Ministry

An article by Windy Cooler about how meetings do, or do not, support public ministry among their members.

by Windy Cooler I need to find ways to put my love into the world. It is frustrating but the Society of Friends does not have the kinds of relationships I longed for. What [I have] learned was a lot of people were getting hurt. A public minister in the liberal tradition, Fall 2023

by Windy Cooler Throughout Friends General Conference, Friends are taking up the cause of “right relationship,” as 18th-century Quaker public minister John Woolman advocated. This cause involves addressing previously taboo issues and bringing hidden hurts into the healing light. This is the essence of a public minister’s role: summoning the courage to confront harsh realities,…

By Sally Rickerman My offering is this alphabet of ministries–some frivolous, but most profound. AcceptanceBeingCaringDoingElderingForgivingGraciousnessHealingInsightfulnessJoyKnittingListeningMindfulnessNurturingOutreachingPrayingQuakeringReconcilingSingingThoughtfulnessUnderstandingVocalizingWritingXtending“Youngering”Zeal

By Barry Zalph, Louisville MM, Ohio Valley YM Five years ago, no one could have convinced me that I should “travel in the ministry.” As I understood it, traveling ministers had an extraordinary sense of the Divine presence and an undeniable leading to carry their witness to others. Neither of these descriptions fit me at…

by Patricia McBee In the early 1990’s Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting had several requests from members to “release” them or to take specific work “under the care” of the meeting. It became clear we had no consistent process for dealing with these requests and no clear way of discerning the meeting’s proper response. In January…

by Bruce Birchard For years, Friends have been asking FGC to send more visitors who can assist yearly and monthly meetings with various needs. Now, an exciting new FGC program proposal is being developed to support such a travelling ministry. One of a number of proposals emerging from FGC’s Discernment in Long Term Planning process…

by Liz Yeats Within any meeting, there will be found some with special gifts. These will include those with a gift in the vocal ministry (ministers), those especially qualified to guide and counsel others (elders) and those whose insights and judgments can contribute significantly to the life and growth of the meeting (overseers).” This quote,…

by Allen Oliver and Liz Yeats Over the last two years a travelling ministry of nurture and reconciliation has helped to deepen the spiritual lives of Friends in Illinois Yearly Meeting. This ministry grew out of the expressed needs of monthly meetings in IYM and the leading to travel in the ministry of a Friend…

by Marty Grundy Friends in Cleveland Meeting are learning how to nurture ministry by beginning to recognize it when we see it happening among us. In the last few years, some Friends have begun to notice God-given gifts in themselves. With this awareness has come great joy but also the heavy responsibility of using these…