Lots of FUMing Among Friends, But Where's the Fire?

In this new time of colding darkness, we keep seeking for a bonfire, but after the last several days of more bad Quaker news--
I feel the need to kick at the ashes, trying to find if any embers are left.

For instance, consider Johan Mauer's and Chuck Fager's disconcerting reports this week on the breakups of NWYM and NCYM. 


What happened back in camping days when we kicked apart the last few sticks of an old fire? It went out.

What's happened with Indiana Yearly Meeting since its split several years ago?

I just urled over to West Richmond Friends Meeting to see how the New Association of Friends is faring. 

But the NAF website states "new-association-friends" could not be found.":-( 

Hopefully, that is just a temporary glitch in their Internet connection, not a comment on their new yearly meeting.

And what is the word from the get-together at Hillsboro Friends Meeting in Oregon, as NWYM is kicked apart? 

Last weekend a few meetings (being "released" by NWYM) gathered for a time of silent worship and sharing.

I wonder what if any new direction for them came to light.

Last I heard Friends United Meeting has had to greatly reduce its staff. What's happening, if anything, there?

So much FUMing, so little Fire.

Tragically, it appears that current crises are going to end down like past grievous splits among the Friends, such as the Orthodox versus Hicksite breakup in the 19th century.

See Quakers in Conflict: The Hicksite Reformation by H. Larry Ingle 
and Quakers in California (about their split apart) by David C. LeShana.

Hopefully, NWYM and NCYM's splits will be different, will be able to go against 
the historical past and fire anew, becoming a blaze of Light,
but all the wrong now doesn't make it look good.

And what of Friends General Conference?

There have been some new directions in the FGC. Does anyone have new information about those yearly meetings?

Some Yearly Meetings appear to be only Friends in name. Since California Yearly Meeting's negative departure from Friends United Meeting over 20 years ago, any centering on Friends' theology and ethics in that yearly meeting has long ago died, only cold ashes left.

And maybe even the ashes have been swept away.


In the Light,

Daniel Wilcox

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For what it's worth, the NAF website is back online. 

I just tried again, 11:35 Pacific time:

https://www.fgcquaker.org/cloud/new-association-friends

All I got is "The requested page "/cloud/new-association-friends" could not be found."

?

How are you getting "new association friends" when I can't?

I typed New Association of Friends into Google, and I clicked and it took me to http://www.newassociationoffriends.org/ not to an FGC URL. Maybe they're not hosted on FGC's cloud service [anymore] ?

edit: ok yeah, they're definitely not hosted on FGC's Quaker Cloud. They're on SquareSpace.

Oh boy... West Richmond's website has an old broken link AND fails to list an email address to contact their webmaster to tell the person. Oh jeez.

The bonfire is not sustained but kicking at ashes from dead logs. The fire has departed the logs and is taken up residence in the conscious and conscience. It is only therein where the fire burns true and is sustained in eternity.

Thanks for noting the broken link! I have emailed the communications folks at West Richmond and hopefully they will be able to update the NAF link soon. 

Matt

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