Now Hiring: Quaker Census Data Researcher – Remote Worker

Update: This work is completed. Thanks for your interest!

The goal of this grant funded project is to analyze data on Quakers in the US collected in the 2020 US Religion Census in order to find Meetings/Churches that have closed since 2010 (or which may have been erroneously not included in the census data), correct the data, collect the missing data, and perform an analysis of the corrected/updated data to better articulate current trends in Quakerism in the US through a written and oral report. This contract starts as soon as filled, and will be performed in 10 – 40 hour work weeks or 400 total hours to be completed by August 31,2023.

Researcher can expect to:
● Initiate contact with Yearly/Monthly Meetings throughout the United States to collect and/or gain access
to updated statistical data via email and telephone.
● Follow up with non-responders, searching for additional contacts
● Compare existing data with 2010 data to discern what is missing
● Keep the Operations Manager informed of all progress or roadblocks
● Maintain and submit records of hours worked and expenses incurred on the job
● Meet weekly with supervisor to review procedures, report issues or concerns, and receive guidance as
needed

Skills needed:
Applicants must be proficient in using word processing, spreadsheets, slideshows, and be able to present their
findings in both oral and written forms. Familiarity with Google Suite and DonorPerfect are pluses.
Applicants must also be proficient in the use of communications technology including email, SMS, Zoom,
Google Meet, and telephone.
Applicants must be proficient in time management, able to outline and articulate a schedule of work.
The ideal candidate will have deep familiarity with the varied branches of Quakers in the US and experience with similar research projects.

Compensation:
This is a $25/hr short-term contract position tied to grant funding which ends in September 2023.
Candidates must be U.S. citizens 18 years or older by April 1, 2023 and be able to pass a background check.

To apply, please send a resume, cover letter, and a writing sample of a past research project, demographic
report, or other presentation of data you have researched to: jobs@fwccamericas.org

QUAKER-RESEARCHER DOWNLOAD

2020 US Religion Survey

Have you ever asked, “How many Quakers are there in the world? In the United States? And how do we really know?” Most years, FWCC Section of the Americas asks each yearly meeting in the Americas for their membership statistics. This data is used to produce a statistical map of Friends Around the World every five years. This year, FWCC Americas is collecting more precise data on Quakers in the US in collaboration with the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies.

The U.S. Religion Census was originally conducted by the U.S. government in five special reports from 1890 through 1936. In 1952, the National Council of Churches organized its own religion census, which was repeated in 1971 and 1980 with strong support from Glenmary Research Center.

Since 1990, this decadal census has been conducted by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies. Coverage now includes many non-Christian groups as well as special counts for religious traditions that do not have central data collection points, such as non-denominational churches or Muslim and Jewish communities. For more information about the census please visit them online at http://www.usreligioncensus.org/

All Yearly Meetings, Friends Churches, Monthly Meetings, Preparatory Meetings, Worship Groups, Independent Meetings, and Online Only gatherings are encouraged to participate in order for the Quaker/Friends testimony and presence to be accurately reflected to the world around us. To see the listings we have, please visit our Find Friends webpage. To update your Meeting’s information, please contact directory@fwccamericas.org

Data collected will not be used for purposes outside the work of the 2020 US Religious Census or the Friends World Committee for Consultation. We hope to expand this effort in coming years to include all the countries in the Americas.

If you are interested in helping us, connecting with other Quakers, and collecting this important data please check the job description and apply today by emailing a resume and cover letter to jobs@fwccamericas.org!

Search for new General Secretary for the World Office

Gretchen Castle, FWCC General Secretary, steps down after eight years of service.

It’s with heavy hearts that we are sharing the news that Gretchen Castle, who has been FWCC’s General Secretary in the World Office in London since 2012, is stepping down.

Read Gretchen’s reflection on her time at FWCC to Friends worldwide.

Read the FWCC Clerk’s, letter of acknowledgement of Gretchen’s resignation.

To find the job description, and application process for the next General Secretary, see our General Secretary Search.

Introducing Heather Gosse, New Operations Manager

Heather Gosse, our new bilingual Operations Manager, began October 3, 2018!  She brings a wide variety of experiences from the business, educational, and Quaker worlds.  Heather is a member of Monteverde Friends Meeting in Costa Rica, where she lived for almost ten years and where she was highly involved in the life of the Meeting.  She is particularly interested in the different ways people express their experience of Quakerism, and worked within Monteverde Meeting to help people connect with and use their own authentic religious language.

Previously, she was a member and clerk of the Finance Committee for Goshen Monthly Meeting in Pennsylvania. She has a degree in economics from Oberlin College and has taught middle school science at Friends Select School, Monteverde Friends School and Wilmington Friends School.  She was previously a small business manager and an economics research analyst.

She will take over scheduling our Zoom calls and Doodle Polls. In addition to the regular donation processing, financial management and newsletter, she will be managing the Representative Engagement survey and preparations for the Nominating and Representative Engagement committee meetings next month.  Please join us in welcoming her to the FWCC office.

Heather has been back in the Philadelphia area of the U.S. for a few years now, readjusting to tall buildings, lockdown drills instead of earthquake drills, and the Northern seasons.  She enjoys folk dancing, making music, and spending time outside.