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| Section of Americas |
June 24, 2009 |
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Greetings!
FWCC and I, personally, have lost two dear friends. Heather Moir, former clerk of FWCC and of the Section of the Americas, died recently at her home in New Hampshire. This annual meeting was only the second that she had missed in thirty years. She sent her greetings by composing a poem that I read at the opening session. After every annual meeting, she sent flowers to the staff. I will miss her deeply.
Tom Mullen, author, encourager of generations of pastors and Earlham College and School of Religion students, died suddenly last week in Indiana. He was a current representative to FWCC. Both Friends will be celebrated at memorial meetings this coming Saturday, June 27, in their respective states.
Margaret Fraser
Executive Secretary |
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Being Salt and Light
Plans are underway for the sixth World Conference of Friends, which will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, August 13-21, 2012. Around 1,000 Friends will gather on the campus of Africa Nazarene University to consider the theme Being Salt and Light: Friends living the Kingdom of God in a broken world.
In deciding the theme, the International Planning Committee drew inspiration from several Bible passages, including Matthew 4:13 ("You are the salt of the earth..."), Matthew 5:14-16 ("You are the light of the world..."), Matthew 6:33 ("Seek ye first the Kingdom of God..."), Matthew 6:9-13 (the Lord's Prayer), Micah 4:4 ("They shall sit under their own vines and fig trees and no one shall make them afraid."), and Micah 6:8 ("... And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?").
"This theme unites the spiritual foundation of our faith with our understanding of the basis of our work in the world in all its diversity," said FWCC General Secretary Nancy Irving.
The theme will inform the preparation for the conference, and between now and August 2012 there will be many opportunities for Friends to consider and reflect on it, both individually and in groups. A study pack will be prepared, and FWCC hopes to offer an on-line course focusing on different aspects of the theme, as well as other opportunities for Friends to share their views and thoughts. This will lead to a conference book being prepared which will bring together the various ideas and issues that will be generated. Ultimately, the theme should guide the conference in discerning concrete ways in which Friends can live the Kingdom of God in a broken world.
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2010 Annual Meeting near Baltimore
Pearlstone Conference and Retreat Center in Reisterstown, MD will be the location for the 2010 FWCC Annual Meeting. Friends in Baltimore Yearly Meeting have risen to the occasion of forming a local arrangements committee on relatively short notice: initial plans contemplated the 2010 meeting taking place in Honduras. While we continue to work on a future annual meeting in this part of Central America, we are thankful for the flexibility of Baltimore Yearly Meeting Friends to host us next year. Look for registration information and online registration to start earlier than usual - by early fall - on our website.
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 Seeking pilgrims & leaders
Registration is now open for potential pilgrims - young Friends who will be ages 16-18 next summer - and potential adult leaders for the 2010 Quaker Youth Pilgrimage. This bi-annual event will take place July 16-August 13, 2010* in the Northwestern United States. General information on the pilgrimage may be found on our website. The deadline for both pilgrim and leader applicants is September 30, 2009. Photo (r) from the 2008 pilgrimage.
*Note these dates have changed from those published in some advertisments. |
Multilingual FWCC Europe & Middle East Section website
FWCC's Europe and Middle East Section has a completely new website, with its information in multiple languages now easier to access. Resources are available in German, German-Swiss, Estonian, French, Latvian, Russian, and Spanish. The Europe & Middle East Section of FWCC is trying to meet the needs of the growing groups of Friends in certain parts of Europe by widening the availability of resources for Friends and seekers. Check it out here. |
| Support FWCC
Did you know that when you make a gift to the Section of the Americas, 25% of your unrestricted gift goes to support the World Office's work? Our global 'Connecting Friends, Crossing Cultures, Changing Lives' depends on the contributions of Friends who are able to give. We invite you to help us in this work.
Or, download a printable donation form here. |
Adrene Brown, Ruth Hadley, Tom Mullen (holding the Earlham sign), Vaughn Peebles and Chris Nicholson in a skit on Friends in the Midwest at the 2008 Annual Meeting.
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