Hubs for the FWCC World Plenary Meeting 2024

The 2024 World Plenary Meeting (WPM) will take place on site in South Africa and online. (See more general information about the WPM and register here) Some Friends will join the WPM online as individuals, and others in groups. We are describing groups of people joining the WPM (and the locations they are joining from) as hubs. Everyone who plans to attend your hub should be encouraged to register so they have access to advance materials here: Registration

A hub is any group of Friends joining the World Plenary Meeting online from another location, from a single internet connection. The group size could be from 3 to 300+, but in many cases will be about 10 or 20 people. They may participate in the complete WPM from August 5-12, 2024 or just in some sessions. You can register to become a hub here

What is needed to be a hub?

Firstly, a hub needs more than two people wanting to join the World Plenary Meeting from another place or country. On registration, we will ask for at least one person to be named as a facilitator/elder for the hub, and a second to be the tech lead. There will be a ‘tech rehearsal’ for tech leads prior to the World Plenary Meeting, and regular check-ins to see how it is going.For larger groups of people, we recommend that a hub has access to:

  • a projector, large screen or monitor
  • a laptop, or tablet
  • a reliable internet, WiFi or data connection
  • a reliable supply of electricity
  • speakers
  • a web camera
  • a microphone

A group of up to about five people could gather around a computer or tablet. They could use the computer screen, microphone, camera and speaker. For the best experience of the WPM, a larger group would need a larger screen, external speakers and an external microphone.

How can I receive support as a Hub?

Limited technical support, for example on connectivity issues, will be provided to hubs through by the World Plenary Meeting Tech Working Group. The contact information for support persons will be provided after your registration as a hub is approved.

  • If you require interpretation for you event, be aware that the World Plenary Meeting official languages include Spanish and Swahili. If you need interpretation in another language, we do recommend finding a local person able to attend your hub and participate in simultaneous interpretation during the event

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

#GIVEQUAKER this Giving Tuesday

Every Friend knows or is involved with a Quaker nonprofit. This Giving Tuesday, we’re asking Quaker organizations to come together and raise awareness of all Quaker nonprofits that need fundraising support.

If you are involved in a Quaker nonprofit, please ask them to post on their social media feeds a message of either giving to the charity that is posting or to all Quaker nonprofits and use the hashtag #givequaker.

We created some graphics you may use on any Quaker nonprofit social media page and they are available below. This could be a Meeting or Church, a Yearly Meeting, or any nonprofit Friends organization.

By raising our voices together, we will have a much stronger voice.

Who: All Quaker nonprofit organizations, and all Friends

What: Post a #givequaker message on social media

When: On Giving Tuesday – Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Where: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more

Why: To raise awareness of the many Quaker nonprofits. If you search this hashtag, you’ll see all the Quaker nonprofits that participated.

How: Post on social media and use the hashtag #givequaker. To download an image below, right click on the image and choose, “save as” and you should be able to use it.

Facebook
Instagram
Story (FB or Instagram)

A Midwest Regional Gathering

Friends visited Historic Sugar Grove Friends Meeting House in Guilford Township, Hendricks County, Indiana.

by Luanne Hagee

Friends, if there is one thing I have learned the last two and a half years is that I must be patient (near impossible for me) and that patience pays off.

It was way back in March of 2019 during the FWCC-SOA Section Meeting near Kansas City, Missouri members of the Midwest Region (Illinois YM, Indiana YM, Ohio Valley YM, Western YM, the New Association of Friends and Central YM) began a discussion of a possible event/gathering in our Region before the next Section Meeting in 2021. It was suggested that we might hold such a gathering in mid-2020 in conjunction with the annual sessions of one of our Yearly Meetings . . . and then COVID struck, but COVID could not and did not stop us from continuing conversations and planning for a Midwest Regional event/gathering. Lots of emails were sent/received and virtual gatherings were held within the Section.

In April we finally had a location and date secured along with a speaker and a field trip! David Edinger and I discussed options for lunch. In July registration opened and I saw that we had two speakers and a field trip! After I registered I began watching as Friends began to register – it was exciting to see which Friends were going to be attending and anticipating seeing them in person for the first time since the 2019 Section Meeting.

Patience finally paid off . . . and on Saturday, September 24th, 2022, in Plainfield, Indiana over 40 Friends gathered at the Plainfield Friends Meeting on U.S. 40 for the first “post COVID” hybrid FWCC-SOA gathering.

The afternoon began with a brief gathering in the Plainfield Friends Meeting Room then Friends were dismissed to the basement where a variety of box lunches from McAlister’s were available along with lemonade and ice tea. As Friends returned to the Meeting Room they were welcomed with Tom Roberts (Western YM) playing the piano. After a brief welcome to those in attendance both in the Meeting Room and virtually by our Midwest Regional Coordinator, David Edinger, Tom played a couple more tunes for us followed by a period of waiting worship.

We then heard from two dynamic speakers – Shawn McConaughey, the new Western Yearly Meeting Superintendent, who had been serving on staff with Friends United Meeting in East Africa and Robin Mohr, Executive Secretary of FWCC-SOA. Shawn shared about the work he did while working on staff with Friends United Meeting serving in East Africa and Robin shared the ongoing work of FWCC around the world.

Tom Hamm, archivist at Earlham College, shared with Friends the history of the historic Sugar Grove Friends Meeting House. Sugar Grove Meeting House is currently used by local Friends for Easter Sunrise Service and a group currently meets there once a month on Sunday afternoon for worship in the manner of Friends – unprogrammed worship. The Meetinghouse still has the wooden panels that separated the men and women during Meeting for Worship. Twenty-nine Friends visited the Sugar Grove Meetinghouse where they heard a bit more about the history and how the Meetinghouse is being used today.

I enjoyed seeing so many of my FWCC Friends in person and having the opportunity to have conversations with them face-to-face and not virtually and getting a few hugs as well.

Thanks to Plainfield Friends for sharing their facilities with us, Pastor Cathy Harris, Bill Clendening and Tom Roberts for helping.

The afternoon program speakers and music were recorded and can be viewed at: FWCC Midwest Regional Gathering – 2022 – YouTube

Planning for this gathering began three and a half years ago and was over in the blink of an eye . . . but it was so worth the wait! 

A Midwest Regional Gathering
We started with lunch and fellowship
As we entered the room for presentations, Tom Roberts (Western YM) played piano
Shawn McConaughey, the new Western Yearly Meeting Superintendent, who had been serving on staff with Friends United Meeting in East Africa. Shawn shared about the work he did while working on staff with Friends United Meeting serving in East Africa.
Robin Mohr, Executive Secretary of FWCC-Americas shared the ongoing work of FWCC around the world.
Sugar Grove Meeting House is currently used by local Friends for Easter Sunrise Service and a group currently meets there once a month on Sunday afternoon for worship in the manner of Friends – unprogrammed worship.
Tom Roberts shared with Friends the history of the Sugar Grove Friends Meeting House.

Transparency in Coverage Rule

TRANSPARENCY IN COVERAGE RULE

This link leads to the machine-readable files that are made available in response to the federal Transparency in Coverage Rule and includes negotiated service rates and out-of-network allowed amounts between health plans and healthcare providers. The machine-readable files are formatted to allow researchers, regulators, and application developers to access and analyze data more easily.

FWCC is legally required to post the above information on our public facing website. Our employee coverage is found under Highmark Blue Shield Pennsylvania.

Update on U.S. Religion Census

By Gilbert George,
Operations Manager

Every 10 years the American Association of Religious Statisticians takes a census of all the religious bodies in the United States. FWCC collects data on Quaker Meetings and Friends’ churches so that our presence, in all its multifaceted beauty, can be accurately included in the religious landscape.  

We want to thank all of the Yearly Meeting, Monthly Meeting, and Church staff and volunteers who provided us with data. We deeply appreciate your cooperation and commitment. Because of your participation we delivered data on location and membership numbers in late February, and you will have access to the full US Religions Census report in early summer of 2022.

In early October, we created a project plan and hired Keenan Lorenzato of Pacific Yearly Meeting and Philip Maurer of New England Yearly Meeting to collect the data as quickly and accurately as possible.  To all the Friends who were praying for our discernment process, Thank You! These two Friends collected membership and attendance numbers from almost the entirety of Friends in the US in less than 3 months. They also helped reestablish contact with Yearly Meetings, individual meetings, and churches we had not been in contact with since before the pandemic.

The last decade has seen seismic shifts across the religious landscape in the United States, and our Society has not been immune from the cultural and economic pressures bearing down on the World. Over 1,000 Friends Meetings and Quaker Churches in the United States remain active, shining their Light in the unique way their location and call to faithfulness requires of them. If you would like to see where they are, check out FWCC Section of the Americas’ “Find Friends” page. My hope is that with your support we can extend this directory to cover our entire Section, and maybe even the World, so that we can find each other when traveling and seekers can find a meeting near them.

Strengthening our Community of Friends: Visit to the Yearly Meetings of Bolivia

Pastor Gualberto Torrez and his congregation in one of their churches in the Andes region.

By Karen Gregorio de Calderon, Coordinator of Latin American Programs

 

In the month of January, God allowed us the privilege of making a visit to the affiliated yearly meetings of Bolivia, with the objective of strengthening our community and sharing the love of God that unites us. It was a wonderful experience to be able to greet the brothers of the different congregations to share with them, in the worship services and multiple scheduled activities, in which we were able to live together in harmony, worship our Lord Jesus Christ, share our cultures and our common heritage. We thank God for this privilege and for what it will allow us to continue doing in the near future with each of the Meetings. We are sure that God will direct the plans for the growth and expansion of his work.


I traveled with Raúl Pérez, member of the Executive Committee of FWCC-Section of the Americas and member of El Salvador Yearly Meeting and Robin Mohr, Executive Secretary for the Section of the Americas. We had the opportunity to visit the yearly meeting annual sessions of INELA Bolivia, the Bolivian Union Friends and the Central Friends yearly meetings.


We particularly want to thank Pr. Gualberto Torrez, of the Iglesia Evangelica Union Boliviana Amigos for his support and taking us to visit some of the rural churches of their yearly meeting.
We also had the opportunity to visit with Friends of Central Yearly Meeting. It was a blessing to share the message of God’s word and participate in the worship services. We thank its president Armando Mamani and the Congregation for the organization of the activities and their development.

Raúl Pérez, member of El Salvador Yearly Meeting and member of the Executive Committee of FWCC Americas, shared the experience of Central American yearly meetings with missionary work in Nicaragua and Cambodia.
In the Aymara culture, “Apthapi” is the name of the Aymara celebration in which food and knowledge are shared. It is derived from the verb apthapiña, which means to bring. The celebration attendees bring food to share with the group. We thank the sisters of Unión Boliviana and their churches in the Andes region for this wonderful experience.
Attendees at the INELA Bolivia Yearly Meeting.
Sharing experiences with Northwest YM Friends: Daniel Cammack, David Thomas, Roy Lujan, Ken Comfort.
Sharing with the leaders of the Amigos Central Yearly Meeting, at the Villa Victoria church.
Sharing with the leaders of the Amigos Central Yearly Meeting, at the Villa Victoria church.
Sharing with: Edwin and María Girón. They were also part of a panel presentation about modern approaches to missionary work.
Visit to Escobar-Uria Friends Church
Pleasant moments with the sisters of UFINELA. (INELA Women’s Union) during lunch, during the activities of the yearly meeting.
With the South American members of the Traveling Ministry Corps In the first row: Jhoana Ramos (INELA Peru), Robin Mohr (Executive Secretary of CMCA) Karen Gregorio de Calderón (Coordinator for Latin America of CMCA-COAL) Carmen Rosa Paye (Bolivian Friends Union) In the back row: Jhimmy Roque (INELA Bolivia) and Juan Daniel Mamani (INELA Bolivia). Thank you for your service to our community of Friends!
Youth Leadership of Bolivian Friends: One of the main objectives of the visit to Bolivia was to share with the young leaders of the affiliated meetings. We were able to meet and share with around 25 young people from Amigos Central, Unión Boliviana Amigos and INELA Bolivia. We had the opportunity to share the vision and mission of FWCC, future plans and projects, and share ideas of plans that we can work on together.
The FWCC-COAL deeply thanks the local arrangements committee, who did an excellent job coordinating travel to the different Annual Meeting. They include: Jhoana Ramos, member of the Section’s Nominating Committee, (INELA Peru), Milena Villca, FWCC Executive Committee (Union Boliviana Amigos), Carmen Rosa Paye, (Bolivian Friends Union), Timoteo Choque and family (INELA-Bolivia), Agustina Callejas and family, (INELA Bolivia) Ruben Maydana (INELA Bolivia), and Florentino Ramos and family (INELA Peru). We appreciate and value their support.

Hurricane Relief Efforts

The impacts from hurricanes ETA and IOTA continue to affect our Central American neighbors, particularly in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala. Friends locally have been very active in relief efforts, though they are limited by funds.

FWCC has been raising money to pass along to the Yearly Meetings doing this on-the-ground work. As of mid-January, FWCC has raised over $4,500 for Friends in Central America, in addition to other ongoing fundraising efforts in the United States. We are extremely grateful for those of you who have felt able to support this work!

We continue to pray for those in Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala who are are still suffering. May God also sustain our brothers and sisters who continue to bring aid and assistance to those in need. More detail about the relief efforts is as follows:

In Guatemala

Embajadores (Ambassadors) Friends Monthly Meeting in Chiquimula and Friend Elder Morales (a current member of the Section’s Finance Committee) have been assisting a group of families, most of whom are Quakers.
The Chaplain Team of Holiness Yearly Meeting of Friends is working with Friends from the National Yearly Meeting to bring food, clothing, mattresses, etc. to families in need.
Shalom Jireh (NGO) and FM Vida: This is a well established ministry including a radio station that has been organizing the purchase and distribution of articles for the victims. They work through a network of local church leaders and transportation volunteers who have been working to organize a fair distribution of food, clothing, etc. to at least 200 families.
Junta Nacional Amigos: This national yearly meeting is working through its regional superintendents at two points in the most affected zone.

In Honduras

Junta Nacional Amigos de Honduras: YM president Arody Ruiz and the pastoral teams in District 8 are located in the most affected zone of Honduras and have been working tirelessly. At the beginning of December they placed an order for new beds to be manufactured, to provide along with other needs.
Hno. Bernabé and Maria Felix Sánchez: (Pastors, First Friends Church, Santa Rosa de Copan) These Friends have been working on providing stoves and work tools so that people can continue their basic tasks, cook their own food and begin to earn money again.

In Nicaragua

We are receiving news of the victims in Nicaragua via El Salvador Yearly Meeting, which includes one of the Salvadoran missionary families, Doris Guardado (former FWCC Regional Coordinator) and Alcides Mejia, who continue ministering to their neighbors, despite the storm and looting damage to their home.

If you are able to give financially to support this ongoing work, you can send a check made out to FWCC Americas with Central American Disaster Relief in the memo. To make an immediate online donation, click here and choose Central American Disaster Relief.

Pastoral Care in the time of COVID-19

Most Quaker books of discipline, sometimes known as Faith and Practice, have practical and spiritual advices for dealing with death and bereavement. Your yearly meeting may already have a committee of Friends exploring how to be of service in this time. Do seek out local support resources as well.

Even professionally trained pastors may be overwhelmed at this time, by their congregation or their own expectations. Friends have a long tradition of sharing the gifts and call to ministry more broadly. These resources may be useful to you. If you have other suggestions, please send them to Robin Mohr at robinm at fwccamericas.org. We are updating this as we receive links and news. 

Trainings/Workshops/Discussions:

Scott Wagoner, Pastoral Minister at Deep River Friends, is offering a weekly Zoom call every Wednesday from 11AM to 12 Noon EDT (plus an additional session on Friday April 3). In partnership with FUM’s North American Ministries, he is offering this space for programmed and unprogrammed Quakers to talk about how to do pastoral care / presence in this environment, what resources are working, what are we learning, and how we each of us doing. He trained with the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. Contact him at scottwagoner62@gmail.com  to get on the invitation list.

Resources:

Friends General Conference has posted a conversation with three Quaker chaplains on grief, death, and dying and this list of resources on Quakers and Mental Health.

Last year, New England Yearly Meeting published expanded sections of Faith and Practice on death and bereavement with related logistical suggestions.

New England Yearly Meeting has established a page with pastoral care and support resources

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting shared multiple useful resources:

Friends United Meeting posted the following self-care suggestions from Alexander Kern, Director of Northeastern University’s Center for Spirituality, Dialogue, and Service, and New England Yearly Meeting.

Everence, a Mennonite financial services company, can offer professional counseling on debt and budget issues. Philadelphia Yearly Meeting shares this pastoral care newsletter focused on supporting Friends who are burdened by debt. Though written some time ago, it remains highly relevant.

The US Center for Disease Control published some resources for coping in daily life and particularly for helping to reduce the stigma associated with the coronavirus.

Is there a hospice program near you? They may have additional resources online or local to you. Here is some advice about choosing a hospice provider.

Carl Magruder, board-certified chaplain from Pacific Yearly Meeting sent the following links and advice:

Preparing to go to the hospital: Folks sick with COVID-19 will first be at home, and if they worsen, at some point a decision will be made to take them to hospital.  (Note: Many are leaving this too late, so be in communication with your healthcare provider.)

– Bring a phone, tablet, or laptop to hospital with charger

– Fill out/find/revise/copy your advance care directive and take it to the hospital

– Request a consult with the palliative care team.

Many people have had the experience of making a “baby bag” for a quick trip to obstetrics when a baby is expected.  A hospital bag should be packed and ready to go—toothbrush, pajamas, slippers, sudoku, teddy bear, favorite baseball team cap, etc.  Fun aside, an essential item for the bag is a copy of your advance healthcare directive.  

Some items you will want with you in your bag may be in daily use, and for them, a list should be attached to the bag so that they can be thrown in quickly at a time when folks may not be thinking clearly.  That list should include PHONE/TABLET/LAPTOP AND CHARGER. That way, the patient, possibly with help from hospital personnel, will be able to stay in touch with family from quarantine. (And watch Netflix on hospital wi-fi!)  This is also the case for anyone who goes to hospital with stroke, heart attack, etc. in this time, because they will also not be able to receive visitors. In fact, it’s a good practice any time hospital admission is anticipated.

To me, as a palliative care and hospice chaplain, the inability to be at bedside with loved ones who are approaching or at end of life is one of the hardest things about the contagiousness of COVID-19.  I was talking with two hospice chaplain friends of mine about it, and we have all experienced beauty, healing, grace, and peace at the bedside of a dying person—the veil is thin, and sacredness can be called in when fears and conflict have been skillfully addressed.  BUT this is when people can join hands, touch their loved one, sing, pray, anoint, etc. What happens when they can’t be there in person?

The chaplains agreed that we have had remarkable experiences with bringing a remote loved one to bedside by telephone.  My colleagues, working for hospice, which is federally funded and regulated, have never used Zoom with family members, but ResolutionCare.com has cared for our people using videoconferencing for five years now.  Faces light up across distance when the Zoom connection is made. Also, important medical decisions can be made with medical personnel, family, and the sick person when certain friends or family Zoom in.

Federal law was changed because of the pandemic to allow medical providers much wider usage of telehealth platforms including Zoom, doxy, FaceTime, What’s App, etc.  However, this is unfamiliar to many healthcare personnel, and they may be reluctant to use it. Of course, you can always connect on your own, if you have your device.  

I recommend that anyone admitted for COVID-19 ask to “consult with the palliative care team.”  This is the team that facilitates hard conversations, advocates for you to have the interventions YOU choose, and makes sure that you are comfortable.  The team generally includes a social worker, nurse, doctor, and a kindly interfaith chaplain. They may take a while to get there, because other folks are higher priority. You don’t want to be high priority.  Avail yourself of this resource. If there’s no palliative care team, request a chaplain or nurse help you to contact your family on the electronic device you brought to the hospital.

Other Information:

Online worship opportunities and resources

COVID-19 church and meeting resources

Planning Online Annual Sessions

Resources in Spanish

Online Worship

Thinking about experimenting with hybrid or blended MFW?

For online worship around the world:

Be sure to check with your local meeting, as many meetings are adopting an online worship format, at least temporarily.

Section of the Americas online worship opportunities in English posted by Yearly Meeting or Region:

Other invitations to online worship:

Online worship and learning opportunities for families and children:

Bible Study:

Resources about worshiping and building community online:

Other Information:

Pastoral care in the time of COVID-19

COVID-19 church and meeting resources

Planning Online Annual Sessions

Resources in Spanish