space that was charged with pain and frustration and lots of history that needed expression. I left that day feeling very drained, but it was a good experience for me in terms of how to be a grounded elder in space like that.

The only time I have formally traveled through the FGC Traveling Ministries Program was when I accompanied Bruce Birchard when he traveled to Princeton, NJ Meeting to give a talk on the Peace Testimony. We had the chance to talk some beforehand, as well as for him to send me the outline of his presentation, and what the Meeting was expecting and hoping for. Some of my role there was to make sure Bruce had the space and time he needed to prepare and stay grounded—there were many people beforehand who wanted to chat with him and it was important that he not need to engage that, but rather sit in silence and prepare. Again, I think people were surprised by how young I was to be traveling in that capacity. The practice itself is unfamiliar enough to many Friends as to be curious, and couple with the fact that the elder was so young, was a source of some conversation and curiosity.

Each of these experiences, as well as a handful of others, has helped me to develop the gifts that were named for me and to understand the ways in which the role of elder or spiritual companion is different depending on the minister, what the situation is, who the participants are, and many other factors. In each of these experiences I believe it was very important to model to Friends both the importance of the role of the elder or companion in ministry, and also that a young person can play such a role. -Christina Repoley

Intervisitation
I traveled in a group to Winston-Salem Meeting in North Carolina, an FUM-affiliated meeting, as part of the BYM intervisitation program regarding FUM’s employment policies. I was really astounded by the similarities between my unprogrammed meeting and Winston-Salem. Elements of the subculture were different, but it was still decidedly and familiarly Quaker. It made me realize all the things I associate with liberal Friends that don’t necessarily have anything to do with the religion. I was impressed with how wrong it is to stereotype all FUM meetings as homophobic or hateful, because they weren’t. It was also good to learn that the grass isn’t really greener on the other side of the fence, that the meeting’s youth program wasn’t any stronger than the one at my meeting. Instead I really valued the older Friends, which I had never noticed that my meeting lacked. It was just plain interesting to see a pastoral meeting. It expanded my concept of the Quaker experience. I also got better acquainted with some of my fellow travelers from my yearly meeting and felt like a real member of the yearly meeting community.
-Elizabeth Duthinh