WINTER 20068 ix 2006
alem Quarter Worship & Ministry Committee met on September 8th, at the home of Gloria and Bob Horvay, convening in worship at about 7:30 pm. Friends were present from Mickleton, Mullica Hill, and Woodbury Monthly Meetings, as well as the Quarter Coordinator
In several ways over a number of years, issues have been brewing in a category that can be labeled "Quaker leadership." One recent example is a Philadelphia Inquirer article based on interviews with Quaker organizational administrators Thom Jeavons and Mary Ellen McNish. However, more instructive and representative of the views of PYM Quakerdom than the article are the responses to the article. The online responses (not including letters to the editor published in the print edition can be found at http://shorl.com/feprefyhidefru (the "shorl" link will send you to the Inquirer discussion board after a brief wait; the direct link is much longer than one line of print).
Our discussion examined several aspects, such as:
- the lack of opportunities for new Friends to learn the foundations and processes of Quaker decision making;
- the tendency of established Friends not to reexamine and refresh their own understanding;
- the connection between our internal reservations about leadership and our modern lack of authority in the wider Christian and secular communities;
- our perception, which may admittedly come more naturally to a gathering focused on worship and ministry, that "leadership" among Quakers is not a characteristic of a political title such as "clerk" or "general secretary," but a characteristic that is bound to responsibility or spiritual leading (for instance, John Woolman was not a clerk or other official, but he was a leader by dint of the authority of his leading and the boldness with which he carried its weight);
- the need to distinguish between matters of spiritual leadership and matters of practical administration;
- the observation that leadership moves from Friend to Friend as a reflection of their coming under God's leading, and that a meeting collectively also comes into leadership as it comes under a leading;
- the value of elders for nurturing individual Friends in the ways of accepting and exercising leadership, and for facilitating right order in our decision making.
The evening grew long before we could define a collective sense; however, it was apparent that we have common ground for seeking ways to improve Quaker leadership in Salem Quarter. We plan to seek those ways at our December meeting.
We concluded in worship at 9:45 pm. Salem Quarter's Worship and Ministry Committee intends to meet again at the Horvay residence on December 8th, the Friday evening before Quarterly Meeting. We welcome participation from all monthly meetings of Salem Quarter.
Clerk's Note: After this report was given to Quarterly Meeting, the Horvays realized that they would not be able to host our Twelfth Month meeting. Thankfully, Peggy & Jack Warner will welcome us that evening at their home, not very far from the Horvay residence.
For the Committee,
Mario Cavallini, clerkRETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Monday, November 20, 2006 at 06:09 PM
