This text has received preliminary approval for inclusion in Faith & Practice, the book that provides guidance for Friends in New England Yearly Meeting.
Introduction
I. The Life of the Spirit in Community
Friends affirm the vital experience of a Spirit which illumines our lives, an Inward Guide whose nature is made manifest in our lives when we heed its promptings. We understand this Spirit to be invitational, to be challenging, to be inclusive, and to call us into community. In attending to this Guide, Ministry & Counsel (M&C) members learn to be alert to the ways in which the community may need to be renewed, guided, refreshed, or enlivened. The authority of M&C lies in its ability to discern and articulate God’s invitation into a Spirit-guided life.
Early Friends began a practice of having a smaller body within the meeting community who met separately to worship together, discuss the emerging Quaker approach to faith, and hold the meeting and its members in prayer. The Friends in these smaller bodies who were known for the power of their vocal ministry were named as ministers; some traveled extensively to spread the Quaker message. Friends who were “most grown in the Power and the life, in the pure discerning in the Truth” (Dewsbury, Works, 1689) were named as elders. These Friends were alert to the spiritual and physical needs of the community, and nurtured its life, organization, and business practices; some also provided spiritual accompaniment to traveling ministers.
In New England these bodies of ministers and elders evolved into what is usually called Ministry & Counsel. All Friends have responsibility for ministry and for caring for one another as members of a meeting. M&C, however, is charged with giving particular attention to insuring that the many important aspects of the life of the community are not forgotten. These include:
- Being alert to the spiritual life and physical needs of the entire meeting community
- Caring for the vitality of worship and pastoral care
- Fostering ministry
- Encouraging spiritual nurture of the meeting community
- Facilitating clearness committees for personal discernment, marriage and membership
- Addressing conflict resolution
All these forms of care are loving manifestations of a functioning Ministry & Counsel.
II. Friends Who Serve on Ministry & Counsel
Meetings look to appoint to Ministry & Counsel Friends with deeply-rooted commitment and experience of paying attention to the Inward Guide, whose lives give evidence of spiritual wisdom, discretion and compassion. They are faithful in attendance at meetings for worship and for business. Their own active spiritual lives and grounding in Quaker tradition are resources that inform their decision-making. Some meetings refer to Friends with these qualities as elders. The meeting may turn often to these “weighty” Friends for service on M&C but a particular Friend does not need to be actively part of M&C for individuals or the meeting to seek them out for good listening, nurturing, and discernment. A turnover of membership on M&C is encouraged as a means of sharing the responsibility, of developing spiritual leadership within the membership, and of revitalizing the body with fresh vision. In addition to appointed members of M&C, it is customary for the meeting clerk to serve ex officio. In a few New England meetings, the work is upheld and supported by a pastor who also serves ex officio on M&C. (Friends considering service on M&C are advised to read all of the appendices. See *to be written* the Community Life chapter and appendix … for more on elders and eldering.)
III. Structuring the Work of Ministry & Counsel
This section addresses M&C’s responsibilities as tasks. They may not necessarily be implemented by a body named M&C.
Monthly meetings in New England vary in the ways they cover the responsibilities of Ministry & Counsel. In most meetings the work is under one designated body named Ministry & Counsel. In large meetings the work is often distributed among several smaller bodies or committees which are named for their function, such as Ministry & Worship, Pastoral Care, and Membership & Clearness. In this chapter we refer to the responsibilities as belonging to M&C no matter how the particular monthly meeting divides them. Whatever structure a meeting uses, it is a task of M&C to be alert to the work of the committees. Structures may need to be reordered as the size, demographics or concerns of the meeting change.
In some meetings Ministry & Counsel is a “committee of the whole,” a gathering of the entire monthly meeting at appointed times to consider the spiritual health of the meeting and to carry out responsibilities generally assigned to M&C. As with any M&C meeting, those present take time to hold the meeting in the Light, returning to the center in prayer as often as needed to support their spiritual discernment. The meeting clerk and appointed M&C clerk(s) ensure that the distinction between M&C and business meeting is maintained, reminding those present that some actions require business meeting approval. (See *to be written* for terms, officers, regularity of meetings, relationships to meeting committees and to the quarterly and Yearly Meeting.)
The Work of Ministry & Counsel
I. Spiritual Foundations
Loving attentiveness and discernment are central to the spiritual nurture of a meeting and of its individual members. Ministry & Counsel holds the community in prayer, seeking to discern where the meeting is in need of guidance, encouragement, or fresh vision, and offering ways to support these concerns. M&C relies on faith, trust, openness, and humility in its work. In times of conflict, these spiritual disciplines can encourage members to listen attentively to others and to stay in community, waiting on the leadings of the Spirit. M&C takes care that the meetinghouse is an accessible and inclusive space that enables full participation for each person. It promotes an environment that encourages diversity of expression and open exploration. In such a community, Friends are able to express spiritual concerns knowing they will be lovingly held. It is important for members to remain alert to the condition of individuals within the meeting who may be in distress, in need of guidance or support, or whose spiritual gifts and ministry could benefit from recognition and encouragement.
II. Concerns of Ministry & Counsel
Ministry & Counsel agendas are often complex, involving long-term work on challenging issues and collaboration with meeting committees. M&C is often asked to consider items that have no committee ‘home’ elsewhere in the meeting. At times M&C may find the scope of its work has become too large to allow it to attend to its central purposes. Time in worship can help ground the group and help it discern its priorities. Business meeting may assist by forming short- term working groups to handle specific tasks. If the overload is ongoing, it may be time for the meeting to try a new committee structure for handling some of the work. The meeting may have multiple committees devoted to aspects of the work of M&C. Not all are under the direct care of M&C.
Some Ministry & Counsel deliberations need to be confidential. Keeping open communications with the meeting as much as possible invites the community to trust the work being done. Friends need to know M&C is available to hear any concern while maintaining confidentiality although there are circumstances in which confidentiality is not possible, for example in an instance of child abuse. (See Pastoral Care paragraphs X and XX, and Appendix 5E on confidentiality.)
II.a. Care of Worship
Ministry & Counsel attends to the quality and the depth of worship with both an awareness of Friend’s traditions and sensitivity to the Spirit behind those traditions. It calls on all Friends to be aware of the movement of the Spirit in their own lives and in the life and ministry of their meeting communities. M&C holds particular responsibility for establishing a climate of respect for the many ways individual Friends express their experience of the Light.
Ministry & Counsel provides care of all meetings for worship, including memorial meetings, weddings, and other specially called meetings. It ensures that meetings are held in good order. It is responsible for the appropriate closing of worship and for developing a practice at the rise of meeting that welcomes visitors and builds community, among all who participate in the worship.
Protecting the integrity of worship
Friends’ corporate worship is an interplay between gathered silence and vocal ministry. Faithfully tending the quality of worship is one of Ministry & Counsel’s primary responsibilities. M&C can nurture worship by:
- Encouraging spiritually grounded ministry and engaging with Friends in whom it is a consistent gift
- Taking note of Friends who may be reticent to speak in response to the Spirit’s prompting, and encouraging them to offer vocal ministry
- When called for, offering loving personal reminders to Friends of the purpose of space between messages, and the importance of silence to Quaker practice
- Guiding the community in becoming sensitive to cues that an offering of sung ministry may or may not be an invitation for other worshippers to join in
Ministry & Counsel is alert to dynamics or actions which are disruptive to the integrity of worship. Each meeting needs a clear and widely understood plan for how to deal with such behavior immediately and respectfully should it occur. When a message is clearly not spiritually led, members of M&C are prepared to talk privately, promptly, and tenderly with the speaker. If a message represents bigoted sentiments, M&C and other seasoned Friends in the meeting must be ready to respond in the moment and make it clear that such words or actions won’t be tolerated. (See Appendix 5A.)
Safety in the Meeting Community
Not everyone in a meeting will be comfortable in our interactions with one another. There are times we need to learn to live with our differences. However, a Friend’s behavior may reach a point at which it creates a physically or emotionally unsafe environment during worship, fellowship, or meeting events. Friends may not feel willing to share their reactions to the behavior and may begin staying away. M&C must be alert to these situations and be prepared to take on challenging conversations and action. This will require ongoing pastoral care for all involved. Tender situations can arise when the behavior of a Friend with emotional or mental challenges is at the heart of a concern. Referral to a mental health professional may be appropriate.
Most meetings have a child safety policy, and the yearly meeting has a child safety policy available to any meeting. Fewer meetings have guidance for the meeting’s leadership in the event of sexual harassment, bigotry, bullying behavior, and other serious concerns. Sometimes the harm is unintentional, but it causes pain and must be addressed. An M&C facing an issue for which no widely-available policy exists can seek help from the quarter, the yearly meeting and from other meetings with similar experience. (These concerns are addressed more fully in Appendix 5B and in the section in this chapter on conflict transformation, paragraphs 39-45.)
Welcome and Inclusion in Worship
Friends believe the Quaker message has the power to be transformative for people of all backgrounds, identities and abilities. Ministry & Counsel works with the meeting to counter prejudice in all its manifestations, overt and subtle, and to notice and address examples and patterns of oppression that may hold their meeting back from the fullness of inclusion. M&C holds loving concern for those who may be hesitant to visit a meeting because of their ethnicity, age, financial condition, family configuration, ableness, sexual orientation, or gender identity. In a spiritually hospitable and inclusive meeting, it is clear to all who enter the meetinghouse or visit its website or other online presence that they are welcome.
Meetings embrace people of all ages in meetings for worship, believing one can access the Divine and be a channel for ministry from a young age. To that end M&C pays attention to the varying needs of children, young adults, parents, and older people. It is a common practice for children to spend some time in worship with the whole meeting, either at the beginning or the end, and be offered appropriate opportunities for spiritual nurture outside the meeting. Some meetings offer intergenerational worship programs on a regular basis. (See the Appendices 5A on Care of Worship, Appendix 5C on the Welcoming Meeting, and 5D for suggestions on intergenerational worship and offering an inclusive, welcoming and accommodating meeting.)
Ministry & Counsel engages with newcomers to welcome and guide them towards materials and opportunities that will help them learn more about Quakerism. Mindful of visitors who return and show an interest in Quaker faith and practice, M&C seeks ways to invite them into further engagement with the meeting.
For meetings that include worship via an online platform, Ministry & Counsel looks for ways to promote and maintain a sense of community among those who worship online and the rest of the meeting. Some who would like to participate in online meetings may need technical help or other support.
II.b. Support of the Meeting for Business
Though distinct from meetings for worship, Quaker business meetings require spiritual grounding, a worshipful attitude, and the readiness to enter into silent worship at times. Friends’ experience of God’s guidance of the gathered community depends on the commitment of all present to pay heed to the Inward Guide, and to trust in an underlying unity in the Spirit even when there is strong disagreement. In some meetings, Ministry & Counsel routinely appoints Friends to serve as elders to hold the meeting in prayer while it conducts its business, especially when taking up a challenging or controversial matter. (See the Corporate Discernment Chapter and Appendix 5F.)
The presence of the meeting clerk—and the pastor in pastored meetings—at Ministry & Counsel facilitates communication about meeting concerns. M&C’s support can provide spiritual attention, counsel and a sounding board for the meeting clerk and pastor. M&C may be asked to season an important agenda item with the clerk before it is brought to business meeting. The clerk, however, maintains responsibility for setting the agenda and facilitating meeting for business.
II.c. Spiritual Nurture & Religious Education
Ministry & Counsel members are faithful in their own spiritual practice and growth and in helping promote spiritual preparation and practice in the meeting community. They are attentive to the movement of the Spirit in meeting, and provide for opportunities and programming that support and vitalize spiritual growth.
Through attentive listening to the meeting, Ministry & Counsel may become aware of possible divine leadings for corporate witness. If so, they may bring their discernment as a proposal to business meeting, testing whether there is unity and leadership for committed social action, which might include collaboration with local ecumenical or interfaith communities. A Peace and Social Justice Committee may also initiate and carry this work if the meeting has one.
Ministry & Counsel is alert to the quality of ministry in meetings for worship and considers what kind of forum or other opportunity may nurture the community. This work is often carried out by a religious education committee. Times of joint study can open the opportunity for more extensive sharing of life and faith journeys than may happen during worship or social times. Ministry & Counsel, or a religious education committee, is also attentive to ways to more fully integrate newcomers into the meeting, and may offer programs to help them learn about Quaker faith and practice.
In many meetings nurturing the spiritual growth of children is under the care of religious education committees. Regardless, of what body in the meeting provides age appropriate programming for children, M&C seeks to involve children and young people in the meeting's community life through intergenerational gatherings and family worship opportunities. (See Appendices 5A and 5D for activities supporting this work.)
II.d. Clearness
Central to the religious practice of Friends are dependence on the Inward Guide and the ability to help each other discern God’s will. Friends bring to the clearness process questions about personal and vocational direction as well as about marriage, membership, and leadings of the Spirit. Quakers trust Truth can be revealed to those who earnestly seek it. Reminding the meeting occasionally of the availability of clearness committees for personal discernment can lead to more Friends participating in this unique gift of the Quaker tradition.
When a Friend is struggling with a decision or exploring possibilities in some area of their personal or professional life, they may initiate their own clearness committee for personal discernment without asking for the meeting’s involvement, or they may ask for the meeting’s help. M&C responds by arranging a clearness committee for personal discernment. In either case, after careful listening to the Friend’s concern, clearness committee members offer questions intended to help the individual bring the issue and its spiritual dimensions into greater clarity, and under the guidance of the Spirit.
In some circumstances the meeting itself is seeking clearness about its role in a prospective mutual and covenant relationship. This is the case when Ministry & Counsel forms a clearness committee for membership or for marriage under the care of the meeting. It also applies when M&C forms a clearness committee to consider taking a person’s ministry under its care. These clearness processes work in two directions. Those asking for clearness are looking for the committee’s assistance in determining their readiness for membership, marriage, or ministry and for help in their preparation for these new roles. The meeting is coming to its own clearness about taking the Friend into membership at this point, or holding a wedding under its care, or supporting a ministry.
Different considerations come into the organization of these committees. Membership clearness committees are composed of meeting members, for example, and a marriage clearness committee needs representation from Friends with experience of marriage. Ministry & Counsel is advised to consider including participation from other monthly meetings for committees exploring leadings and ministries. This inclusion allows the meeting to bring in Friends whose expertise could be helpful to discernment, and reflects the fact that the ministry may extend beyond the meeting. It is advisable for any clearness committee to bring fresh vision and objectivity to the process by including one or more people who are not close personal friends of the person seeking clearness. Individuals or couples, however, need to feel comfortable with everyone on the committee so they can feel safe to discuss tender emotional and spiritual topics.
Clearness is a searching and intimate process, often requiring more than one meeting. Rather than supplying the person seeking clearness with answers, the committee’s role is to help the Friend become clear through listening to their own Inward Guide. At times the process brings forward unanticipated discoveries and questions. A prospective member may receive guidance on further spiritual study and exposure to Quaker practice before continuing the membership process. A couple may recognize there are matters they need to resolve before moving ahead with their marriage. A Friend’s leading may need more time to mature before M&C is clear to recommend corporate support. Occasions such as these can feel like setbacks, but actually are faithful steps forward in the shared process of a loving and spiritually-grounded clearness practice. (See chapters on Membership and Marriage. For more about M&C’s support for leadings, see Section Recognizing & Nurturing Gifts, Leadings & Ministry, below, and the Promptings of the Spirit (not yet written). For clearness committees for personal discernment, see Appendices 5G and 5H.)
II.e. M&C and Membership
Ministry & Counsel encourages membership by reaching out to faithful attenders who are involved in the life of the meeting and inviting them into a conversation about membership. M&C or another appointed body in the meeting forms a clearness committee composed of meeting members to respond to an adult request concerning membership or transfer of membership. If clearness is found, M&C or the designated committee brings a recommendation for membership approval to meeting for business. All new memberships in the meeting, including transfers and associate memberships for children by parental request, are cause for the meeting to plan a welcoming event.
The work of Ministry & Counsel includes outreach to its meeting members. It actively engages with young associate members as they emerge into adulthood, exploring the importance of Quakerism in their lives and helping them discern whether adult membership is their path. M&C maintains contact with members of all ages who are local but no longer involved with the meeting, and with all members living at a distance. Depending on the response (or lack of it), these conversations may include returning to active engagement with the meeting, sojourning or transferring to another meeting, or possibly laying down the membership. (For more detailed discussions on these topics, see section on Clearness, above, the chapter on Membership, and Appendix 4.)
II.f. M&C and Marriages in the Meeting
As with a request for membership, Ministry & Counsel responds to a request for a wedding held under the care of the meeting by forming a clearness committee. If the committee and the couple are clear to proceed, M&C brings a recommendation to meeting for business for approval. When the meeting for business approves the recommendation, it authorizes the formation of a committee for care of the wedding.
The responsibilities of any clearness for marriage or care of wedding committee conclude after the couple has married. The meeting’s support for the marriage continues through its ordinary process of pastoral care. When a divorce occurs in the meeting, pastoral care is offered to those who wish for it. Ministry & Counsel remains alert to dynamics within the meeting which may be divisive. (See section on Clearness, above, and the chapter on Marriage and Appendix 6. For the pastoral care of Friends considering separation and divorce, see the section on Divorce *to be written*)
II.g. M&C’s Role in Pastoral Care and Conflict Transformation
Pastoral Care of Individuals and Families
Attention and care may be offered to anyone in meeting in either brief or extended ways. An individual or family is encouraged to seek help from the meeting with personal or family concerns, emotional struggles, or challenges arising from medical issues. Ministry & Counsel, or a committee devoted to pastoral care, fosters a spirit of community awareness and response to the needs of those in their midst who might benefit from support. M&C frequently reminds the community how to reach out for help. In a pastored meeting, much of this work is carried by the pastor with support from Friends in the meeting.
Pastoral care is a ministry of presence. Friends carrying out pastoral care make visits, provide prayerful support, and arrange for practical assistance such as transportation, meals and childcare where it may be needed. They also consider individual needs for guidance and personal counsel, by arranging clearness committees and, where appropriate, recommending a support committee or professionally trained help. It is important to realize the limits of what the meeting can offer in terms of time or expertise in counseling. When it is clear that professional help is needed, the meeting may still offer support through prayer and practical assistance.
Pastoral care providers are concerned with the welfare of any who may be ill or experiencing other physical or emotional distress. They may check in with Friends who are not attending meeting, and encourage them to return. They might offer help with transportation, or suggest they worship with the meeting via an online platform if it is available.
Spiritually accompanying a terminally ill Friend and supporting their family through death and bereavement is an especially tender time for those giving or receiving pastoral care. In addition to supporting the Friend and family, Ministry & Counsel takes into account the impact this loss will have on the meeting. If there is to be a memorial minute, M&C or meeting for business arranges for that to be written. (See chapters on Pastoral Care and Dying, Death & Bereavement for a fuller explanation, and Appendices 5I and 5J.)
Conflict Transformation in the Meeting Community
For the health of the Meeting, Ministry & Counsel is sensitive to conflict. Whether the tension is between a few individuals in meeting or one of wider concern, M&C has a responsibility to promptly explore the sources. Such engagement requires courage and an atmosphere of trust, respect, and truthfulness so Friends can hear the words of others in an open-hearted way. Addressing conflicts in this way provides an opportunity for growth. It is to be pursued, not avoided. Unresolved differences are detrimental to the health of the meeting and may lead Friends to disengage or leave the meeting entirely.
Interpersonal Conflict
When individuals in an interpersonal conflict are unable to resolve the difficulty privately, Ministry & Counsel arranges for a Friend or small group of Friends to facilitate listening sessions. These sessions may need to be held separately depending on the vulnerability of any of the participants. Each person in the conflict has an opportunity to be heard, and is supported in hearing the concerns of the other. It is essential that all individuals involved in the conflict and its resolution be willing to engage in the process and to stay open to finding unity in the Spirit. If that is not true, M&C should step in and set boundaries. (See Appendix 5E.)
Addressing Tensions in the Meeting Community
The same willingness to engage in spiritually grounded dialogue applies to groups within the meeting that are at odds with each other for any reason. If tension over differences continues for a prolonged period of time despite efforts to reach unity, and is widely known within the meeting community, it may be time for the meeting clerk or Ministry & Counsel to step forward. They may make a broad statement that describes the problem, and may ask for the meeting’s respectful, loving attention to the search for common ground.
Informational presentations can help the meeting clarify the issue.
- Listening sessions and threshing sessions can offer opportunities for the community to hear each other without the pressure to reach unity
- A minute of exercise can lay out the range of viewpoints and concerns raised in a threshing session and summarize where the meeting finds itself on an issue. (See Extract 3.11)
- An elder can be asked to hold the meeting and the facilitator in prayer
If these efforts do not lead to unity, M&C might reach out to the quarterly meeting or ask a trusted Friend from another meeting to clerk a listening session for the meeting. If the quarterly meeting does not have an active M&C, the monthly meeting M&C may reach out to Yearly Meeting’s Ministry & Counsel or staff for suggestions or support. The same resources may be sought when an individual’s issue is with the local M&C itself. (See Appendix 5F for Listening Sessions, Threshing Sessions, and Minutes of Exercise.)
It can happen that a Friend, or Friends, find themselves out of unity with a sense of the meeting. At these times Ministry & Counsel, which includes the meeting clerk, may exercise their pastoral care responsibility to meet with these Friends and listen lovingly to their concerns. Quakers understand that Friends who are out of unity with the meeting may in some cases be leading the group toward a fuller understanding of divine guidance.
With time and grace, there is sometimes a transformative process as the meeting settles into life after a decision that has been difficult. When hard feelings persist, however, a rift may form in the meeting that becomes a long-standing divide. Nothing is more humbling for peaceable Quakers than to face their own failings in getting along with each other. The process of dealing with conflict, whether resolved or not, may leave a meeting itself in need of pastoral care from the quarterly or Yearly Meeting.
The Balance of Individual and Community Needs in the Meeting
Within a meeting the needs and desires of individuals are held in balance with the needs and integrity of the whole. While it is important to provide space for individual insight and community growth, it is a work of love for the meeting to ensure that no individual’s needs, behavior, or assertiveness dominate the meeting community. Sometimes it is the individual and sometimes it is the meeting that needs to move to a new understanding. Just as being aware of opportunities to provide pastoral care for individuals is a shared responsibility of every person in the community, so too is being alert to the pastoral care needs of the community as a whole.
II.h. The Spiritual Condition of the Meeting and the State of Society Report
It is of vital importance for Ministry & Counsel to remain aware of the spiritual state of the meeting. M&C also has a responsibility to help the meeting itself understand its strengths and challenges as a community. Any meeting—monthly, quarterly or yearly—benefits from a process of sitting together with queries, including ones that may lead to uncomfortable truths. Corporate discernment on its spiritual condition helps the community see how it has been led, how faithfully it has responded to challenges, and where it might need to focus its attention in the future. This process helps bind the community and renew its sense of commitment.
Yearly Meeting may send queries to meetings to serve as prompts for this process, or a meeting may explore the way the Spirit is moving in its midst as it feels led. Traditionally New England meetings have articulated their spiritual condition in an annual State of Society Report. Ministry & Counsel, or meeting members appointed by them, create the report, which is approved by M&C and presented for approval at the monthly meeting for business. Approved reports go to quarterly and Yearly Meeting Ministry & Counsel.
- The quality of worship and vocal ministry
- The strength of the meeting community
- Efforts to foster spiritual growth and evidence of growth
- Possible tensions in the meeting, and how Friends are responding to those challenges
- Significant events or activities in the meeting’s year together
- Social justice concerns of the meeting and stands taken based on Friends’ religious principles
- Participation in activities with Friends beyond the local meeting
- Relations with the community and other religious groups
Reports may cover the full range of interests and concerns, but typically emphasize those indicative of the spiritual health of the meeting. A thorough report covers both that which is thriving and that which is challenging and needs strengthening, such as:
The practice of local meetings reporting to their yearly meeting began early in England and was adopted by NEYM in the 18th century. Originally these reports were a response to questions, mainly factual, such as the number of Friends who had been imprisoned for their faith and died there, but there were also spiritual queries for meetings (“How has Truth prospered amongst you? Are Friends in peace and unity?”). NEYM has maintained a version of this tradition through two separate reports: a) the annual statistics report detailing membership changes and attendance at meetings, which is usually handled by the meeting’s Recorder; b) Ministry & Counsel’s State of Society report, which focuses on the spiritual condition of the meeting.
II.i. Recognizing & Nurturing Gifts, Leadings & Ministry
Ministry & Counsel seeks to identify, draw out, and encourage the abilities and spiritual qualities it sees in its community members. Friends recognize that “to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7) A gift may be in service to the meeting itself, or to the Society of Friends or the broader society. When a Friend’s spiritual strengths could support service opportunities in the meeting, M&C may draw Nominating Committee’s attention to that Friend’s potential. This drawing out of a gift is an affirmation of the spiritual life of the individual; its use within the meeting strengthens the community.
Clearness & Support for Leadings and Ministries
The development of a leading into a ministry requires seasoning, reflection, considered action, and ongoing individual and corporate discernment. Friends often experience being called by the Spirit to make choices that impact how they live, both in their homes and in wider communities. While most inward promptings to action do not require the support of the meeting, Friends are always free to request the help of a clearness committee. Sometimes a Friend senses a leading that leaves them unsettled how to proceed, especially if the leading takes them beyond the meeting itself to represent Quakers to a broader community. Then it is essential to ask Ministry & Counsel to set up a clearness committee to help explore next steps. This committee helps the Friend explore the spiritual grounding of the leading and identify possible next steps. The work within the clearness committee may bring the leading and the way forward into focus. Over time it may become clear the leading is to a ministry, either within the Yearly Meeting, in wider Quaker circles, or beyond the Quaker world. Work with the clearness committee continues until clarity is reached.
A meeting can offer both spiritual and practical support for a Friend carrying an individual ministry, holding a particular role in the meeting, or working in wider Quaker service. The meeting may encourage the Friend to form a relationship with a particular elder or spiritual companion. Ministry & Counsel may establish a committee to offer consistent, structured support. In some instances, M&C might name committee members from beyond the meeting’s membership, which broadens the range of Quaker experience in the group and reflects that the ministry extends beyond one meeting. The committee meets regularly to hold the Friend in the Light, listening with prayerful attention and supporting the Friend as led. The committee clerk communicates regularly with M&C about the committee’s work.
Traditionally these committees were called oversight committees. Some meetings have kept this term, but increasingly they are known as spiritual care, care & accountability, support, or anchor committees. Whatever the name, the purpose is the same: to help Friends be faithful to the leadings of the Spirit. (See Appendix 5K for more on Care and Accountability Committees; Some meetings have a standing support committee for their meeting clerks, which may or may not be under the care of M&C. Support committees may also be helpful for others in service roles. See Appendix 5I and 5J for information, and advices and queries related to Support Committees.)
Ministry is a gift of God, an expression of the Spirit in the life of the Friend, to be carried humbly and cheerfully in an attitude of service. Quakers understand that ministry can potentially come through any individual, not just those whose work is under the care of Ministry & Counsel. M&C affirms that truth, and seeks ways to express respect and value for all the ways members of the community serve the meeting, the Religious Society of Friends, and the wider society.
Public Ministry and the Released Friend
When the ministry is public, beyond the life of the monthly meeting, Ministry & Counsel brings the care of the ministry to the business meeting. The calling to the ministry and the work of the clearness and care and accountability committees are laid before the meeting. If the meeting affirms this calling and takes the ministry under its care, the ministry comes into the embrace of Friends as part of the life of the meeting. M&C makes regular reports to the meeting concerning the ministry. The meeting may assist the Friend with practical needs and funding. When the meeting provides financial support for a ministry so the Friend is freed from the need to earn a living, the Friend is referred to as a released Friend. (See appendix 5M for more on Released Friends.)
When the meeting takes a Friend with a ministry under its care, it does not imply that the Friend is speaking for the meeting as a whole or that the entire meeting is called to that particular witness. It means the meeting recognizes the Friend is faithful and Spirit-led and, as an individual, is under the weight of a concern. The meeting is also affirming that it is prepared to provide spiritual and practical support as the Friend grows in faithfulness.
A monthly meeting’s process of recognizing a ministry takes time and does not always go smoothly. Often a meeting needs background information about Quaker practice in supporting a ministry in order to proceed. Ministry & Counsel may need to articulate for the meeting the way in which a ministry furthers the meeting’s work in the world. There may be concerns about the Friend’s personality or fitness for the tasks involved. A concern for financial support for the work introduces another layer for community discernment. A meeting that unites behind corporate support of a Friend and the work carried may be comfortable with one form of support and not others. It may, for example, approve a minute of religious service or a travel minute rather than release the Friend financially or record the gift in the ministry. Every meeting needs to develop its own approach to supporting leadings and ministries.
Members and attenders alike are encouraged to seek clearness about a potential leading, and may receive informal support by Ministry & Counsel. When M&C takes an individual and their ministry under its care, however, it is expected that the individual be a member of the Religious Society of Friends.
Travel Minutes, Minutes of Denominational Support, and Minutes of Religious Service
It is often helpful for a Friend who is carrying a ministry to have a letter or a minute from their meeting expressing their standing in the meeting and the meeting’s support. These minutes of affirmation and support serve different needs and are time-limited.
- Travel minutes are written for a Friend’s travel in the ministry beyond the geographical bounds of the meeting for a specific occasion or set of visits. These minutes ask for receiving meetings’ hospitality, opportunity to share ministry, and response to the ministry.
- Letters or Minutes of Denominational Endorsement provide qualifying credentials for chaplains and others who need religious certification for their work; they are time-limited and renewable.
- Minutes of Religious Service affirm and describe a ministry carried by a Friend and name the ways the meeting is supporting the Friend and their work. Minutes of Religious Service are revisited by Ministry & Counsel at specified intervals, at which time they may be renewed, revised or laid down. They are held by a particular monthly meeting and are not transferable; if the Friend moves, the new meeting takes up its own consideration of the Friend’s ministry.
(See Appendix 5M for details and samples. Note: Friends are often confused between travel minutes and letters of introduction for Friends visiting other meetings as part of their travels. 5M also covers Letters of Introduction and their use.)
Recording of Gifts in Ministry
A Friend with knowledge of Quaker tradition and a gift for consistently sharing Truth in a way that speaks meaningfully to others may be recorded as having a gift in ministry. Recording has traditionally been used for Friends who have sustained gifts in vocal ministry. It is an affirmation, initiated by the monthly meeting and taken up by the quarterly meeting, that the individual’s gift is not only locally helpful but also can be trusted to represent the Religious Society of Friends to the wider community. (For recognition of other sustained forms of ministry in NEYM, see “Minutes of Religious Service,” above.)
A recorded minister may serve on the meeting’s Ministry & Counsel through the same nominating process as any member of the meeting. With rare exception, the recording is held by the individual for their lifetime. In a case where a Friend no longer appears to manifest this gift, M&C discerns whether it is appropriate to recommend the quarterly meeting rescind the recording. Some monthly and quarterly meeting in New England do not engage with the recording of ministries. All meetings, however, seek to encourage such gifts when they appear.
Initiating the potential recording of a gift in ministry is a serious undertaking. Recording carries the weight of clerical accreditation in other denominations and grants authority to officiate at weddings and visit prisons and hospitals as clergy. The status of a recorded minister is transferable with a certificate of membership from one monthly meeting to another and from one yearly meeting to another. (See Appendix 5M for details on procedure for recording.)
II.j. Ministry & Counsel’s Relationship with a Pastor
A meeting may determine their community is, or will be, helped to thrive more vigorously by inviting a Friend called by the Spirit to serve as pastor. A Friend who is released to follow such a vocation can provide a meeting with a consistent, intentional pastoral presence.
The pastor’s role overlaps with the work of Ministry & Counsel with respect to nurture and care of the community as a whole and of the individuals within it, especially regarding spiritual nurture and accompaniment. It is customary for pastors to serve ex-officio on M&C. In meetings with a pastor, M&C serves all the same functions and holds the same authority as in any other meeting. Pastors may be appreciated for their individual gifts and insights, but their role does not give them special authority within the meeting.
The relationship between pastor and Ministry & Counsel is one of mutual support and communication. Together they prayerfully discern the condition and needs of the meeting and of its members and arrange for those needs to be addressed. Such discernment will often inform the messages the pastor prepares for meetings for worship. Since part of the pastoral call is to teach, M&C may ask the pastor (or youth or family minister) to prepare or locate study materials and arrange programs relevant to the meeting. The pastor usually attends or keeps in close communication with all the committees of the meeting and is able to bring this comprehensive knowledge to M&C’s deliberations, thereby helping maintain connections among the various parts of the meeting.
It is usually the pastor who takes the lead in public ministry such as memorial meetings and weddings and in situations where a pastoral role is helpful, such as times of crisis and serious illness. It is also common for them to be a representative of the meeting to wider bodies of Friends, to ecumenical groups, and to the community at large.
Finding and Hiring a Pastor
On occasion a meeting might see gifts for pastoral ministry developing in one of its members and help draw out those gifts by inviting the member to serve as their pastor. No particular training or background is required for pastoral ministry, nor is it expected that the pastor be a recorded minister. In most cases, however, a pastoral search committee is needed to find a pastor from outside the meeting, and this search originates in Ministry & Counsel. The search committee may seek input from the Yearly Meeting on potential candidates. Because it is unlikely that a candidate will be equally gifted in all aspects of pastoral ministry (vocal ministry, teaching, administration, pastoral care, conflict transformation skills, loving presence and spiritual accompaniment), the search committee’s discernment involves considering the best match for the meeting based on the meeting’s needs and the gifts carried by other members. The search committee also considers the meeting’s ability and willingness to support a particular pastor and the fullness of the ministry to which they are called. It is a weighty decision for all involved, requiring prayer and surrender to the guidance of the Spirit. On occasion a meeting may call someone who is not a Friend to be their pastor. When this is the case, the meeting needs to undertake careful discernment of that person’s knowledge and embrace of Quakerism. (See Appendix 5N for guidance on the pastoral search process.)
II.k. When the Meeting is an Employer
At both the monthly and yearly meeting levels, interactions with employees can be experienced as a testimony to living in right relationship. Whenever a monthly meeting employs a Friend to work in any role, be it pastor, youth minister, administrator, care coordinator, facilities manager or resident Friend, Ministry & Counsel is closely involved in both support for their ministry and supervision of their work. These are two separate functions which are best served by different people or groups of people. The support committee for a remunerated ministry is the same as the support for other ministries in the meeting. Naming those who carry the supervisory task is important for keeping a clear understanding of the appropriate place for meeting members to bring suggestions, concerns, and requests. Where there is a supervisory committee, it is recommended that the committee clerk be the person who speaks with the employee on behalf of the committee.
A pastor is both a minister and an employee of the meeting, needing structures for support and for accountability. It may be advisable for the support committee to be formed from the wider Friends’ community rather than just from within the meeting. Since there are few pastors within NEYM, ecumenical and interfaith ministerial associations can also be a vital source of support.
The supervisor or supervisory committee and Ministry & Counsel draw up and review contracts in consultation with employees. Together they agree upon duties and a fair compensation package. Contracts should include clear, detailed expectations for both employee and meeting. Any contract should express an understanding of the spiritual covenant involved, name practical considerations, and acknowledge mutual accountability between the meeting and its employees.
The Finance Committee is asked to determine the financial impact of Ministry & Counsel’s recommendations and bring this information to the decision-making process. Recommendations for hiring, for the terms of a contract, or for terminating a contract are brought to the business meeting for a decision.
Further guidance can be found in Appendix 5, Recognition of Friends Gifts and Leadings; and Appendix 8, Pastoral Care and Friends Clearness Committees
Extracts
- “A Quaker meeting is endowed with a transcendent and prophetic purpose: it is gathered by God to strengthen the faithfulness of its members through worship, living in right relation, celebration and nurture. It is through grace, intention and surrender that we are drawn into unity with God’s will for us: to recognize our kinship to each other, the world and to live in loving accord as full members of the beloved community, which is our inheritance. Whatever our diversity may be, our unity is the evidence that God is present and working among us.”
Beckey Phipps, 2008
- Our life is love, and peace, and tenderness; and bearing one with another, and forgiving one another, and not laying accusations one against another; but praying one for another, and helping one another up with a tender hand, if there has been any slip or fall; and waiting till the Lord gives sense and repentance, if sense and repentance in any be wanting. Oh! wait to feel this spirit, and to be guided to walk in this spirit, that ye may enjoy the Lord in sweetness, and walk sweetly, meekly, tenderly, peaceably, and lovingly one with another.
Isaac Penington, 1667
- Contemporary society has such a strong individualistic bent that persons coming new among Friends, while bringing a strong hunger for community, for spiritual community, have little idea of what that community will look like or how it may affect their personal lives. Even those of us who have been fortunate in growing up in fairly strong Friends communities—and there are fewer and fewer of us—have been influenced by the individualism of the time and need continually to hone our awareness of what the meeting community might ideally be, and continually work towards strengthening it.
Frances Taber, 1996
- In each of our Friends Meetings—regardless of the form of our worship—there are Friends to whom God has given a heart for this particular people; this particular community. Such Friends feel called to walk lovingly alongside individuals and encourage them in their spiritual development. They also hold a particular concern for the wellbeing of the Meeting as a body. Each Friend brings gifts to the ecosystem of the Meeting. Those with specifically pastoral gifts find laid upon their hearts the health of the whole, and they express this calling in a variety of ways which may include vocal ministry, spiritual accompaniment and encouragement, pastoral care, teaching, conflict resolution and facilitating the ongoing connectedness of the Meeting community. They hold “the big picture.”
Maggie Edmondson, 2018
- The nurturing aspects of eldering as truth speaking lie in the recognition that one can be definite without being dogmatic. Elders should stand ready to state definitely and with candor their experience of things, without needing to insist that others conform their thinking and behavior to their views. In all cases of truth speaking, the first motion must be love. It is the power and integrity of love as it shows through one’s life that must do the convincing in the end.
Sam Caldwell, 1983
- To "listen" another's soul into a condition of disclosure and discovery may be almost the greatest service that any human being ever performs for another. But in this scrutiny of the business of listening, is that all that has emerged? Is it blasphemous to suggest that over the shoulder of the human listener, there is never absent the silent presence of the Eternal Listener, the living God? For in penetrating to what is involved in listening, do we not disclose the thinness of the filament that separates person listening openly to one another, and that of God intently listening to each soul?
from Gleanings by Douglas V. Steere
- "Our aged Friend, Joseph Hoag, with his companion, __ Battey, in the course of a religious visit, was at my house, and I remember a remark having been made, that there was some danger even to rightly anointed ministers, of preaching too much; and an instance was related of that valuable Friend, Daniel Haviland, in illustration of this danger, as follows:
Joseph Hoag, 1909
- Over a period of time when our meeting was discussing a controversial matter, business sessions became increasingly contentious, featuring rude exchanges between some outspoken members. The clerk attempted to address the issue in a general way during business meeting by reading relevant advices and queries, and reminding those present of the worshipful attitude with which we are called to conduct our business. The Friends were also approached by Ministry & Counsel with direct and respectful requests for a change in tone. Nothing seemed to work.|
Finally M&C reached out to the Yearly Meeting staff for advice. Rather than counsel, however, we received an unexpected form of support. For the next two months of business meetings, the Field Secretary worshipped with us in the morning and sat through our business meetings in the afternoon, never saying a word. His centered, silent presence was what we needed: our meeting returned to civility and regard for the experience of others as we wrestled with the issue together.
Carolyn Hilles-Pilant, 2020
- Let each be tender of the reputation of his brother; let every one be earnest to possess the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit. Watch over one another for good, but not for evil; and whilst not blind to the faults or false views of others, be especially careful not to make them a topic of common conversation. And even in cases in which occasion may require that the failings of others should be disclosed, be well satisfied, before they are made the subject of confidential communication, either verbally or by letter, that your own motives are sufficiently pure.
London Yearly Meeting Epistle, 1834
- Fellowship in a common faith has often brought a religious society into being before it was in any way organized into an institution. It was so with the primitive Church and with the Society of Friends. Organization is a good servant but a bad master; the living fellowship within the Church must remain free to mould organization into the fresh forms demanded by its own growth and the changing needs of the time. Where there is not this freedom the Church has its life cramped by ill-assorted clothes, and its service for the world becomes dwarfed or paralyzed.
W. C. Braithwaite, 1905 - A welcoming space for me is one where we meet people where they are and bring them into whatever is happening. An inclusive space recognizes the intrinsic worth of each of the members. We have to recognize the things that we are doing that create barriers to people bringing their whole selves.
Mary Linda McKinney, 2021 - I’ve come to understand that when I arrive at Quaker worship, I bring my whole self, both the fullness of my identity and my life experiences. As a person who identifies as Black and a woman, largely operating in the dominant White culture of Quakerism in Philadelphia, I’ve become aware of the unwritten norms that underlie Quaker faith and practice—and worship in particular….
There are times in a meeting for worship (and elsewhere) when I feel downright rageful: triggered by someone’s good intentions that either fall flat on me, leave me scratching my head in curiosity, or shaking in the heat of my anger…. Not only do we need to learn skills to care for ourselves and our emotions in the moment, but we also need to understand that those good intentions, even when Spirit-led, are not a license to ignore their unintended impact on others. Even as we gather for meeting for worship and offer Spirit-led vocal ministry, this too is within a broader societal context of structures, systems, and institutions that further oppression and radicalization.
A reframe for Quakers would be to take a deeper exploration of our good intentions. How do our intentions affect others, either intentionally or unintentionally? How might we look deeper at our intentions and align them with our values? What do we do individually and as a corporate body when this happens? How might our good intentions further support our own implicit bias?
Valerie Brown, 2020 - We need to recapture the sense that we are indeed working with God and to keep our hearts and minds open to his leadings—for he careth for us all and not one of us is in need but he knows. If we keep this attitude of receptive dependence we shall be ready to obey his promptings, we shall become aware of the needs of our fellow members and be prepared in his strength to play our part in helping all our members to find their right place in the life of our Meeting.
Stephen J. Thorne, 1959 - This minute is a report to Wellesley Friends at Meeting for Business from Ministry and Counsel on Fifth Month 10, 2018.
At our meeting this month Ministry and Counsel cluster minuted the following as part of our discussion of how we might help the meeting become a whole and healed community:
“It seems our purpose is to work to clear the conduits to enable love to flow between and among us. It would help if we create a culture in which we all give each other credit for being in good faith. We need to love one another so much that each feels safe enough to let go, and open, and grow. It is laid upon the members of Ministry and Counsel to begin living more overt love with one another.”We bring this to the entire meeting in the hope that you will also take this charge seriously. We ask that every one of you support the members of M&C as we strive to be leaders in the work of love in the meeting, and we ask further that you join us out on this limb and see whether we can't make some progress toward more profound love for each other in the Spirit. It is only in this way that we will be able to put aside irritations, forgive injuries, and come together to live into our radical mission to embody the Divine community.
Wellesley Friends at Meeting for Business from Ministry & Counsel, 2018
Advices and Queries for Ministry & Counsel
Advices for Ministry & Counsel
- Be faithful in gathering together, encouraging, supporting and watching over one another in love. Pay attention to the meeting community as a whole and to individuals within it, including those who worship via electronic platforms.
- Maintain an active spiritual life, staying grounded in God.
- The responsibilities of Ministry & Counsel are the same no matter what the size of the meeting. Discern how to structure those responsibilities in a way that will best serve your meeting.
- Regularly introduce members of Ministry & Counsel after meeting for worship. Let those present know its members are available to answer questions, to assist, or to hear concerns.
- Maintain transparent communication with the meeting community so members may feel confident in the work of their Ministry & Counsel.
- Be mindful of the quality of worship. Be prepared to intervene and provide guidance when necessary.
- Be willing to maintain the meeting’s integrity by setting boundaries when necessary and confronting behavior that makes the meeting feel unsafe.
- Remember that welcome is not conveyed simply by words, nor is it only the work of a particular committee; welcome is a culture of hospitality that permeates all aspects of a meeting’s life. Explore practical solutions that will help make the meeting welcoming for all who come among us.
- Listen for movement of the Spirit in the community and provide opportunities to support spiritual growth.
- Be prompt in arranging clearness and support committees as need arises.
- Be alert to tension or disruptive behavior. Seek to resolve conflict sooner rather than later, remembering that conflict can be an opportunity for growth and transformation.
- Be mindful of the value of listening and threshing sessions.
Queries for Ministry & Counsel
(These queries are grouped according to the headings within the chapter.)
Introduction
- Have we kept Friends’ faith experience and the reasons for our practices clearly before our members? How?
Friends Who Serve on Ministry & Counsel
- What is each of us doing to deepen our own spiritual understanding and sensitivity?
- How do we help each other listen for and ground our lives in divine guidance?
- What are we doing to identify and nurture spiritual gifts for God’s work?
- Do all M&C members regularly attend meetings for worship and business?
- Do members of Ministry & Counsel discern how much they can take on? How do we support each other in these choices? Do the members of M&C regularly take time for refreshment?
- Do we admit errors and learn from them? Are we avoiding dealing with difficult issues in the hope they will resolve themselves?
Structuring the Work of Ministry & Counsel
- How might the meeting best arrange its committee structure to help carry out the functions of M&C?
The Work of Ministry & Counsel
- Has the Inward Teacher been leading M&C in its work?
- Does M&C take on too much? Does any of their work belong elsewhere?
Care of Worship
- As the meeting for worship begins, is the meeting centered, with hearts joined together in the stillness?
- Is the vocal ministry under the guidance of the Spirit?
- After a message, is there space left to receive and reflect on it, and to return to waiting worship?
- Are we are being faithful to the work of nurturing the meeting’s worship and encouraging personal devotions?
- How do we encourage faithful vocal ministry and an understanding of its practice?
- Does Ministry & Counsel hold the worshiping community in prayer?
- Do we follow up with Friends whose vocal ministry we have felt to be from the prompting of the Spirit, encouraging them to continue to be faithful?
- Do we engage sensitively with Friends whose vocal ministry does not seem centered in the Spirit? Do we have a plan for addressing disruptive messages during worship?
- What have we each done to encourage people new to our meeting to know, love, and experience the centering peace and power of the Inward Guide and to embrace its challenges?
- Are we careful to use accessible language, avoiding terms that assume everyone is from a similar background and familiar with Quaker terminology? Are we careful to explain Quaker terms and acronyms if necessary? Do we make sure Friends introduce themselves and share their role as they make announcements after meeting?
- Do we follow up with inquiries about, and visitors to, our meetings either online or in person? What else might we do so visitors feel welcome?
- How can we use technology to foster a more inclusive and welcoming community?
- Have we offered spiritual and practical support to those new to the meeting? How have we encouraged their acceptance into the fabric of the meeting? Where have we fallen short?
Support of Corporate Discernment
- How has Ministry & Counsel supported the meeting’s corporate discernment? Are meetings for business and committee meetings spiritually centered and focused on discerning God’s will?
Spiritual Nurture & Religious Education
- Does the community need to be renewed, refreshed, or enlivened? How can these needs be addressed?
- How is M&C nurturing the spiritual life of individuals? Is there evidence of growth among members of all ages?
- How can we integrate children and young people fully in the life of the meeting? Do we appreciate their contributions to the community?
- Is our meeting aware of the needs of the wider community? What are we doing to help address them?
- Does our witness in the world inspire seekers to discover a spiritual home with Friends?
Clearness
- How do we encourage members to bring their lives and decisions into the Light of God’s love, seeking Spirit-led guidance?
Membership
- Are there attenders we might encourage to consider membership?
- Have we engaged with members who live locally but do not regularly attend meeting and encouraged them to participate in our community?
- Have we offered spiritual support to members who live far away?
- What have we learned from reaching out to absent members and how have we responded?
- When an individual leaves the meeting or lays down their membership, do we reflect on their reasons and what we can learn from the experience?
Pastoral Care
- Have we organized our meeting structure to assure that pastoral care will be available to members of our community when it is needed?
- Do we celebrate joys as well as help with difficulties?
- How do we make ourselves available to members and attenders of all ages who wish to talk with us? Do we protect the confidentiality of those who speak privately with us as far as legally possible?
Conflict Transformation
- Do we find ourselves paralyzed by the fear of conflict in our Meetings? Can we recognize that conflict may open a path to transformation?
- Are we aware of how respectful disagreement and understanding can deepen our individual and corporate growth in the Spirit?
- When significant disagreements arise, do we engage in careful discernment and do we have the courage to act on that discernment in a timely manner?
- When facing difficult issues, how are we present to one another in a loving spirit?
- Do we focus on divine guidance rather than worldly expediency and trust God to support us in uncomfortable places?
- When there is conflict or difficulty, do we protect the integrity of the meeting for worship, support individuals, and take care of the fabric of the meeting community?
- How do we balance care for the individual with care for the meeting community? How do we respond when an individual’s calling or need dominates the life of the meeting?
Recognizing and Nurturing Gifts, Leadings & Ministry
- Have we sensed and encouraged a developing gift of spoken ministry, eldering, or pastoral care in any of our meetings’ members? How do we encourage the development of those gifts?
Ministry & Counsel’s Relationship with a Pastor or Other Employee
- Might the meeting benefit from a consistent pastoral presence? Why might the meeting want to employ a Friend for a particular ministry and why not?
- Reports may cover the full range of interests and concerns, but typically emphasize those indicative of the spiritual health of the meeting. A thorough report covers both that which is thriving and that which is challenging and needs strengthening, such as:
- If the meeting has a pastor or other employee, is that Friend provided with spiritual and practical support? Are expectations clear, and is there a Friend designated to communicate officially as supervisor with any employee? Is Ministry & Counsel represented on committees charged with care or oversight of the pastor or other employee?
- Have you considered what it means to be in right relationship with anyone employed by your meeting?