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Faith and Practice
Freedom Friends Church

Most Christian churches have some statement of belief. It may be called a creed, or the doctrine of the church, or a book of discipline. Most groups of Friends have what is called a Faith and Practice, this may be a collection of testimonies, advices and queries, or it may be an explicit declaration of Faith. At Freedom Friends we think that the distinctive thing about our Faith and Practice is how it is used and how it is not used. This is not a creed, it is not written in stone, it can be changed by the discernment of the meeting for worship business. It is not used as a test of acceptability. You do not have to agree with everything in this document in order to participate in the community. But it is the best articulation of the beliefs of the Friends who felt called to start this church. We use it to call to people, and as a starting point for discussion and study. We are orthodox in our Christianity, but we are not fundamentalist. We are a peace church. We are socially progressive. We think the traditional practices of Quakerism have a lot to say to the 21st century. We believe we are still learning.

We invite you to read this document; it has four parts. The first part describes our basic ideas about God - our theology. The second part describes how we apply these beliefs to the world around us. The third part lists just a few things that we really don't tolerate. And the fourth section, which is still under discussion by the meeting, outlines the functional structures of the church. There is a glossary for words that may be obscure or used in an unusual sense - they are underlined in the text - just click on them and you will be sent to the glossary item. And there is a Biblical reference page which gives places to go in the Bible for further reading and study. We are interested in your feedback, you can send us a note at info@freedomfriends.org, or e-mail the pastor at peggy@freedomfriends.org.

Part 1 - Our Faith
Part 2 - Our Practice, How We Live Out Our Beliefs
Part 3 - Renunciation, That Which We Oppose
Part 4 - How the Church is Structured
Biblical References
Glossary

Faith and Practice of
Freedom Friends Church

Part 1 - Our Faith

(1-1) We believe in God, sometimes called Yahweh, creator of all that is, seen and unseen. God is all powerful, unchanging and holy. God exists outside of time and space. God is spirit and does not have physical form; does not have gender, age, race or other human characteristics. This God loves, and likes, each and everyone of us beyond measure. God desires to be in direct relationship with us.

(1-2) We believe in Jesus Christ, the ever present Divine Word, God’s personal conversation with us. He was, and is, the instrument of creation. This part of God responded to our sin and displacement by becoming one of us, and from this inside position worked towards our healing and replacement, this process is called redemption. Our redeemer was born of a virgin, crucified as a freely chosen demonstration of His love for us. He was resurrected, conquering sin, death and hell, once and for everyone. He was, and is, the perfect teacher of Gospel Order - living as we are intended to live. Through the agency of the Holy Spirit He is present, now, to the believer as teacher and guide. We believe that He is both come, and coming - that His kingdom is among us, and that we can live as citizens of that kingdom in this life. We also believe that there will be an end to this age, and that Christ will come and gather His church when the time is right. We do not believe that it is possible to predict the time of this gathering. We believe it to be unethical and morally wrong to use this hopeful promise to promote fear, and a spirit of coercive evangelism.

(1-3) We believe in the Holy Spirit, the very presence of our God and Redeemer available to, and in, the believer. Spirit is the source of counsel and conviction. It is Spirit that calls for, and empowers holy, or Spirit filled, living. The transformation and sanctification of the human soul is the work of the Spirit and cannot be manufactured by human effort - but this transformation cannot begin without human permission. All willing persons are being sanctified.

(1-4) We believe that these three; Creator, Christ and Spirit are One, and this is a precious mystery.

(1-5) We believe that the Bible is inspired writing. It is a divinely authorized history of God’s relationship with humanity. It is useful for instruction and illumination, and when interpreted with the aid of Spirit and an understanding of its historical context, it is an unfailing source of truth. All individual and group leadings, if from God, will be harmonious with the principles outlined in scripture. The canonical scriptures are our primary spiritual text.

(1-6) We believe that the only essential baptism is an immersion in the presence of God. This baptism is the work of Spirit and cannot be produced by ritual. This work is a mystery and comes to various people in various ways, but is always evidenced by the fruits of the Spirit as listed by the Apostle Paul in the letter to the Galatian Church. These fruits are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Rituals that remind us of this baptism are not forbidden and may be useful in the life of some believers but are never required.

(1-7) We believe that the only essential communion is a conversation of faith and intimacy between the believer and the Present Christ. When this occurs in a group, in silent worship, we call it ‘communion after the manner of Friends’ - during this time the body of Christ is gathered into His presence and they partake of Him and He of them. Communion may also be highly personal. This experience is essential to the spiritual walk, and is available to every person who seeks it, without need of an intermediary or ritual. Rituals of remembrance are not forbidden and may be useful to the believer, but they are not a substitute for this essential communion.

(1-8) We believe that the church is that body of persons who, throughout time and place, have availed themselves of the Mercies of Christ. We are inspired by those who have walked this path before us and we believe that these Saints are not separated from us, but watch and encourage us from their places near to the heart of God. The Work of the church present, is to preach the Good News of Freedom, to bind the wounds of the brokenhearted, and to open the prison doors of the enslaved.

( 1-9) We believe in Heaven, the blessed home that all our souls long for. Christ has assured His church that He will gather us there and that we need not fear death. Who else Christ gathers there is Christ’s business alone, and we make no judgments about this based on our flawed observations of this life. Christ also prayed for, and promised, that by His presence and through the transformational work of the Spirit, that His kingdom could be experienced now. This is why we dedicate ourselves to the life of Gospel Order and freedom - to build and enjoy the Kingdom present and to anticipate, and be made fit for, the kingdom to come.

(1-10) We believe that any separation from God is possible only by human choice. No temporary conditions, including sin, have the power to keep the God we seek from finding us. When a person chooses to be separate from God they place themselves in Hell; we sadly acknowledge that in some cases this resistance to grace becomes entrenched in life and may persist beyond this life. But God’s love also persists beyond life and no one takes this path without exhaustive attempts by Christ to retrieve them. We choose to work with Christ and His angels to seek all those mired in slavery, despair and darkness; like Him, giving up on no one.

(1-11) Worship is the natural response of the human heart to the presence of its creator and redeemer. This adoration can happen in a group or in solitude. It is not tied to time or place. It can be noisy or silent. Friends find that the silence helps us become better listeners. It is during this worship that God sends messages to God’s people. Idolatry is the practice of worshipping that which is not God.

Part 2 - Our Practice
How we live out our beliefs

(2-1) We hold dear the expression of faith through ministry. All God’s children are given gifts for the use of the Body of Christ, and the world, therefore all can be ministers. The church should encourage the use of these gifts in and out of meeting. At times, Spirit may call an individual to specific service that requires their entire attention, but this person’s service is not better than any one else’s. Obedience to the call - whatever it is - is the important thing.

(2-2) We hold dear the goal and possibility of peaceful living. We believe that war, violence, and hate are totally incompatible with holy living. Violence harms the aggressor as well as the victim. Non-violent alternatives are always available to those who seek them. Peace needs to begin inside the person, then in the home, then the church, the community, the nation and the world.

(2-3) We hold dear the goal and possibility of just living. We believe that discrimination, inequality, and prejudice in all their forms, and against any person, are incompatible with holy living. Because we are the presence of Christ in the world, it is our work to seek economic, political and social justice in ourselves, our community, our nation and the world.

(2-4) We hold dear the goal and possibility of simple living. We believe that greed, envy, and security based on wealth are incompatible with holy living. It should grieve us to amass wealth while so many go hungry. We believe that we are accountable to God for our use of resources. Freedom Friends Church tries to live as a good corporate steward of resources and a friend of the Earth.

(2-5) We hold dear the expression of faith through integrity and truthfulness. We attempt to be honest in all our dealings, as a group and individually. We attempt to live the life we profess. We take personal responsibility for our thoughts and behaviors, believing this to be the path to sobriety, sanity and spirituality. We work at resolving our own problems before we address the problems we see in others. This is our witness of Christ; without integrity, our preaching and practice are useless.

(2-6) We hold dear the gift and sacredness of human life. This is lived out in a commitment to end hunger and preventable disease, and to make sure that no one ever has to choose abortion because of economic or relational coercion. We oppose capital punishment, domestic violence and child abuse. We have an enduring commitment to mercy and compassion.

(2-7) We hold dear the gift of our physical bodies which play host to God’s Spirit. It behooves us to consider our health, without worshipping our bodies. To this end, we fight slavery to any substance, legal or illegal. We refrain from behaviors that are clearly harmful to our bodies. We seek to keep both mind and body active. We reject shallow cultural values that enslave people based on their appearance. We value every mind and body that holds God’s light regardless of its apparent ability or value to society.

(2-8) We hold dear the gift of our sexuality, which is given to all persons regardless of gender identity, orientation, or marital status. Because sexuality and spirituality are closely related, all believers are called to be thoughtful stewards of their sexuality. We believe that fully intimate sexual relations are intended to be expressed within long-term, committed, monogamous relationships, and then always with dignity and love. Sexuality that is de-humanizing, promiscuous, violent, non-consensual, manipulative, or predatory in nature is always harmful.

(2-9) We hold dear the manner in which Friends conduct business. Business meetings, whether comprised of the whole community, or committees dedicated to a specific purpose, conduct business as an extension of worship. During worship business we strive to listen first to God, and then to each other. We come to business with our whole persons: thoughts, feelings, knowledge, and gifts. We also know that we bring our own agendas and prejudices and we come with the willingness to lay these down. Decisions are made when it is the sense of the meeting that God has been heard - this is a spiritual consensus. Lobbying, politicking and voting lead to divisions which weaken our witness of Christ.

Part 3 - Renunciation
That which we oppose

While we prefer to express our faith and practice in positive ways, there are a few things which we renounce in no uncertain terms.

(3-1) We renounce SLAVERY in all its forms. Free people must always be vigilant, guarding against creeping bondage. Physical slavery is still a scourge to be fought, but for most of us the old
forms have been replaced by more insidious forms: the slavery of addictions; to food, drugs, tobacco, sex, alcohol, spending and many more. Pride can become a slavemaster and so can power. We acknowledge only one safe master, and that is our God and Redeemer. We see complete surrender to God as the most effective prevention to slavery. We have found that the best treatment for active addictions and slaveries is a spiritually based 12-step group, such as Alcoholics Anonymous. We find the precepts of AA to be harmonious with the gospel and with Holy living. We incorporate these precepts into the life of the church in every way we can.

(3-2) We renounce the intolerance of religious fundamentalism in all its forms. Free Christians need only to live according to Gospel Order and hold up Christ, in order to fulfill The Great Commission. We believe that God calls human souls in more ways than we can imagine, and that God abides with anyone who seeks God in spirit and in truth, regardless of how they name God. We can and will make clear the truth and power that has been given to us, our Gospel path, but in no way do we think that we possess the whole, or only, truth. We prefer to live in relationship to the Truth. We believe it to be blasphemous for a human, or human group, to claim to hold the whole truth.

In our experience, Fundamentalism, which we define as - asserting the absolute truth and completeness of one’s own beliefs and practices, to the deliberate exclusion of possible truth in other beliefs and practices - often leads to pride, judgmentalism, strife, rancor; and in the extreme, to hatred and violence. We believe that religious fundamentalism is incompatible with holy living and grace, and we renounce it as sin.

(3-3) And we now, and forever, do renounce our only true enemy, sometimes called satan, the accuser of the children of God, the father of lies. We renounce all his acts, temptations and deceits . We pledge ourselves to the fight against him and against the consequences of his lies: slavery, hatred, despair, envy, and greed. This is called ‘The War of the Lamb’, in Scripture and Quaker tradition. It is our only acceptable war, and the lamb’s army is the only army that has our allegiance. We pledge ourselves to the rescue of all the good souls caught under the spell of our enemies’ lies. We offer them hope, comfort, love, truth, and a way of escape.

Part 4
How Our Church is Structured

Outline approved April 21, 2004
Proposed additions

(4-1) Our place in the Quaker Continuum

In the mid 1600’s, Englishman George Fox along with some others started what they hoped would be a revival of authentic Christianity. When the rest of Christendom did not immediately embrace, in fact, vigorously opposed what was so obvious to them, they formed The Religious Society of Friends. Their core beliefs included universal ministry, a non-creedal faith, and emphasis on inward sacraments over ritual, a deep and practical commitment to integrity, honesty, and pacifism. Despite severe persecution they flourished in England and the New Colonies.

Without creeds and with not much in the way of hierarchical church structure, the Friends movement has become exceedingly diverse over the next 350 years. There are over 300,000 Quakers in the world today; two thirds of which live in the developing world. Whether they call themselves The Religious Society of Friends, The Friends Church, Monthly Meeting or Yearly Meeting – they are all Quakers from the same stock. Friends have, by all accounts, had an impact upon the world disproportionate to their relatively small size. There have been two great separations among Friends: both in the 1800’s. Because of this most Friends will fall into on of these four general groups.

1. Conservative Friends - a small group, mostly in Ohio, North Carolina and Iowa. They are unprogrammed in worship style, Christocentric in theology, non-pastoral, and pacifist. In some ways they are most like early Friends.

2. Unprogrammed Liberal Friends - This group organizes under Friends General Conference in North America, but includes Britain Yearly Meeting and two independent Yearly Meetings in the west. They are usually unprogrammed in worship, non-pastoral, usually Universalist in theology, socially progressive, and pacifist. Social justice and peace activism are a major part of their outreach.

3. Pastoral Friends – This is the largest group including ~ 150,000 Friends in Kenya. They are organized under Friends United Meeting, which was once called the Five Years Meeting. They are usually programmed or semi-programmed in worship style, mostly pastoral, Christocentric, pacifist, and more socially conservative than Liberal Friends. They support evangelistic mission work, as well as justice and peace work.

4. Evangelical Friends -This group organizes under Evangelical Friends International and includes US yearly meetings as well as yearly meetings in South America and Central Africa. They are pastoral, Christocentric, sometimes fundamentalist, usually programmed in worship style, not always pacifist, usually socially conservative, and strongly missions focused.

Freedom Friends Church, in Salem, Oregon, is a very unusual, but not completely unique hybrid in the Quaker world, falling somewhere between Liberal and Pastoral Friends. We were founded by Friends from Northwest Yearly Meeting, EFI, but have come to include Friends from FGC and FUM. We are Christocentric, semi-programmed, pastoral, socially progressive, and pacifist. Our outreach is focused on justice, relief, and peace work.

There are presently no Yearly Meetings within easy geographic reach that are a good fit for us. Consequently, we are an independent Monthly Meeting. Because Quakers are by nature communitarian we hope this is not always the case. We are attempting to maintain good relations with all Friends in our area. We support Friends Organizations like FWCC, AFSC, RSWR and FCNL. If Friends history tells us anything, it is that change is to be expected; we hope to be part of that history of change.

Approved June 11, 2006

(4-2) How we conduct business

Business needs to happen. Even a very simple organization has decisions to make. Friends, or Quakers, are communitarian in their structure - they make decisions as a community. Our way of doing things is very different than other organizations. We are not a democracy, although everyone can be involved. We are not a hierarchy - a top down power structure, although we may have folks among us who carry considerable spiritual weight. We do not believe in anarchy - no structure - although our structure is fairly light.

Our core ideas concerning business:

1. Business is an extension of listening worship. Just as we sit in worship and listen to God and to God in each other, during business we try and hear what God would have us do. God may speak directly to our hearts or we may hear God in the voice of our neighbor, the presiding clerk, or even the visitor among us.

2. The WAY that decisions are made is as important as the decisions themselves. If we have a testimony to peace, but do not make decisions peacefully, we will not have much impact. If we testify that truth telling and doing things in the light of day is essential, but do business secretly or deceitfully, we will have lost our witness. All the testimonies expressed in our Faith and Practice are visible in our business sessions.

3. Business done in the manner of Friends gives us a chance to grow spiritually. Business session should be a safe and constructive place to learn. We can learn when to speak courageously, and when to hold our tongue. We get to practice listening and making ourselves understood. We get to learn the lesson of letting go of our own preferences and agendas. We get to take small steps outside our comfort zone. We are given the opportunity to learn to be tolerant, and how to handle frustration patiently. Business meeting can be a laboratory of sanctification.

These core ideas are lived out this way at Freedom Friends:

1. Everyone is invited to participate in Business.

2. The presiding clerk guides the meeting. The clerk collects and sets the agenda, opens the meeting, names each item of business, opens the time of discussion or questions, calls for silence and prayer when necessary, listens to see if there is a ‘sense of the meeting’ (a clear direction that the group is hearing) or if the item needs to be tabled or ‘seasoned’ (held over to the next meeting); if there is a clear sense, the clerk articulates, or speaks that sense.

3. The recording clerk takes full and accurate minutes and posts them for everyone to read before the next meeting. The recording clerk may help the PC find the right words to articulate the sense of the meeting. Anyone in the meeting may ask that a particular minute (piece of business) be read back to the meeting. Reviewing and approving the previous month’s minutes are the first order of business at every meeting.

4. Members and attenders are given the duty of listening to God and each other, and praying before and throughout the meeting. They speak when they are led, and ask questions. They speak in an orderly fashion, raising their hand, or saying ‘clerk please’ and waiting for the clerk to recognize them. They attempt to speak in a focused manner and leave a little silence between speakings so that Friends may think. They attempt to take business one piece at a time. When they approve of the business at hand they make that clear. They accept the direction of the presiding clerk.

Most often business moves smoothly and the sense of the meeting is easy to find. If we are not clear, and there is no sense of the meeting there are certain things we will do.

1. Pray.

2. Hold the piece of business over to the next meeting - season it.

3. Assign the piece of business to a committee or task force for research.

4. If only one person is not in harmony with the decision they may choose to let go of their concern or ‘stand aside’ of the decision - this means that they decide to trust that of God in the others this is a powerful conflict breaker.

5. In certain situations the presiding clerk may decide to ask each full member of the meeting to state their position and the sense may be drawn from the membership.

There are certain things that just should not happen in meeting for worship through business. These things are considered to be outside of ‘Gospel Order’,
or the way Friends do things.

1. Refusing God, and denying the meeting your wisdom by not speaking when you are led.

2. Refusing to give up your opinion or position out of pride or stubbornness.

3. Filibustering - speaking at length, or at volume, or repeatedly, for the purpose of wearing down the meeting.

4. Lobbying - for a position outside of the meeting time.

5. Name calling - or personal attacks.

6. Voting - which causes us to have winners, losers and factions.

7. Going away mad, holding a grudge, or saving an

8. “I told you so” after a decision is made.

We do not do this process perfectly, we probably never will, but we are committed to work at it until we become good at it. Peacefully doing God’s business is one of the most powerful testimonies.

Approved July 2006.

2.1 The sense of the Meeting

As Quakers, we believe that the Spirit leads us in our decision-making, both at a personal and communal level. We believe that God’s Spirit will be present to us and instruct us. We believe that the Spirit is available to everyone regardless of age, experience or membership status.

What we call the sense of the Meeting is not the collected wisdom of our members and attenders, but a collective discernment of God’s will. Meeting for Worship through Business is conducted in the context of worship, and with the same expectant waiting upon the Spirit. Therefore in business we seek the leadings of the Spirit through prayer and active listening.

Freedom Friends expects all the participants to share the responsibility for a decision. The clerk serves as a facilitator, seeking an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect while guiding the decision making process. All are expected to listen deeply to the concern presented and to the discussion. The clerk, sensing unity among the participants gives voice to that sense and asks for approval. There is no vote taken, for voting presents the differences of personal opinion, not the unity of a leading of the Spirit. Finding the sense of the meeting is not the same as finding consensus. Consensus can be built by compromise and cooperation. The sense of the meeting is discovered through prayerful listening. If unity cannot be reached the matter is seasoned and held over until the next meeting

Approved November 2007.

2.2 Calling and timing of Meetings

“Meeting For Worship Through Business” will be held monthly. The Ministry and Oversight committee may establish a regular meeting day and time.

A called business meeting for unusual business may at times be necessary. The presiding clerk may call such a meeting with the agreement of Ministry and Oversight. Such a meeting should be published in such a fashion that regular attenders and members would have sufficient notice. The presiding clerk opens and closes meetings.

There will be an annual Meeting for Worship through Business in the first month of each calendar year that receives summation reports of the previous year, fills committee positions for the coming year, and extends calls to pastoral staff. The annual meeting may be held on the same day as that month’s regular monthly meeting.

Approved September 2006.

2.3 Keeping of Minutes and reports

Freedom Friends Church attempts to do business responsibly and transparently. Records will be kept of our worship through business. The recording clerk will keep minutes of Ministry and Oversight meetings, and both regular and called business meetings. These draft minutes will be made available in a timely manner. They may be posted electronically and/or read at the next regular monthly meeting. At that time they will be approved or amended. A copy of the approved minutes will be added to the Monthly Meeting minute book, which will be kept at the meetinghouse. This book is a public document. In the absence of the recording clerk, the assistant or a person appointed by the presiding clerk will take minutes. Reports received by the meeting from the Pastor, treasurer or others will be attached to the minutes of that meeting and added to the minute book. The minute book will include traveling minutes, minutes of service, and all other official business done by the meeting.

Approved May 2007.

2.4 The Faith and Practice

Most Christian churches have a statement of belief. It may be called a creed, or the doctrine of the church, or a book of discipline. Most groups of Friends have what is called a Faith and Practice. This may be a collection of testimonies, advices and queries, or it may be an explicit declaration of faith. Usually the Faith and practice is written at the Yearly Meeting level. The Faith and Practice is the collective testimony of the group and the written document describing how business is done. At Freedom Friends, we think that the distinctive thing about our Faith and Practice is both how it is used and how it is not used. This is a statement of our present belief. It is not a creed; it is not written in stone. It can be changed by the discernment of the Monthly Meeting for worship through business. It is not used as a test of acceptability. You do not have to agree with everything in the document in order to participate in the community or be a member. We recognize that parts of it can be believed in different ways: whether truth is metaphorical or literal, it is still truth. We recognize that there can be agreement in principle, but divergence in application. This is the best articulation of the beliefs and intentions of the Friends who felt called to start this church. We use it to inspire, and as a starting point for discussion and study; it is our organizational guideline. It is the campfire that we sit around.

We are fairly orthodox in our Christianity, but we are not fundamentalist. We are a peace church. We are socially progressive – we believe that faith and continuing revelation can change society for the better. We think the traditional practices of Quakerism have a lot to say to the 21st century. We believe we are still learning.

The Faith and Practice of Freedom Friends Church is intended to be a stable but dynamic document. If the meeting feels that additions or changes need to be made, the Ministry and Oversight Committee will appoint a Faith and Practice Task force to work on the concerns of the meeting. The Task Force will consist of at least one member of M and O, one seasoned Friend, and one fresh Friend. The Task Force will make a recommendation to Ministry and Oversight, who will bring a recommendation to the business meeting. This recommendation may be in the form of a proposed addition, proposed change, or the recommendation that no addition or change be made at the present time.

Each addition or change will stand for at least three readings, at least one month apart. A public posting, or e-mail transmission may count as one ‘reading’. After three readings the business meeting may approved or not approve the additions or changes, or may send them back to Ministry and Oversight for further work. Minor changes of spelling, grammar or syntax may be approved at the next regular business meeting.

Approved June 2004 and July 2006.

2.5 Church Policies

Some group decisions do not rise to the level of Faith and Practice. We call these decisions policies. A church policy will come as a suggestion from a standing committee such and Ministry and Oversight or from a task force. It will be something that is needful for clearness and good order in the meeting. These decisions can be made without multiple readings by one session of the Monthly Meeting. In addition to being recorded in the minutes of the Monthly Meeting, a copy of the policy will be kept separately in the current Minutes book. Examples of policies are: Library Policy, Publicity Policy, and Music Policy.

Approved October 2007.

(4-3) The structure of the church

3.1 The Monthly Meeting
3.2 Standing Committees

3.21 Nominating Committee

Nominating Committee is charged with the responsibility of finding qualified people to take up the positions and roles of service to the meeting. This committee should include the presiding clerk, the pastor and at least two other individuals named by Ministry and Oversight. During the early years of our meeting, Ministry and Oversight may act as the Nominating Committee. This committee usually meets in November and December of each year and brings a slate of nominations to the annual meeting in January for the consideration of the Monthly Meeting. Members of Nominating Committee should themselves be members of the church and should be discerning individuals who are aware of the strengths and limitations of the members and attenders of the Meeting. Members of this committee will meet to look at the needs of the Meeting, consult with the people presently filling the roles to see if they feel led to continue, and consider who else might be called to the tasks that are available. Members of Nominating Committee will contact members and attenders and see if they are willing to fill the vacant positions. When the slate has been filled, Ministry and Oversight is notified. If they approve the slate comes before the Monthly Meeting. It is the Meeting that does the final discernment.

Approved June 2007.

3.22 Ministry and Oversight

Ministry and Oversight is a standing committee charged with the physical and spiritual care of the Meeting. This committee will be made up of the presiding clerk, the treasurer, the recording clerk and assistants to those positions, as well as the pastor, and such members as the nominating committee recommends and the monthly meeting approves. Ministry and Oversight meets monthly in advance of business meeting, to address the needs of the meeting, pray for the meeting and prepare an agenda for the meeting. The presiding clerk will be clerk of Ministry and Oversight. The recording clerk will keep minutes of M and O meetings. These minutes will be available to the Monthly Meeting.

At a future time it is anticipated that the functions of Ministry and Oversight may be split into two committees. Ministry would be charged with the spiritual care and nurture of the meeting and the pastor. Oversight would be charged with the financial and physical needs of the meeting.

In the early stages of development, Ministry and Oversight may also fulfill the responsibilities of Nominating Committee and Outreach Committee. These will be constituted when the membership has grown, the need is apparent, and the Monthly Meeting approves.

Approved April 25, 2004.

3.23 Outreach

3.3 Occasional Committees

3.31 Clearness committees
3.32 Committees addressing a specific concern

3.4 Officers

3.41 Pastoral Staff
3.42 Presiding Clerk
3.43 Recording Clerk
3.44 Treasurer

3.5 Affiliations

(4-4) Membership

Membership is a mutual commitment made by an individual and the church, as represented by its people. The member makes a public statement of commitment to the health of the church, and the church commits itself to the spiritual support of the individual. The member and the church enter into a form of mutual care.

Members do not have a higher status than attenders. Attenders can participate fully in the life of the church through worship, business meetings and other opportunities. But members have made a commitment of stability that is a strong foundation for the church. The church needs members.

Members express their commitment in many ways. They try to attend worship and business on a regular basis. They voluntarily support the church financially according to their means. They pray for the church and its ministry and they participate as the Spirit leads.

Application for membership should not be made lightly, but in a spirit of responding to a Divine call. Membership is open-ended but it can be laid down, life situations can make it necessary to let go of the commitment and this can be done gracefully.

Our Policy

• Members will be at least 16 years of age. Membership is an individual choice, married couples must apply individually.

• When a person feels a call to be a member of Freedom Friends Church they will write a letter to the presiding clerk stating their desire.

• The presiding clerk will call a clearness committee for the consideration of membership. This committee may be made of the members of Ministry and Oversight, or a subset of that committee. Other members may be asked to serve by M and O.

• The clearness committee will meet with the individual one or more times to talk with them about their desire for membership. This will be a mutual clearness committee where both the committee and the individual must become clear before the application can be proceed.

• The clearness committee will discuss at least these things although other issues may arise.

  1. The individual’s sense of call to be a member.

  2. Their personal ability to make a commitment at this time.

  3. Their understanding of the Faith and Practice of Freedom Friends Church and their harmony with it.

• The clearness committee may decide that further study is needed and may ask the pastor to conduct an individual or group membership class.

• The clearness committee will come to one of three conclusions.

  1. Membership is right at this time.

  2. Membership is not right at this time

  3. Membership seems possible but needs seasoning while certain issues are resolved.

• The clerk of the clearness committee will report their conclusion to Ministry and Oversight
  Ministry and oversight will review the process and make a recommendation to the monthly meeting for action.

• The meeting will act on the application at the next meeting for business.

• The recording clerk will keep records of membership and a certificate of membership will be given to the new member upon action by the monthly meeting.

• Freedom Friends Church will accept transferred members in good standing from other Friends meetings or churches. A clearness committee may still be called at the discretion of the presiding clerk.

• If an individual desires membership and is a member of another Friends Church or Meeting, and for whatever reason, after a reasonable request and consultation, that church or meeting does not send a certificate of transfer, the person will be given a clearness committee by the presiding clerk and if approved for membership, a letter will be sent to the Church or meeting informing them of the action of FFC.

• A member who desires to move their membership From FFC to another Friends Church or Meeting may request a certificate of transfer from the presiding clerk. The presiding clerk will consult with Ministry and Oversight about the request and issue a certificate of transfer if appropriate.

• A member may request in writing to be dropped from the membership rolls of FFC. In this case Ministry and Oversight will attempt to discover the reason for the withdrawal.

• By recommendation of M and O and action of the monthly meeting, a person’s membership may be terminated if it is clear that the individual is no longer living out their commitment to the church. This action will not take place without significant prayer and consultation and the individual will have ample opportunity to meet with M an O before such a recommendation is made.
  

Approved August 15, 2004.

(4-5) Ministers

5.1 Recording of ministers - partial

In accordance with Quaker Tradition, Freedom Friends recognizes that while all are called to minister, in and out of meeting, that God gifts and calls some individuals to sustained and public service. We recognize that God ordains these individuals. Friends can only recognize and record their gifts and calls. The purpose of this recording is to nurture and hold accountable these individuals and to give them the benefit of community discernment in the exercise of their gifts for the benefit of Friends and the world.

Freedom Friends Church will receive recorded ministers by transfer. Ministry and Oversight will contact the previous meeting at the time of the transfer of membership to make sure that the recorded minister was in good standing at the time of transfer.

Freedom Friends Church may record a minister by recommendation of Ministry and Oversight if that minister has been previously recorded by a Friends body, and voluntarily surrendered that recording in order to join Freedom Friends Church. If a minister is discontinued solely because of their membership with Freedom Friends Church, that minister’s recording may also be taken up. In these cases, M and O will consider the circumstances and standing of the minister and make a recommendation to the business meeting.

All ministers recorded or received by Freedom Friends Church will be given a certificate of recording. At the minister’s discretion, they may submit their certificate to the county clerk and according to the laws of the State of Oregon; they shall have all the rights and responsibilities granted to ordained ministers of other denominations.

The first time recording of ministers will occur after a seasoning and preparation process yet to be defined.

Approved April 25, 2004.

5.2 Minutes of service
5.3 Traveling minutes

A traveling minute has been a tradition among Quakers since our earliest days. Originally it was a kind of “Quaker Identification” that allowed the individual or traveling minister to receive hospitality, protection, and opportunities for ministry from other Quakers. In recent times it has come to be a written commission and blessing of an individual’s temporary ministry from their meeting.

The proper Quaker etiquette concerning a traveling minute is this:

The individual makes their meeting aware that they have a call to travel under a concern. This means that they feel that God is asking them to carry out some ministry away from their home meeting.

The meeting takes this concern under advisement, and if it is the sense of the meeting that the call is according to Gospel Order, the presiding clerk writes or asks the recording clerk to write an official minute concerning the proposed ministry. A copy of this minute is given to the traveling minister.

The minister carries their minute with them. If they are traveling to another Friends Church, meeting or a Quaker organization, they present their minute to the clerk of that gathering who will read it into their minutes. Normally the clerk of that gathering will add written greetings, sign, and return the minute to the minister who will then bring the minute back to their own meeting with a verbal or written report.

If the minister is traveling among non-Friends it is up to their discernment to decide if it is appropriate to ask someone to sign their minute.

In any case after the ministry is completed, the minister will bring a report back to the monthly meeting.

Approved July 2004.

(4-6) Marriage

Freedom Friends Church recognizes and supports marriage. We do not believe that there is more merit in a married life than in unmarried life, but we recognize the stability and blessing that marriage may bring into our lives. We are inclusive in our marriage practices, believing that any two adults can make a spirit-led, long-term commitment based on love before God and the community. We believe that the two people give themselves to each other, and that the community, including the pastor, is witness to, not makers of, this sacred event.

We believe in equality in marriage, and that married life is based on mutual respect, love, friendship, and devotion. We believe that marriage is an equal partnership, and we promote marriages that are free from violence and abuse of any kind. As with all things, we seek the will of the Spirit in our marital relations. We wish to support all marriages in our midst: those that are made in our presence, as well as those that arrive already made.

Approved October 2007.

6.1 Weddings

Weddings are a celebration not only for the couple making the marriage but for their families and the entire faith community.
We encourage couples considering marriage to involve the church community in their planning process.

We believe in trusting individuals to make the major decisions of their life as they listen to the leadings of the Spirit. The community is available to help discern and support those leadings.

A couple contemplating marriage may ask for pastoral counseling in preparation for marriage. If our pastor is qualified to do pre-marital counseling, Ministry and Oversight may ask the pastor to provide this to the couple as part of the Meeting’s support. They may also suggest other pre-marital counseling services in the community. Alternatively, the couple may ask for a clearness committee made of married Friends who will meet with the couple for times of prayer and discernment in preparation for the marriage. The couple will invite Friends to serve on the committee.

Freedom Friends Church encourages weddings that are authentic to the couple, and so there will be liberty in the form of the service. All couples will be educated about traditional Quaker wedding customs, and the testimony that they provide. We encourage weddings that are simple, as ostentation and excessive debt are a poor foundation for marriage.

Our pastor will be our legal representative to sign marriage licenses or other documents for legal status.

Approved December 2007.

6.2 Care of Marriages