Thank you to everyone who gave so generously through the end of September. With your help, wemet the $20,000 match goal before the end of FGC’s fiscal year! Your gifts support FGC programs and services that nurture the spiritual vitality of Friends, and you are deeply appreciated. 

Many of you added personal notes of support for the work that FGC and some monthly and yearly meetings are doing to stand up for religious freedom. We really appreciated hearing from you about this. With regard to the case FGC is directly involved in, Mennonite Church USA et al v. DHS, things are moving forward. The legal team submitted written arguments in September, and sometime this fall, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is expected to submit their response. A hearing will then be scheduled. As this continues to unfold, please hold both legal teams, judicial staffers, and everyone impacted by this decision in the Light.  

As soon as we have news about the case to share, you will find it here in our weekly Vitality newsletter, or in the section of the FGC website devoted to litigation news. In the meantime, if your meeting adopts a Minute of Conscience addressing immigration issues, religious freedom or other related concerns, please send it to us so we can add it to the minutes of conscience section on the FGC website.  

This is a time when Friends are striving to stay grounded amidst uncertainty. In these times, please know that — thanks to your generosity — there are several supportive resources available from FGC’s ministries. This includes Virtual Worship for Friends of Color as well as well as the Online Fall Retreat for Friends of Color, coming up in November. FGC also has two upcoming eRetreats: Silence & Light eRetreat for newcomers and the Poetry as a Spiritual Practice eRetreat.

These experiences, listed in more detail below, offer Friends the opportunity to stay connected to Quaker community and to the testimonies. Let’s continue to pray and witness for a better world.  

In gratitude,

Barry Crossno

General Secretary