Historic Peace Church initiative in Latin America ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FWCC Section of the Americas will join with the Church of the Brethren and the Mennonites in supporting a consultation in 2010 to be held in Latin America, as part of "The Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV)."
The DOV was initiated by the World Council of Churches in parallel with the United Nations International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World. The Historic Peace Churches were given leadership roles in coordinating the DOV. During the Decade, the Historic Peace Churches have held consultations in different parts of the world: Switzerland, Kenya, and most recently in Indonesia. In each case, the host FWCC Section has played a part in selecting participants. (Click here to read observations from Friends in the Asia-West Pacific Section about the conference in Indonesia.)
At its October meeting, the Section of the Americas Executive Committee approved a contribution from restricted funds to support this effort. Paul Mitchell (North Carolina YM FUM), a member of FWCC's Peace Issues Working Group and the Executive Committee, will represent FWCC at the initial planning sessions, and at least one Latin American Friend will also be named. The DOV will end in 2011 with an International Ecumenical Peace Convocation in Kingston, Jamaica in May 2011, with the theme Glory to God and Peace on Earth. |
Asia-West Pacific gathering in Bhopal ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friends from around the world gathered for the Asia-West Pacific Section Meeting have been singing in Tagalog. This is the first language of the Philippines Evangelical Friends Church which is one of two yearly meetings that were welcomed into affiliation with the Section at its meeting. Philippines EFC is now the largest affiliated yearly meeting in the Section. Friends also welcomed Mahoba Yearly Meeting into membership. Its full name is True Friends Quaker Group of Mahoba, UP, and has been established by members of Bunkelkhand Yearly Meeting in the Indian state of Madya Pradesh who are now living in the adjoining state of Uttar Pradesh.
With the attendance of FWCC's Central Executive Committee which represents all four sections, worship and interest groups have reflected a global perspective, including Friends from Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa. Sunday morning worship was led by the Africans. |
| Regional Peace Gathering draws Friends to Ontario
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Mike Hinshaw, clerk of the Lower Great Lakes Region of FWCC, writes about their recent regional gathering that took place in Ontario, Canada: "We were held in the warm, loving embrace of Canadian Friends and participated in a very well planned mini conference on being a Peace Church in the 21st Century. We were opened to many helpful, new ideas and we recognized that the concept of Peace is approached in so many different ways. We were helped to discuss Peace across a wide horizon, from the personal and family concept at one end to the policies of our national governments and how we can establish that peace within which will enable us to most effectively influence others."
The next Lower Great Lakes regional gathering will take place in the fall of 2009 and will be hosted by Lake Erie YM Friends. |
IRA Charitable rollover contribution opportunity extended for 2008, 2009 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With the passing of the bailout bill by Congress last month, an extension for allowing charitable contributions from a qualified Individual Retirement Account (IRA) was included for both this year and next. As in the last few years, this deduction is available only to IRA owners age 70 ½ and older. Other conditions apply. If you would like to make a gift to FWCC from your IRA, please contact us.
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2009 Yearly Meeting dates now on website ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The dates and locations for most of the yearly meetings in the Americas are now posted on our website. Click here to see the list.
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Annual Meeting registration coming soon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The 2009 Annual Meeting will take place March 19-22 in Canby, Oregon, near Portland. Online registration will be available via our website soon. The meeting will start on Thursday March 19th in the morning with a threshing session on proposed FWCC governance changes. This is a change from the schedule that has been followed in recent years. Keep checking our website for more information.
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| "In the midst of financial instability worldwide...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  ...my mind goes back to our 2006 Annual Meeting in Chiquimula, Guatemala where our Latin American hosts opened up their hearts, souls and wallets in support of a hospitable welcome to Friends meeting Friends, face-to-face, and heart-to-heart.
The profound experiences that FWCC provides, experiences that often take Friends out of their familiar zones, are not always easy to measure, but they can certainly be recognized. As we approach the year's end, please consider how you might support for this important work."
-Margaret Fraser, Executive Secretary
Click here to make a secure, online contribution to FWCC. | |
