 November/December 1999 (XXXVII 5) |
ome years ago I became aware of the distinction between Monthly Meeting Friends and Yearly Meeting Friends. At the time I was more the latter than the former. And looking back, I can't avoid confessing that there was much greater ego satisfaction in being clerk of PYM than of my own Meeting. I was functioning in a broader region, on a grander scale, and with a much larger budget.
For some years now I have been a Monthly Meeting Friend, with a somewhat different perspective. I do have one Yearly Meeting appointment, to the George School Committee, but that never takes me to Friends Center.
It is against this background that I make a modest suggestion. Except for its roles as overseer of Westtown and George School, PYM need have no grand mission. Being a service bureau for Monthly Meetings is all the mission it needs. An annual gathering is one, apparently effective, way to carry out this mission. I won't try to name all the others.
My point is that the Yearly Meeting will fulfill its mission if it is a good service bureau. Let the communities that gather weekly build a sense of religious community. They are much better at it.
Kingdon W. Swayne
Newtown Meeting (PA)
Last modified: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 at 08:18 AM