Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee Annual Reports

2023 Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee Annual Report

The Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee, according to the Baltimore Yearly Meeting Manual of Procedure, is concerned with deepening the spiritual life of Baltimore Yearly Meeting and of its constituent Local Meetings. The committee carries an active concern for calling forth and nurturing the gifts of the Spirit in the Yearly Meeting. The committee encourages and supports Local Meetings as they recognize, publicly affirm, and practically support those individuals who exercise their gifts in faithful ministry and service.

Below is a list of activities of the Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee this past year:

Anti-Racism Queries: The committee began each of its meetings by considering the Baltimore Yearly Meeting anti-racist queries.

Annual Session Preparation: The committee helped organize the 2023 Baltimore Yearly Meeting Annual Session. Specifically, we prepared the online and in-person retreat with Ken Stockbridge; the worship-sharing groups and Bible study; Friends holding the Annual Session events in the Light; the Memorial Service; and a Connecting Local Meetings workshop called “2022 Spiritual State of the Meeting Reflections: Nurturing welcoming and loving communities.” We helped write the 2023 Annual Session theme statement.

Spiritual State of the Meeting Report: The committee organized the 2022 Baltimore Yearly Meeting Spiritual State of the Yearly Meeting Report. We wrote the queries used by the Local Meetings; sent them out with instructions; and compiled the responses sent to us in the Spiritual State of the Meeting report for Annual Session. In this BYM SSOM report, we extended the scope of inquiry. We asked BYM committees, the camping program and researched Interim and Annual Session minutes to broaden the depth of the inquiry. Our attempt was to provide a more complete picture of the “spiritual state of the whole Yearly Meeting,” not the Monthly Meetings alone. Also, we created an Addendum to list the anti-racism efforts of Monthly Meetings along with descriptions of anti-racism work done by Working Groups, etc.

Anti-racism work: The M&PC committee heard a message from Global Majority Friends at the 2022 Annual Session that more work was needed to make sure all Friends feel that they belong at their local meetings and that Friends don’t look away from systemic racism that keeps the doors to opportunity closed for black and brown Americans.

We responded by seeing that anti-racism work has a spiritual nature that belongs under the care of Local Ministry Committees. We developed queries that Local Ministry Committees might use in this work. We held quarterly coffee hours to discuss the work with leaders of Local Meetings. This work is in its infancy and we expect to get feedback from Friends at the 2023 Annual Session that will help us plan our work into next year. One goal is for our committee to be a forum to encourage meetings to try new things and not stand on the sidelines. We want to be a repository of good ideas to create more diverse blessed communities.

Friends Supporting Friends Working Group (formally Addressing Conflict Working Group): The committee worked closely with this group of Friends to establish our respective roles and also ways we may collaborate in addressing conflicts that arise in our Local Meetings and in Yearly Meeting. The name-change for this established Working Group was reported at the Interim Meeting in March.

Working Groups Liaisons and Young Adult Friends Liaison: The committee supported the Yearly Meeting Working Groups through our liaisons with Intervisitation; Pastoral Care; Spiritual Formation; End of Life Working Group; Friends Supporting Friends Working Group; the Women’s Retreat Working Group; and the Working Group on Racism. We had a liaison to the Young Adult Friends. We heard annual reports from these groups.

Gathering for Listening Group: The committee, with Stewardship and Finance Committee, set up a joint intervisitation group to hold gatherings with regional groups of Local Meetings. We made available information about the Yearly Meeting, specifically about our two committee’s roles, and also listened to the Local Meetings about their needs. Gatherings were held in southwestern VA in the Fall, and with Southern and Central VA groups in the Spring. Other gatherings included a mid-Virginia meeting…from Alexandria to Morgantown, WV, and a Chesapeake quarterly meeting held at Stony Run Friends Meeting in Baltimore.

Coffee Hours: The committee held online forums for Local Meeting Ministry and Counsel Committee members to share their concerns. These were held quarterly. In November of last year, we had a Coffee Hour as part of an ongoing dialogue with the Global Majority Caucus. We had another one on February 6th of this year about the spirituality of being and becoming an anti-racist faith community. We concluded, in part, that local ministry committees have a role to play in this endeavor.

Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee Workshops/Retreats: At last year’s Annual Session, we sponsored a workshop on “standing in the way,” which was led by Ken Stockbridge. M&PC’s February retreat was led by Heather Sowers on Quaker Stuck-Spots: how Friends can respond with Love instead of reacting from fear. Her co-facilitator was Shelly Slyker; Shelly led us in Mindful Movements. Both experiences were enriching.

During the 2023 Annual Session, we will lead a workshop on “2022 Spiritual State of the Meeting Reflections: Nurturing, Welcoming, and Loving Communities.”

Looking Forward-The committee has discussed these concerns during the past year: anti-racism issues; embraced ministry; bringing more of the Spirit into our Meetings for Business; the notion of “standing in the way”; and the role of the Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee at the Meetings for Business during Interim Meeting and Annual Session. We hope to continue those discussions in the coming year.

2022 Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee Annual Report

Below is a list of the activities of the Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee this past year:

Anti-Racist Queries-The committee began each of its meetings by considering the Baltimore Yearly Meeting anti-racist queries.

Annual Session Preparation-The committee helped organize the 2022 Baltimore Yearly Meeting Annual Session. Specifically, we prepared the retreat with Clinton Pettus; the worship-sharing groups and Bible study; Friends holding the Annual Session events in the Light; the Memorial Service; and two Connecting Local Meetings workshops. The committee arranged for a workshop on the notion of “standing in the way” to be held. We also announced a Meeting for Worship with a Concern for the State of Our World. We helped write the 2023 Annual Session theme statement.

Spiritual State of the Meeting Report-The committee organized the 2021 Baltimore Yearly Meeting Spiritual State of the Yearly Meeting Report. We wrote the queries used by the Local Meetings; sent them out; held a Zoom meeting for the authors of the Monthly Meeting reports to speak about the Spiritual State of the Meeting report; and compiled the responses sent to us in the Spiritual State of the Meeting report for the Annual Session.

Conflict in Local Meetings and Yearly Meeting Committees-The committee supported a Local Meeting experiencing conflict. We are, of course, unable to share the details.

Addressing Conflict Working Group-The committee worked with a group of Friends who wanted to find innovative ways to address conflicts that arise in our Local Meetings and in our Yearly Meeting. After months of discussion, we announced the creation of this Working Group at the Interim Meeting in March.

Working Groups Liaisons and Young Adult Friends Liaison-The committee supported the Yearly Meeting Working Groups through our liaisons with Intervisitation; Pastoral Care; Spiritual Formation; Addressing Conflict; and the Working Group on Racism. Unfortunately, we were unable to provide a liaison for the Women’s Retreat. We had a liaison to the Young Adult Friends. We heard annual reports from all these groups.

Gathering for Listening Group-The committee, with the Stewardship and Finance Committee, set up a joint intervisitation group to hold gatherings with regional groups of Local Meetings. We made available information about the Yearly Meeting, specifically about our two committee’s roles, but also listened to the Local Meetings about their needs. Gatherings were held in West Virginia; south central Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia/Metropolitan Area.

Coffee Hours-The committee held online forums for Local Meeting Ministry and Counsel Committee members to share their concerns. These were held quarterly.

“Zen and the Art of Quaker Maintenance”-The committee encouraged Victor Thuronyi to publish his pamphlet “Zen and the Art of Quaker Maintenance” on the Baltimore Yearly Meeting website.

Interchange Articles-The committee published an article on their work in each Interchange issue.

Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee Retreat-The committee held an online retreat, which proved to be very rich.

Looking Forward-The committee has discussed these concerns during the past year: embraced ministry, the notion of “standing in the way” and the role of Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee at the Meetings for Business during Interim Meeting and Annual Session. We hope to continue those discussions in the coming year.

2021 Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee Annual Report

BALTIMORE YEARLY MEETING MINISTRY AND PASTORAL CARE COMMITTEE 2021 ANNUAL REPORT

Below is a list of the activities of the Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee this past year:

Anti-Racist Queries-The committee began each of its meetings by considering the Baltimore Yearly Meeting anti-racist queries.

Annual Sessions Preparation-The committee helped prepare the 2021 Baltimore Yearly Meeting Annual Sessions. Specifically, we organized the retreat with Lynn Domina; the worship-sharing groups and Bible study; Friends holding the Annual Sessions events in prayer; the memorial service; and a Connecting Local Meetings workshop. We helped write the 2022 Annual Sessions theme statement.

Spiritual State of the Meeting Report-The committee organized the 2020 Baltimore Yearly Meeting Spiritual State of the Yearly Meeting Report. We wrote the queries used by the Local Meetings; sent them out; and compiled them in a report for the Annual Sessions.

Conflict in Local Meetings and Yearly Meeting Committees-The committee supported Local Meetings and Yearly Meeting committees experiencing conflict. We are, of course, unable to share these details. But we did assist seven Local Meetings and Yearly Meeting Committees having difficulties.

Resolving Conflict-A group of Friends approached the committee in the fall regarding their desire to find innovative ways to address conflicts that arise in our local meetings. After months of discussion and real-life work with liaisons from the committee participating, representatives of the group met with the full committee twice in February. They took the next step suggested by the committee and began discussions with the Pastoral Care Working Group in March. Greg Robb served as a liaison to the group.

Working Groups Liaisons and Young Adult Friends Liaison-The committee supported the Yearly Meeting Working Groups through our liaisons with Intervisitation; Pastoral Care; Spiritual Formation; and the Working Group on Racism. Unfortunately, we were unable to provide a liaison for the Women’s Retreat. We had a liaison to the Young Adult Friends.

Pandemic and Friends Forums-The committee offered two online Pandemic and Friends forums to help Friends during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Role of Membership in Baltimore Yearly Meeting-The committee, with the Working Group on Racism, arranged an online discussion of the role of membership in Baltimore Yearly Meeting.

Stony Run Monthly Meeting and African Friends-The committee offered our discernment on the exploration by Stony Run Monthly Meeting and the African Friends Worship Group of its relationship.

Use of Pronouns Among Friends-The committee composed a statement on the Use of Pronouns Among Friends that was presented at Interim Meeting.

Monthly Meeting Status Changes: The committee, in cooperation with the Interim and Annual Sessions Clerks, wrote a letter to Friends of West Branch Monthly Meeting about their decision to disaffiliate with BYM. We expressed our sorrow in this departure and our continuing care for them within the larger community of Friends. We also noted, with sadness, the laying down of the Norfolk Worship Group.

Online Wellness Group, When the Spirit Calls Book, Meetinghouse Renters-The committee endorsed Joan Gugerty’s Online Wellness group and Jay Marshall’s When the Spirit Calls book. We provided information about Meetinghouse renters.

Intervisitation Among Baltimore Yearly Meeting Local Meetings Committee-The committee, with the Stewardship and Finance Committee, set up a joint intervisitation group to hold gatherings with regional groups of Local Meetings. We plan to make available information about the Yearly Meeting, specifically about our two committee’s roles, but also to listen to the Local Meetings about their needs.

Ministry and Pastoral Care Retreat-The committee held an online retreat, which proved to be very rich.

2020 Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee Annual Report

Annual Report for 2020

Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee of Baltimore Yearly Meeting

We are very grateful to serve the Yearly Meeting (YM) in support of the rich spiritual life of Baltimore Yearly Meeting (BYM) and in the diverse work of bringing our Quaker values to bear to address the needs of our times. Much of this work is ongoing through the five Working Groups which operate under the care of M&PC: Spiritual Formation, Working Group on Racism, Intervisitation Working Group, The Women’s Retreat, and the Pastoral Care Working Group. (See the Annual Reports from each Working Group for a summary of their activities.)

In addition we seek to provide a measure of support to the community of Young Adult Friends whose leadership on many justice issues, particularly in the area of racism, has been crucial to BYM. Among other matters, we are aware that the YM needs to provide a “home” to the YAF community within the YM structure as not all YAFs identify with a Monthly Meeting (MM).

It is also part of our work to invite each MM to reflect on its life in the Spirit through the Spiritual State of the Meeting Report (SSoM). Beyond the usual queries suggested by Faith and Practice, we pick a specific theme of inquiry each year and suggest queries for each Meeting to consider as they write their reports. This year the theme was vocal ministry and nurturing varieties of ministry among its members and attenders. Some MMs responded to these queries, others to a more generic type of queries as they made their report. We also sponsored a Connecting Local Meetings (CLM) at Annual Session to inquire about the process of producing the SSoM and barriers to that process Meetings may encounter.

Each SSoM is carefully read by one or more members of the M&PC who serve on a sub-committee tasked with writing the Yearly Meeting’s SSoM. This group then writes a draft of the YM SSoM which is amended and approved by the full committee. The YM SSoM is always a reflection of the diversity of our YM, expressing its gifts and its difficulties and usually contains significant quotes from the MM SSoMs. The SSoM as read at Annual Session and printed in the Yearbook includes, but does not attribute, these quotes. The YM office holds a copy with all of the quotes attributed to the MM reports.

Another significant role of M&PC is to work with the Program Committee in planning Annual Session (AS). A committee liaison works throughout the year with PC on AS planning. We have primary responsibility for planning the Opening Retreat at AS as well as providing for the various worship aspects of AS: open and closing plenary worship, daily worship sharing in a variety of formats, daily Bible study, holding Business meeting sessions in the Light, and Memorial Meeting for Worship. Our Opening Retreat this year was led by Margaret Benefiel on the theme of “Blessings on the Threshold” and Margaret also delivered the Opening Plenary Address. All of this fell under the extraordinary challenges necessitated by the decision to hold AS in a virtual format due to the dangers of in-person gatherings caused by the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19).

Co-Clerks, Rebecca Richards and Greg Robb

2019 Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee Annual Report

The Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee (M&PC) rejoices in the rich spiritual life of BYM, and we are grateful for the many facets of this life that our work brings to us. Our committee’s work is immeasurably enriched by working groups that have been under our care for some years. The Working Group on Racism has worked closely with the Growing Diverse Leadership committee and continues to be an active force: providing anti-racism resources to local meetings, hosting training workshops in support of Change Groups in local Meetings, and supporting a new initiative on reparations. The Spiritual Formation program nurtures the lives of individual Friends through two annual retreats and support of Spiritual Formation programs in local Meetings. These programs serve as a rich resource for Meetings seeking spiritual deepening. The Women’s Retreat offers Friends a yearly opportunity to step away from obligations in order to celebrate the life of the spirit with women of all generations. The Intervisitation Working Group shared their ministry of presence with 30 communities of Friends in 6 countries, and they continue to facilitate the presence of Friendly visitors from other Yearly Meetings to our Annual Sessions. While Young Adult Friends (YAFs) are not formally organized as a working group under our care, we continue to explore ways to recognize YAFs—not all of whom are affiliated with a local Meeting—as essential to the life of our Yearly Meeting.

Over the past year, the Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee itself has devoted much time to discerning the two parallel and distinct roles that we must take on as we support local Meetings through the challenges they face. In one role, our work offers pastoral care to the Meetings themselves: listening to and supporting Meetings that find themselves facing painful circumstances. At the same time, local Meetings offer support to their members and attenders with individual pastoral care (through clearness committees, worship sharing, and other forms of discernment). In our second role, Ministry and Pastoral Care seeks to help Meetings nurture these skills.

In the first role, our committee often hears from Friends of challenges their Meetings face. We try to speak from our own experience of ways to deepen Meeting for Business and enrich the spiritual life of the Meeting. Coordinating with the General Secretary, Assistant General Secretary, and the clerks of Yearly and Interim Meeting, we visited and worshiped with local Meetings in order to better understand the challenges with which they had requested assistance. In some cases, we asked Friends with deep skills in conflict resolution to work with a Meeting. In other cases, we asked the Spiritual Formation program and other gifted Friends to offer workshops for spiritual deepening. Each year, as we read the Spiritual State of the Meeting reports, we listen for leadings and challenges as local Meetings seek to hold conditions of the wider world in the Light. One theme we have heard is that, in times of discord, Meetings seek to distinguish the spiritual leadings within a broader push toward social activism. We are considering how M&PC might serve as a resource to support local Meetings in such discernment. At Annual Session, we focus on deepening worship throughout the week. In this, we continue to experiment with increasing the range of opportunities for corporate worship. In 2019 the opening retreat, organized by M&PC, was led by Marcelle Martin, author of Our Life is Love.

In the second role, we hope that the newly created Pastoral Care Working Group (PCWG), a fifth group under our care, will help us in meeting the needs of local Meetings. We began this work with a Connecting local Meetings workshop at Annual Session in 2018, in which Friends from several Meetings shared pastoral care initiatives and needs that their Meetings experience. With these insights, our previous co-clerk completed her service by developing the charge for the PCWG, which was presented at Interim Meeting in October. The Committee’s Liaison to the PCWG has taken the lead in gathering Friends to serve on the WG who are interested in building the capacity for pastoral care within local meetings. For this work to be responsive to the needs of local Meetings we will need more Friends with skills in this area. In March, members of M&PC and of the new PCWG gathered at our committee retreat to clarify the goals for our committee and the working group, and to discern how we will work together.

Over the past year, our Yearly Meeting faced the painful realization that at times our Meetings and our schools have failed when responding to Friends in crisis. This realization emerged from the memory of a specific case of sexual abuse and a lawsuit that grew out of this case. As we move forward, M&PC and the PCWG will seek to support local Meetings in their work to be open to the needs of all members and attenders, to develop local Meetings’ preparedness and their capacity to listen deeply as painful and uncomfortable needs arise.

Melanie Gifford (Adelphi) and Rebecca Richards (Gunpowder), Co-clerks

2018 Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee Annual Report

The Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee (M&PC) seeks to support the spiritual life of Baltimore Yearly Meeting by recognizing and nurturing spiritual gifts, offering support and counsel to local Meetings, and sponsoring a variety of programs that nurture the life of the spirit.

Four BYM-wide working groups are under the care of M&PC: Intervisitation, Racism, Spiritual Formation, and the Women’s Retreat. Our committee seeks to support and encourage these ministries, with one of our committee members serving as liaison to each working group. These groups continue their work in good order and both M&PC and working group members feel that these relationships are mutually beneficial. While not formally constituted as a working group under our care, we remain in communication with Young Adult Friends to learn how we as a committee might best support them.

M&PC continues, in partnership with the Yearly Meeting staff, to provide pastoral care to local Meetings in need. This year we visited or were in communication with three Meetings who requested our presence and counsel. As we read the Spiritual State of the Meeting reports from local Meetings and worship groups, we listened carefully for signals of challenges faced by Friends. We also support local Meetings in nurturing individual ministries and leadings. While it is our strong preference for local Meetings to nurture and support the leadings of their members, occasionally special circumstances warrant M&PC forming support or clearness committees for individuals. This year we provided such support for one person and provided a travel minute for her ministry amongst Friends, but expect her local Meeting to serve that role in the future.

We seek to provide spiritual nurture to Friends at Annual Session. In collaboration with Program Committee we staff the Opening Retreat, host morning Bible Study and Worship Sharing gatherings. In 2018, the Opening Retreat was led by three teachers from the School of the Spirit: Evelyn Jadin, Susan Kight, and Erica Fitz, and Bible Study was led by Evangeline “Vonnie” Calland of Charlottesville Monthly Meeting. At each day’s Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business we welcome Friends entering the room and two Friends hold the Meeting in the Light. Our committee also attends to personal needs or concerns of Friends gathered at Annual Session.

Through our work this year, our committee discerned a need to create a Pastoral Care Working Group to attend to the many needs of local Meetings, both proactively (through workshops and other resources) and responsively (as Meetings name pastoral care needs for which they require support from BYM). A proposal to move forward with the creation of a Pastoral Care Working Group was approved at Sixth Month Interim Meeting. As we formally establish the working group M&PC will reach out to Friends who are led to this work. A “Connecting Local Meetings” session at Annual Session gleaned wisdom from many local Meetings that will help in the formation of the Pastoral Care Working Group.

M&PC met four times during the year (at the October and June Interim Meeting days, at a called meeting in February, and during the 2018 Annual Session) with an attendance of 6-8 committee members and regular visitors. A subcommittee of M&PC found the “Zoom” distance meeting platform very helpful in support of its work.

Each year, M&PC shares with Friends our discernment of the Spiritual State of the Yearly Meeting for the previous year. We distill our message from our work with the Yearly Meeting and local Meetings throughout the year, and through reading the reports of local Meetings and Worship Group as well as the minutes, epistles, and related documents that arise through Annual Session and Interim Meetings. Through our listening this year, we hear a desire to find a sustainable balance between the inward nurture of the spiritual life of our local Meetings and the outward engagement in the social and political life of our cities, states, and country. The latter must spring from the former, and in this noisy and contentious political climate, it is all the more necessary to listen to the still, small voice within as we discern both individual and collective response and action.

Melanie Gifford (Adelphi) and Amy Schmaljohn (Gunpowder), Co-Clerks

2017 Annual Report

The Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee (M&PC) of Baltimore Yearly Meeting (BYM) has four working groups under its care: Intervisitation, Racism, Spiritual Formation, and the Women’s Retreat. Annually, we receive reports from each working group so that we can support and encourage their ministries within BYM. Each Working Group continues in good order under our care, and M&PC and Working Group members feel that these relationships are mutually beneficial. This year, we are in dialogue with Young Adult Friends to discern how we might support their community, whether through formal constitution as a Working Group or in some other way. We await their discernment about their needs.

We collaborate with Program Committee to provide spiritual nurture to Friends at Annual Session by staffing the Opening Retreat, hosting morning Bible Study and Worship Sharing gatherings, by greeting Friends to each day’s Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business and holding this body in the Light, by attending to personal needs or concerns of Friends. We also share with Friends our discernment of the Spiritual State of the Yearly Meeting for the previous year, which we distill through the reading of Monthly Meeting and Worship Group reports as well as the minutes, epistles, and related documents that arise through Annual Session and Interim Meetings.

As asked or invited to do so, we are nurturing ministries and leadings of individuals within the Yearly Meeting. When we learned that a Friend had a leading to share a new workshop on “Naming, Nurturing, Pruning, and the Exercise of Gifts,” we supported this Friend by serving as a test group for the workshop and then by sponsoring it during Annual Session. Another Friend requested a clearness committee for the discernment of her leading to develop resources to help individuals and Meeting communities to deal with issues around domestic abuse and violence.

M&PC continues, in partnership with the Yearly Meeting staff, to provide pastoral care to Monthly Meetings in need. This year we visited or were in communication with four Meetings who requested our presence and counsel. We sense a need to strengthen our ability, as a committee, to do this work. As we read the Spiritual State of the Meeting reports from Monthly Meetings and Worship Groups, we listened carefully for signals of challenges faced by Friends. In response, we are developing a list of resources--individuals with specific gifts or ministries, workshops, printed materials, etc.--that can be of service to Friends. We also seek to support the development of new resources like the “Debate into Dialogue” and “Naming, Nurturing, Pruning, and the Exercise of Gifts” workshops. We also seek to visit local Meetings more regularly, perhaps in coordination with the Growing Diverse Leadership group.

As a committee, we have some emerging work before us. BYM’s Advancement and Outreach Committee have requested that a statement about our faith appear on the BYM website, and this request has been forwarded to M&PC. We have also been present at meetings in the Washington DC metropolitan area about the New Sanctuary Movement and would like to support BYM’s continuing involvement in this work given the current political climate in our country.

M&PC met five times during the year (at the three Interim Meeting days, at a called meeting in February, and during the 2017 Annual Session).

Melanie Gifford (Adelphi) and Amy Schmaljohn (Gunpowder), Co-Clerks

2016 Annual Report

The Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee (M&PC) seeks to support the spiritual life of Baltimore Yearly Meeting, by recognizing and nurturing spiritual gifts, offering support and counsel to local meetings, and sponsoring a variety of programs that nurture the life of the spirit. The Committee has four active working groups under its care: the Women’s Retreat Working Group (Mary Stratton, Maury River, liaison); the Spiritual Formation Program Working Group (Amy Schmaljohn, Gunpowder, liaison), the Intervisitation Working Group (Maria Bradley, Sandy Spring, liaison); and the Working Group on Racism (Marcy Seitel, Adelphi, liaison). The annual reports of these working groups are attached.

M&PC is responsible for a number of offerings each year at annual session, including the opening retreat, morning Bible Study and worship sharing groups, and closing worship. M&PC also supports the meetings for worship with attention to business that are at the heart of annual session, greeting Friends as they arrive, and seeking to serve as a prayerful, attentive presence. Two members of M&PC serve on the Program Committee: co-clerk Peirce Hammond (Bethesda) and Alex Bean (Adelphi).

In this year’s retreat, Nancy Bieber (Lancaster/PYM) will “offer guidance in ‘finding our way’ using spiritual discernment: the practice of attending to the wise and loving Spirit whose wisdom and light exceed our own.” Sabrina McCarthy and David Etheridge (Friends Meeting of Washington) will lead Bible study, focusing on scriptures that address the Yearly Meeting theme, “Discernment and Action in Spiritual Community.” Worship-sharing this year will include an “Experiment with Light” group, along with the traditional query-focused groups, and unprogrammed outdoor worship.

This year at annual session M&PC is also sponsoring a workshop on domestic abuse, led by Windy Cooler (Adelphi). This query-based workshop will give Friends an opportunity to talk about “what abuse is, and ways in which our meetings might address this as a pastoral care issue, holding everyone in the Light.” A survey done in the 1980s revealed that rates of domestic abuse among unprogrammed Friends are equivalent to those in the larger society. M&PC is hoping that this workshop will provide safe space for exploring a difficult issue that may be hidden in our meetings.

M&PC is responsible for preparation of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting Spiritual State of the Meeting report that is presented each year at annual session. In the fall, M&PC sends a letter to all the local meetings asking them to prepare their own report, and offering queries to serve as guidance. The queries encourage meetings to report not only their joys and successes, but any problems or concerns they may have. The reports are read and considered by several members of M&PC, who also reach out to each meeting individually, and make note of any meetings that may need extra support. Their draft report draws on the reports from the local meetings, and important developments within the Yearly Meeting as a whole. Tim Hunt (Langley Hill), Amy Schmaljohn, and Mary Stratton (Maury River) prepared our report this year.

Members of M&PC are encouraged to visit local meetings throughout the year, especially those that have expressed a need for support. The Committee also considers requests for Yearly Meeting endorsement of minutes of support for members traveling in the ministry outside our Yearly Meeting. Such minutes usually are prepared by the traveler’s local meeting and forwarded to the Intervisitation Working Group for consideration.

M&PC is working on compiling a compendium of resources for local meetings that will be categorized both by the nature of the need and the type of resource. We hope this will allow our committee, and BYM as a whole, to be more responsive to the needs of our meetings. During the past year, M&PC offered our workshop on “Bringing our Differences into the Light” or “Debate Into Dialogue” at Charlottesville and Adelphi, and during a peace conference at Friends Meeting School, to help Friends find loving and creative responses when divisive issues arise. The Committee would be glad to receive additional requests for workshops. We also warmly invite meetings to get in touch with us for any other assistance they may need in supporting and nurturing the spiritual life of their meetings.

The Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee met five times during the year (at the three Interim Meeting days, a called meeting in January, and during the 2016 annual session) with an attendance of Committee members of 6-10 plus several visitors.

Deborah Haines (Alexandria) and Peirce Hammond (Bethesda), Co-Clerks

2015 Annual Report

The Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee (M&PC) seeks to deepen the spiritual life of Baltimore Yearly Meeting by recognizing and nurturing gifts of the Spirit. We support the Yearly Meeting with programs, retreats, workshops, and activities at each annual session, and other activities as needed. One of the co-clerks of the Committee (Peirce Hammond, Bethesda) is a member of the Program Committee, along with committee member Alex Bean (Adelphi).

For the annual session the Committee is responsible for the Retreat and Bible Study leaders, as well as for worship sharing facilitators. For the business sessions, greeters are chosen. The Committee also takes responsibility for the conduct of meeting for worship during each annual session.

In this year’s retreat, David and Ruth Fitz (York) will lead us as we “attempt to become the leaven for the bread that sustains our ‘living into right relationship’ in our sessions and beyond. We will begin by looking inward at the foundational right relationship with the Light, the Seed, God or whatever word points you to that reality at the center of our worship. We will then turn outward to right relationship with each other, other humans and human organizations. Finally we will turn still further outward to right relationship with all creation; living and non-living which are but different manifestations of one reality.”

Sabrina McCarthy and David Etheridge (Friends Meeting of Washington) will lead Bible study, focusing on scriptures that address the Yearly Meeting theme, “Living into Right Relationship,” and use several different approaches to studying scripture.

As is, perhaps, becoming an annual custom, the Committee recommended to the Yearly Meeting that Friends read A Sustainable Life: Quaker Faith and Practice in the Renewal of Creation by Douglas Gwyn as preparation for the 2015 annual session on “Right Relationships.”

Ministry and Pastoral Care has four working groups under its care; the Working Group on Racism (WGR), the Spiritual Formation Program, the Women’s Retreat, and the Intervisitation Working Group.

M&PC is grateful for the guidance of the WGR in furtherance of our concerns around racism. The WGR annual report is attached. Maria Bradley (Sandy Spring) is liaison.

The Committee holds the working groups for the Women’s Retreat (Mary Stratton, Maury River, liaison) and the Spiritual Formation Program (Amy Schmaljohn, Gunpowder, liaison) under its care. These programs provide important spiritual support for Friends from across the Yearly Meeting. Their annual reports are attached.

The Committee added to its care the Working Group on Intervisitation with Vonnie Calland (Charlottesville) as liaison. Its annual report is attached.

The Committee is concerned with deepening the spiritual life of BYM’s local meetings by supporting them as they recognize, publicly affirm, and practically support those individuals who exercise their gifts in faithful ministry and service. This year Committee members visited: Collington, Fauquier County, Gunpowder, Langley Hill, Shiloh Quaker Camp, Staunton, Tandem Friends School, York, as well as those meetings where interim meeting was held, and several outside BYM. We review our visitors’ impressions to deepen our understanding of the spiritual state of BYM and to increase our responsiveness to pastoral care needs. Members of the Committee are available for consultation to meetings with such needs. The consultation is confidential. Meetings are strongly encouraged to invite these visits.

M&PC sends suggestions to local meetings about the preparation of the Annual Report of the Spiritual State of the Monthly Meeting in accordance with guidelines in Faith and Practice. The Committee receives the approved reports and incorporates them, with concerns and information about events in the Yearly Meeting, into a Spiritual State of the Yearly Meeting Report, which is then presented at Annual Session. Maria Bradley, Andy Mosholder (Shepherdstown), and Amy Schmaljohn prepared our report this year. The Committee also considers requests for Yearly Meeting endorsement of minutes of support for members traveling in the ministry outside our Yearly Meeting. Such minutes usually are prepared by the traveler’s local meeting.

A subcommittee consisting of Maria Bradley, Vonnie Calland, Deborah Haines (Alexandria), and Marcy Seitel (Adelphi) is working to compile a compendium of resources for monthly meetings that will be categorized both by the nature of the need and the type of resource. We hope this will allow our committee, and BYM as a whole, to be more responsive to the needs of our meetings.

A few years ago, the Committee prepared a manual describing our responsibilities and procedures and has now begun to create a document for our own use which details our processes throughout the year to facilitate transition between clerks and to improve our ability to listen to what Spirit would have of us. The Committee reflected on various issues as requested by officers of the Yearly Meeting, Meetings, or other Committees; we continue to seek clarity about the direct affiliation of worship groups with the Yearly Meeting. We offer a one-day scholarship to encourage those interested in attending our Committee meetings during Annual Session.

The Committee has begun providing support for what we have come to call “Bringing our Differences into the Light” or “Debate Into Dialogue” workshops. These follow up on the workshop led by Joan Liversidge (Sandy Spring) and Erik Hanson (Tacoma Park) at the 2013 Annual Session, “Christocentric and Nontheistic Quakers: a Dialogue.” Over 40 Friends attended this workshop. The report about that workshop was enthusiastic and posed the question of whether there should be more such dialogue, especially in light of the lack of unity for approval of the revised Faith and Practice document at that same annual session. M&PC approved this idea, and Joan and Erik held a training session for several committee members who wished to become leaders.

In 2014, four workshops were held:

Warrington Quarter, Michael Cronin (Sandy Spring) and Deborah Haines co-facilitated.
Annual Session, Erik and David Fitz co-facilitated.
Friends Meeting of Washington, Michael and Deborah co-facilitated.
State College, Erik and David co-facilitated.
January 2015, York, Martin Melville (State College) and Erik co-facilitated--attended largely by Friends from other meetings.

At the December 2014 M&PC meeting held in Richmond, VA, the Committee agreed that we would need more facilitators to serve the Yearly Meeting more broadly by offering these workshops at more local meetings. We might offer leader training as we had before or individuals might become prepared to facilitate by attending a workshop, followed by co-facilitating with an experienced facilitator. Since then, however, the effort has stalled with no new requests from local meetings, no training, and no workshop being offered at the 2015 annual sessions.

In response to this phenomenon, Dave Fitz has a sense that the work needs a coordinator or subcommittee to promote invitations from local meetings, coordinate leader preparation and schedule events. Deborah Haines offered an optimistic view, “The workshop [we] did at Friends Meeting of Washington was a transformative experience. There was such tenderness and openness in the way Friends engaged with each other. It seemed to me that the workshop gave the meeting a chance to rediscover the depth and richness of their faith community, and reaffirm how much they love each other. It filled me with gratitude and awe. Let's do more of these!”

The Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee met five times during the year (at the three Interim Meeting days, a called meeting in January, and during the 2015 annual session) with an attendance of Committee members of 6-10 plus several visitors.

Donald Gann, (Baltimore, Stony Run) and Peirce Hammond (Bethesda), Co-Clerks

2014 Annual Report

The Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee, M&PC, deepens the spiritual life of Baltimore Yearly Meeting by calling forth and nurturing individual gifts of the Spirit, by supporting and assisting the Yearly Meeting with programs, retreats, and workshops, and offering particular services Annual Session. The clerk of the Committee or a designee serves as a member of the Program Committee.

The Committee is responsible for bringing forward a leader or leaders for the opening retreat at each Annual Session. In 2014 Erik Hanson of Takoma Park Preparative Meeting and Windy Cooler of Friends Meeting of Washington will lead the retreat. This year’s retreat focused on “Bringing Our Differences into the Light.”

Members of the Committee wear a “yellow dot” on their nametags to indicate their availability to serve as a listening Friend. The Committee also takes responsibility for Meeting for Worship on the last day of Annual Session.

At BYM’s 2013 Annual Session Friends debated and argued the merits of a proposed revised F&P. There seemed to be little effort to listen to one another. The results were a good deal of bruised feelings and little in the way of harmony among Friends. Also at our 2013 Annual Session Erik Hanson and Joan Liversidge of Sandy Spring offered a workshop entitled “Christocentric Quakers and Non-theist Quakers: A Dialogue.” Among its forty attenders were two members of M&PC committee. The workshop itself was successful in fostering dialog that led to understanding one another.

Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee members saw the benefits of and need to practice listening and conducting effective dialog. So at our committee meetings at Annual Session and in October at Interim Meeting we decided to offer Friends a version of Erik’s and Joan’s workshop. Erik and Joan trained some of us in November 2013 and May 2014. M&PC is offering BYM Friends a modified workshop, “On Dialog: Bringing Our Differences into the Light.” We led our first workshop in May at Frederick MM and followed up with another offering at Friends Meeting of Washington.

The Committee now has four Working Groups under its care: the Working Group on Racism, the Spiritual Formation Program, the Women’s Retreat, and the Working Group on Intervisitation. These four key programs provide spiritual support and guidance for BYM Friends. We continue our practice of having members of our committee serve as liaisons to each Working Group and receive reports from these groups.

The Working Group on Racism has significantly revised the history section of BYM’s Faith and Practice with important information on enslavement. The Group coordinates with Friends engaged in working on racial justice issues across North America and is available for visits to local meetings. The Working Group has encouraged Friends to read The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander and Cornel West. A study group for the book was conducted in 2014 at Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting.

The Women’s Retreat Working Group conducted its annual retreat of more than a hundred women in January 2014, at Skycroft Conference Center in Middletown, MD. The retreat was planned by women from Annapolis and Patapsco Monthly Meetings.

In its thirty-first year, BYM’s Spiritual Formation Program in 2013-2014 nurtured individuals and Meeting communities; eleven Monthly Meetings hosted “local” groups which shared spiritual journeys, reflected on selected readings, and explored the ways in which spiritual practices inform our journeys.

Complementing these “local” spiritual friendship groups are the Fall and Spring retreats, held at the Priestfield center just west of Charles Town, WV. Forty-three Friends attended these retreats, which provided times for deepening relationships and exploring themes that connect our lives as seekers. In 2014, Friends gathered to worship, share stories, and engage in creative work around the themes of “Co-Creativity with the Inward Spirit” and “Darkness, Light, and New Growth.”

The Spiritual Formation Program’s Working Group includes Friends from four Monthly Meetings. The working group has expressed its special gratitude for the ministry of singing and music provided by Ruth Fitz of York Monthly Meeting. The working group is also working to sustain the program’s service to the Yearly Meeting by exploring lower-cost retreat options and program scholarships.

The Working Group on Interivistation continues its important work throughout BYM, and plans to make a separate report to the Yearly Meeting.

The Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee is available to help Monthly Meetings foster community, deepen their spiritual life, and resolve conflicts. The Committee visited and sat with one Monthly Meeting and found the experience of attentive, careful, active listening to be powerful and healing.

The Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee asks Monthly Meetings to prepare an annual report of their Spiritual State, suggesting queries to help in its preparation. We consider all the reports submitted and they form the basis of the Spiritual State of the Yearly Meeting Report, prepared by M&PC Committee and presented at Annual Session.

The Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee meets five times a year: at each of here Interim Meetings and twice during Yearly Meeting’s Annual Session. Attendance ranges from eight to fifteen Friends.

Don Gann (Stony Run) and Michael Cronin (Sandy Spring), co-clerks

2013 Annual Report

The Committee is responsible for bringing forward a leader or leaders for the opening retreat at each Annual Session. In 2013 M&PC Committee co-clerks Don Gann and Michael Cronin lead the retreat. This year’s retreat focused on the theme of Annual Session: “Growing from Common Roots toward the Light.”

At Annual Session Business meetings, the Committee provides Friends to serve as greeters and calls upon others to hold the meetings in the Light. The Committee also identifies leaders to facilitate Worship Sharing groups and the morning Bible study, led by our committee member Deborah Haines. Members of the Committee wear a “yellow dot” on their nametags to indicate their availability to serve as a listening Friend. The Committee also takes responsibility for Meeting for Worship on the last day of Annual Session.

The Committee now has four Working Groups under its care: the Working Group on Racism, the Spiritual Formation Program, the Women’s Retreat, and the Working Group on Intervisitation. These four key programs provide spiritual support and guidance for BYM Friends. We have designated liaisons from our committee to each Working Group and receive reports from these groups.

The Working Group on Racism has significantly revised the history section of BYM’s Faith and Practice with important information on enslavement. The Group coordinates with Friends engaged in working on racial justice issues across North America and is available for visits to local meetings. A plenary workshop on Privilege is planned for 2013 Annual Session. The Working Group is encouraging Friends to read The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander and Cornel West and will propose a “one book” program to have all BYM read it by 2014.

The Women’s Retreat Working Group conducted its annual retreat of 134 women on January 25-27, 2013, at Skycroft Conference Center in Middletown, MD, with the theme Play, Nap, Feast! The retreat was planned by seven women from Friends Meeting of Washington and in 2014 will be planned by women from Annapolis and Patapsco Monthly Meetings.

In its thirtieth year, BYM’s Spiritual Formation Program in 2012-2013 served 56 Friends from 15 Monthly Meetings through participation in the fall and spring retreats. The retreats are consistently cited as opportunities for deepening our individual spiritual lives and for knitting relationships of Friends, friends, and Friendship throughout the Yearly Meeting. A group of Friends from three Monthly Meetings facilitates these retreats. Many more Friends participate in the program through Monthly Meeting large- and small-group formats. Friends from the Spiritual Formation Program have visited several meetings, and are exploring ways to improve communication with Friends in Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.

In the Spring of 2013 M&PC met with Friends from BYM’s Intervisitation Committee to discuss the option of their committee’s becoming a Working Group under our care. The option was deemed worthwhile. It was approved at M&PC’s Committee meeting June 15, 2013 and proposed to and approved by Interim Meeting later that day. Intervisitation Committee had been formed with a limited scope: to foster intervisitation among Friends in BYM and Friends United Meeting. It is now expected the Working Group on Intervisitation will continue with its important work and increase the energy of M&PC on the issue of intervisitation of Friends throughout BYM.

The Committee asks Monthly Meetings to prepare an annual report of their Spiritual State, suggesting queries to help in its preparation. We consider all the reports submitted and they form the basis of the Spiritual State of the Yearly Meeting Report, prepared by M&PC Committee and presented at Annual Session.

The Committee is completing a revision of BYM’s guidelines on embraced ministry, to be presented to the 2013 Annual Session. The new guidelines offer clarity about the important role of Monthly Meetings in helping Friends discern the spiritual depth of its members leadings.

The Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee meets five times a year: at each of here Interim Meetings and twice during Yearly Meeting’s Annual Session. Attendance ranges from eight to fifteen Friends.

Co-clerks Don Gann and Michael Cronin

2012 Annual Report

The Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee is concerned with deepening the spiritual life of Yearly Meeting. We do this by calling forth and nurturing individual gifts of the Spirit, and by supporting and assisting the Yearly Meeting with programs, retreats, workshops, and Annual Session. The clerk of the Committee or a designee serves as a member of the Program Committee.

The Committee recognizes the need for grounding in shared worship as a foundation for our work in the world. We desire to deepen spiritual fellowship and grow our reliance on Spirit to guide us in spite of the busy-ness of our members, and we seek creative ways to bring this commitment to fruition at each opportunity.

The Committee is responsible for bringing forward a lader or leaders for the Annual Session opening Retreat. This year Clifton Pettus leads the retreat, drawing on and sharing his insights on the spiritual basis for action in the world.

At Annual Session Meeting for Worship with a concern for Business, Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee has delegated Friends to serve as Greeters and called upon others to sit on the “facing benches” holding the Meetings in the Light. The Committee has also identified leaders to facilitate Worship Sharing groups and Bible study both in the morning and the afternoon. There are several members of the committee who wear “yellow tags” during sessions to indicate their availability to serve as a listening ear when needed. The Committee takes responsibility for Meeting for Worship on the last day of Annual Session.

The Committee has begun to clarify our relationship with the Working Groups under our care: The Working Group on Racism, the Spiritual Formation Program, and the Women’s Retreat. These programs provide important spiritual support and guidance for Friends from across the Yearly Meeting. We receive periodic reports from these groups throughout the year and we will continue to hold this work in prayer. We have been pleased to have opportunity to sit with members of the Working Group on Racism to help them focus their work for the coming year and consider how they might evaluate their impact. A brief summary of the reports from these three groups follows.

The Working Group on Racism offered an interest group at Annual Sessions 2011 in which they screened the DVD Teens Talk Racial Privilege so that adults could consider whether or not this would be useful for use by their meeting. In addition, members of the working group led a workshop looking at the history of engagement with racism in Baltimore Yearly Meeting. The working group sponsored and organized a visit to the Sandy Spring Slave Museum for more than 70 Friends. At their monthly meetings, they share experiences, books, articles, films and presentations on the topic of race. This year, the working group said good-bye to Elizabeth DuVerlie as she ended a 5 1/2 year tenure as clerk and welcomed David Etheridge into that role. They have been assisting in the revision of Faith and Practice history section on enslavement. The working group coordinates with Friends engaged in working on racial justice issues across North America and is available for visits to local meetings.

The Women’s Retreat Working Group coordinated a successful retreat, which was held January 27-29 at Skycroft Conference Center in Middletown, Maryland. The theme was Women of Power and Presence: Sharing Stories of Courage and Transformation. 130 women attended and were deeply moved by the opportunity to worship and learn together.

The Spiritual Formation Working Group has seen significant increase in participation in their program this year; in addition, additional Friends were drawn to participate in local groups who did not attend the retreats. They were successfully able to raise donations and carefully steward their funds to allow them to provide full or partial retreat scholarships for four friends. The retreats were held at Priestfield Pastoral Center, which provided a quite place for contemplation, with generous hospitality. There were twice monthly gatherings of local groups, which deepened relationships and enriched Friends’ spiritual journeys. The working group plans to focus more deliberately this year on the nurture of local groups and to explore how to foster continuity when Friends participate only in the local groups.

The Committee and the working groups will continue to explore how to grow in our relationship over the coming year for our mutual support and the benefit of the yearly meeting.

The Committee is available to help Monthly Meetings foster community and deepen their spiritual life, encouraging and supporting them to recognize, publicly affirm, and practically support those individuals who exercise their gifts in faithful ministry and service. We welcome opportunities to visit with meetings and appreciate invitations to worship with you. We have visited several meetings again this year and profited from learning how Spirit is moving among us. In addition, members of the committee have been called upon for consultation to meetings where there are pastoral care needs; such consultation is, of course, confidential.

The Committee sends suggestions to Monthly Meetings to support preparation of the Annual Report of the Spiritual State of the Monthly Meeting in accordance with the guidelines in Faith and Practice. The approved reports are received and incorporated into Spiritual State of the Yearly Meeting Report presented at Annual Session.

The Committee considers requests for Yearly Meeting endorsement of minutes of support for members traveling in the ministry outside our Yearly Meeting. Such minutes, usually prepared by the traveler’s Monthly Meeting, are reviewed by the committee and passed along to Interim Meeting or Yearly Meeting in session for final endorsement. We are completing a revision of the written policy, offering a streamlined and more comprehensible policy for the use of our Yearly Meeting regarding embraced ministries.

We continue to offer a one-day scholarship to encourage those interested in attending our committee meetings during annual sessions.

The Committee meets 5 times during the year (at each of the 3 interim meeting days and twice during Yearly Meeting sessions) with an attendance of committee members of 8-10 and a number of visitors.

Jean-Marie Prestwidge Barch, (Valley Friends Meeting), Clerk

2011 Annual Report

The Committee continues to labor with our desire to find more time to worship together; we must be well grounded in the Spirit if we are to provide assistance to others. We still seek way forward for periodic weekend-long committee retreats. Our intention to continue brief retreats on Committee Meeting Days has been unfulfilled this year. Our desire to deepen spiritual fellowship and grow our reliance on Spirit to guide us continues in spite of the busy-ness of our members, and we seek creative ways to bring this commitment to fruition.

The Committee is responsible for bringing forward a leader or leaders for the Annual Session opening Retreat. Brad Ogilvie (Friends Meeting of Washington) will lead this year’s retreat, weaving together the yearly meeting theme with a focus on spiritual hospitality.

At Annual Session Meeting for Worship with a concern for Business, Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee has delegated Friends to serve as Greeters and called upon others to sit on the “facing benches” holding the Meetings in the Light. The Committee has also identified leaders to facilitate the daily morning Worship Sharing groups and Bible study both in the morning and the afternoon. There are several members of the committee who wear “yellow dots” during sessions to indicate their availability to serve as a listening ear when needed. The Committee takes responsibility for Meeting for Worship on the last day of Annual Session.

The Committee has clarified the relationship with the Working Groups under our care: The Working Group on Racism, the Spiritual Formation Program, and the Women’s Retreat. These programs provide important spiritual support and guidance for Friends from across the Yearly Meeting. We will receive periodic reports from these groups throughout the year and we will continue to hold this work in prayer. As way opens, we will seek other substantive ways to advance the work of these three working groups. Reports regarding the work of these three groups will be attached.

The Committee is available to help Monthly Meetings foster community and deepen their spiritual life, encouraging and supporting them to recognize, publicly affirm, and practically support those individuals who exercise their gifts in faithful ministry and service. We welcome opportunities to visit with meetings and appreciate invitations to worship with you. We have visited several meetings again this year and profited from learning how the spirit is moving among us. In addition, members of the committee have been called upon for consultation to meetings where there are pastoral care needs; such consultation is, of course, confidential and we have served several meetings in this capacity during the past year.

The Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee sends suggestions to Monthly Meetings on the preparation of the Annual Report of the Spiritual State of the Monthly Meeting in accordance with the guidelines in Faith and Practice. The Committee receives the approved reports and incorporates them, with concerns and information about events into Spiritual State of the Yearly Meeting Report presented at Annual Session.

The Committee considers requests for Yearly Meeting endorsement of minutes of support for members traveling in the ministry outside our Yearly Meeting. Such minutes usually are prepared by the traveler’s Monthly Meeting, reviewed by the committee and passed along to Interim Meeting or Yearly Meeting in session for final endorsement.

The Committee has reflected on various issues as requested by officers of the Yearly Meeting, Meetings, or other committees; we offered advice as requested on our policy concerning use of electronics during Annual Sessions’ Meetings for Worship with a Concern for Business.

We offer a one-day scholarship to encourage those interested in attending our committee meetings during annual sessions.

The Committee continues to meet 5 times during the year (at each of the 3 interim meeting days and twice during Yearly Meeting sessions) with an attendance of committee members of 6-10 and a number of visitors.