Advance Report 2000
Committee ReportsFaith and Practice Review
Our committee focused on two areas this year. The first was a set of proposals concerning the appraisal process for recording ministers and the care of monthly and quarterly meeting records. These proposals have been circulated to monthly and quarterly meetings and approved by two sessions of the Representative Council, as our Faith and Practice requires. They will come before the yearly meeting for final approval this year.
Our other focus has been the functioning of quarterly meetings. Although in last year's Yearly Meeting Sessions, some Friends said that they thought that the time had come to lay down quarterly meetings entirely, we did not discern that there was unity for such a radical change. After considerable prayerful thought and discussion, we presented a set of proposals to the spring 2000 Representative Council. After incorporating improvements suggested by some of the representatives, these were sent to monthly and quarterly meetings. The proposals clarify the process and set standards for establishing and laying down quarterly meetings. They also establish a clear process by which monthly meetings may transfer from one quarterly meeting to another.
Thomas D. Hamm, Clerk
