Board Makes Changes to NAM Committee

At the March meeting of the Friends United Meeting General Board, North American and Caribbean section, board members agreed to changes in the work assigned to the North American Ministries committee of the board. Previously, the North American Ministries Committee was responsible for four FUM programs: Stoking the Fire, African Friends in North America (AFNA), Flourishing Friends, and Unleashing the Power.

Stoking the Fire continues to be a weekend retreat associated with Pentecost Sunday which highlights the communal flame and fire in our relationship with God and the Holy Spirit. The AFNA committee continues to build relationships with diasporic communities of African Friends in North America, connecting those groups with each other and regional Yearly Meetings.

The Flourishing Friends program continues to invite congregations to think together about what it means for their Monthly Meeting to flourish, and to assist churches in finding a way to move toward the goal of flourishing.

Over the past several years, we have identified many other Quaker organizations doing the good work of Unleashing the Power. The Quaker Religious Education Collaborative, Quaker Leadership Center, and Friends World Committee for Consultation are all doing great work in the area of training and resource building for Meetings and churches. The North American Ministries committee does not feel the need to duplicate this work, when we are able to refer Friends to the good work being done by others in this area.

The North American Ministries Committee has begun asking broad questions about our effectiveness and capacity in North America. One question which has come up in our meetings is, “What does ‘Everytown Monthly Meeting’ need, and/or, need from FUM?” The committee recognizes that we may already have some answers. We also need information. We need to listen and adapt. For those reasons, the committee asked the FUM board to consider a change in the way the responsibilities of the North American Ministries committee are framed.

The FUM North American General Board approved the following change:  “North American Ministries identifies three specific initiatives: Congregational Development, Spiritual Development, and Pastoral Development. Within these initiatives, we emphasize the unique gifts and challenges faced by African and Latino Quakers.

”The NAM committee hopes that shifting the framing of their responsibilities will provide them with the ability to respond creatively and adaptively to the changing reality of Friends and Friends Meetings in North America as they seek to promote congregational development, spiritual development, and pastoral development in North America.

—Michael Sherman

North American Ministries Coordinator