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Friends General Conference Annual Reports

The text of recently received Annual Reports are below, with the most recently received at the top and older reports below. To jump to a particular report, simply click the year listed below.

2011 Report 2012 Report 2013 Report 2014 Report 2015 Report
2016 Report 2017 Report 2018 Report 2019 Report 2020 Report
2021 Report

2021 Friends General Conference Annual Report

No report received.


2020 Friends General Conference Annual Report

No report received.


2019 Friends General Conference Annual Report

Friends General Conference serves thousands of Friends in yearly meetings throughout the US and Canada with programs and services to deepen individual spiritual lives and support meeting communities. Many Friends in BYM serve on FGC committees, attend FGC events, and participate in FGC activities, even beyond those of us who serve on FGC Central Committee.

FGC's best-known event is the annual summer Gathering, which consists of six days of workshops, speakers, activities, and fellowship, and takes place over July 4th. The 2019 Gathering took place in Grinnell, Iowa, and was attended by about 700 Friends. The theme was "Peace In Our Hearts, Justice In The World" and many activities explored this theme in different ways, challenging Friends to consider how their individual action and witness can benefit the world when grounded in love.

Friends at Gathering heard an update about the Institutional Assessment on Racism. This has been a big focus for FGC in the last few years, as it actively works to become an anti-racist organization. The assessment was finished in 2018, and lots of detail on its data and analysis can be found on the FGC website. The project has now moved into an implementation phase based on the assessment's findings. BYM’s David Etheridge david.etheridge@verizon.net is serving on the Implementation Group tasked with this work.

How does this decision support Friends General Conference in its goal to transform into an actively anti-racist faith community?

This is the query that Central Committee and all other FGC committees are asked to consider before making any decision and to help guide our current and planned work. We were reminded that anti-racism work is a lifelong commitment, not any single act of ally-ship. All of us, particularly white Friends, need to look for opportunities for growth and learning.

FGC's Spiritual Deepening Program continues to offer online courses for Friends, as well as many resources as part of the updated Spiritual Deepening Library, which can be found here: https://www.fgcquaker.org/SDlibrary The library is free and searchable and contains resources, readings, queries, and activities for adults and children. An online Guide for Facilitators provides tools for facilitating small groups in workshops, retreats and ongoing religious education classes. Questions about the Spiritual Deepening Library can be sent to SpiritualDeepening@FGCQuaker.org. BYM Friends can also get in touch with Sabrina McCarthy at Friends Meeting of Washington, sabrina.mccarthy@verizon.net.

This spring, many BYM Friends received a market research survey about the Gathering meant to give FGC a better understanding of what Friends want from an annual event like this. The results of the survey are available on the FGC website here: https://www.fgcquaker.org/news/gathering-marketing-survey-2019-results-are. But Friends in BYM have a great opportunity to more directly influence FGC Gathering because:

Next year FGC Gathering will be coming to BYM! The 2020 Gathering will take place at Radford University in Radford, Virginia with the theme "Way Will Open". A number of BYM Friends are already involved in the planning, including Gathering Co-Clerks Patsy Arnold Martin & Tony Martin fgc2020gatheringclerks@gmail.com There are still many ways to get involved. The Gathering Committee will meet over the next year and its subcommittees will select workshops and speakers, plan afternoon activities and programs for youth and young adults.

Becka Haines Rosenberg (Alexandria)


2018 Annual Report

Every fall, representatives from FGC Yearly Meetings and affiliated Monthly Meetings gather together for Central Committee, four days of prayerful work on behalf of Friends General Conference. Our work is divided into two parts. We spend time gathered as a whole fulfilling our responsibilities as a board of directors to the organization. We also spend time doing committee work; each representative to Central Committee serves on either a programmatic or administrative committee. In addition, one representative of each Yearly Meeting is picked to join committee clerks, and a few at large representatives three times yearly - usually in January, May, and September - as an executive committee to make time-sensitive and personnel-related decisions.

Spurred by the financial reality of declining reserves to draw on and declining contributions by yearly meetings and other funding sources, we began to take a different approach to our work this past year. An ad-hoc committee was formed during the 2017 Spring Executive Committee Meeting to meet this challenge and start the process of reprioritizing the work of our organization. This small committee, which included two representatives from BYM, decided to radically change the scheduling of Central Committee. Time for committee meetings and reports was limited. The bulk of our time was spent in discernment on FGC’s future.

Small groups were formed and then reformed as we addressed issues such as: I belong here because…, What is the role of FGC in the Religious Society of Friends? What is FGC’s work and what is Yearly Meeting Work? Results of the discussions were summarized and reported out to the whole body. Questions were asked and opinions were shared. Sometimes there was music interspersed between the topics to lighten the mood.

Clerks from seven different Yearly Meetings shared their thoughts on one of three queries: What does FGC provide or could it provide that has important value to my organization and the Religious Society of Friends? Why is FGC important to my organization? What is FGC being called to contribute to the Religious Society of Friends?

After lunch on Saturday, ten young adult friends movingly shared why Friends General Conference was important to them, and they challenged us to each think about which one program FGC offered that was important enough to us that we were willing to support its continuation, even if it meant the demise of FGC in ten years.

By Saturday evening, it became clear that the priorities among FGC's current programs are:

  1. The Gathering
  2. Ministry on Racism (within which the Institutional Assessment is an activity)
  3. Clearinghouse/Yearly Meeting Connector
  4. Religious education (within which Spiritual Deepening is an activity)
  5. Adult Young Friends programming
  6. Quaker Cloud

The Executive Committee was tasked with coming to a balanced budget within two years, keeping these six priorities in mind.

Another significant event at Central Committee was the approval of bylaws changes that allows the Executive Committee to take some actions throughout the year, so the organization won’t be so dependent on just our fall meeting for major decisions. Since then, the Executive Committee has studied different models of governance, to seek clarity on whether our current structure is adequately meeting the needs of the organization. This is still in process.

Both the FGC Bookstore and Quaker Cloud are still alive and well. There is no longer a walk-in store for QuakerBooks of FGC, but the website is easy to read, provides monthly book reviews and has multiple order options. Please check it out and use it! Quaker Cloud is used by meetings large and small and is an excellent option for meetings that don’t have the technical skill sets to set up a site on their own. Although FGC is in transition, all of its current programs are going strong.

As one of the larger Yearly Meetings, BYM has a considerable number of slots to fill for representation to FGC. We have not met our quota for several years, and two of us have only one year left in our second consecutive term on the board. Please consider if you are willing to serve. It is hard but rewarding work. It is an opportunity to meet and build relationships with some amazing people from all over North America. Young people, both teens and young adults, are especially encouraged to consider joining Central Committee. If there are young people in your Meeting who would be interested in being part of Central Committee or have skills, talents, or enthusiasm that would benefit FGC, please encourage them to contact nominating committee, or do so on their behalf. Then, be sure there is financial support to help them attend meetings, as that is often the deciding factor in young folks not participating. There is a yearning in the organization to have more young people; there is also a yearning on the part of the young people for more recognition and financial support so they can fully participate in the future of FGC.

Respectfully Submitted,

Linda Goldstein (Charlottesville)

On behalf of the FGC Representatives


2017 Annual Report

Every year Quakers from the United States and Canada join together to worshipfully do work for Friends General Conference (FGC). We are the FGC Board, more commonly known as Central Committee. We meet at the Pearlstone Retreat Center in Reistertown, MD for a long weekend in late October. Delicious Kosher meals, comfortable beds, and beautiful surroundings support us in our work. Business sessions are interspersed with committee work; the morning starts with the options of singing or worship sharing. One representative from our Yearly Meeting also joins with committee clerks, and a few at-large members three times a year to make time-sensitive and personnel decisions as part of the Executive Committee. This report centers largely on the work we did in October 2016. It is supplemented with non-confidential information from Executive Committee Meetings held in September, January, and May.

There were a combination of joyful committee reports and hard decisions as we worked. During introductions, we were asked to each share a prayer for our time together. There was a beautiful array of things said.

Barry Crossno, our General Secretary, shared that the last eighteen months had been painful for him because there had been dismantling rather than building, due to right-sizing of our budget. Now that we’ve cut 20%, it is time to rebuild within our current parameters. He sees an enormous amount of commitment within our organization and believes that what we’re called to do needs to be done well. As I heard proceeding reports I felt the commitment, loyalty, hard work, and dedication of both the staff and volunteers within FGC.

Many of the reports and decisions were straightforward and accepted with a few comments or suggestions. The Finance Committee has very low membership, and is actively seeking Friends with an interest in helping. If you wish to participate in the Finance Committee, please let your voice be heard.

The Committee of Nurturing Ministries has come out with a new program: The Spiritual Deepening Program. Hundreds of Friends have helped in the conception and development of this program, which is geared to both children and adults. The exercises are meant to build community and teach through art, music, dialog, and role playing. There’s a webinar to train small group leaders. Each unit has three components: Grounding, which delves into Quaker roots; Sharing, where you listen and share stories; and Practice, in which you learn new ways to connect with what is holy. The Spiritual Deepening Program is going well. Three hundred people have participated in this e-learning experience. Some of the participants are new to Quakerism and have been led to local Meetings. We did an exercise from the program called Good Seed, which is based on an Isaac Pennington quote. After reading the passage, we were asked to draw the seed in our heart, as we saw it, and then share in a small group about our picture. When we reassembled, comments about the exercise included affirming, liberating, clarifying, a stretch, and connected.

We were led in two other interactive exercises during our time together. First, the Diversity Committee had us place FGC on the Continuum on Becoming an Anti-Racist Multicultural Institution. We then reconsidered our responses after using Facilitating Progress Through the Stages of Multicultural Organization Development. There was small group discussion after each part. Later, the Committee on Discernment and Priority Planning led us in a visioning exercise. We were asked to name the most significant need or concern in our Monthly or Yearly Meeting and discuss it with a partner. We were then asked how FGC could support our Meeting in addressing this need or concern, and we discussed our response with a different partner. Our responses, which were written on stickies, were posted on the wall and then collected for use by FGC.

There was deep and emotional discussion around the issues of racial profiling and harassment at the 2016 Gathering. In response, the site selection committee was immediately reconstituted so its membership is largely People of Color, with the expectation that it will facilitate finding a Gathering site that feels safe to all Friends. Also, Central Committee came to unity on the idea of doing an Institutional Assessment. As of July 2017, approximately $62,000 was raised for the Assessment, but contributions are still welcomed. Some of the funds will be used to pay the expenses of Friends who would otherwise be unable to participate. Between July and October, 20% of the contributions were from Friends who have never contributed to FGC before; I don’t have more current statistics.

Crossroads was chosen to lead us in the work. This organization was started by the Lutheran Church and has worked with many schools and faith communities. AFSC worked with them, and Philadelphia Yearly Meeting is currently using their services. They will do an initial three-day training with 60 people at Stony Point Conference and Retreat Center from November 17-19, 2017. Their model is one of participation. They will teach us how to use tools of assessment and then will be present to support us as we do the assessment and write the report. This training will give us the tools to address the concerns that are specific to us. Marvin Barnes and Carolyn LeJuste, who are clerks of the working group that is involved in coordinating the assessment, stressed that there are concerns for all people of color, not just African Americans. This includes Latinos, Asians, and indigenous people. Many of the participants are yet to be picked. There is a desire to have diversity of age, race, and region. A document to give background information to all FGC Friends is being prepared. There was an interest group at the Gathering, and periodic updates will be included in Vital Friends.

The Communications Committee shared that they want to help Friends collaborate without travel by enhancing conferencing capabilities. It is working to develop consistent and coherent communication using social media, audio, and video. Now subcommittees and working groups can meet using a combination of WebEx and Conference Calls, with Friends participating from the comfort of their own homes. The Quaker Cloud has had a difficult adolescence, but it is growing up. A backlog of issues has been resolved and subscriptions have grown. A number of Meetings, especially smaller ones, are very enthusiastic about it. We came to unity to accept a large grant that will further develop and expand Quaker Cloud’s capabilities.

A working group reported on their year studying options for reformatting the structure of Executive Committee and Central Committee in order to enhance our work. The presented proposals would make major changes. There were many unanswered questions, as well as concern about doing this at the same time as the Institutional Assessment. The working group was thanked for their hard work. No unity was reached on whether or not to proceed with their proposals.

Playing in the Light has come out with four new stories: Margaret Fell, Elizabeth Fry, John Woolman, and Images of God. They are available as e-publications through QuakerBooks of FGC; a revised book will be published by the end of the year.

This summer’s Gathering was held from July 2-8, 2017 at Niagara University in Lewiston, NY. The theme was Ripples Start Where the Spirit Moves. Next year’s Gathering will be held at the University of Toledo in Ohio from July 1-7, 2018, with the theme The Power of Truth.

Some of the Friends of Color are able to attend meetings, the pre-Gathering, and the Gathering through the support of the Bayard Rustin Fund. This fund was started with a generous grant from FLGBTQC (Friends of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns) to enable Friends of Color to attend events that otherwise might be unaffordable. FLGBTQC continues to support it with half the proceeds from their summer auction, but support from others is needed as well.

As our work at Central Committee drew to a close, we learned that Grass Valley Friends Meeting in Nevada City, CA, which had asked to directly affiliate with FGC, had been found clear to join. We enthusiastically accepted them into our folds.

It is an honor to serve on both Central Committee and its Executive Committee. Please consider whether you might be led to serve Friends General Conference in this way. Terms start in October and last for three years. There is a special interest in having High School students contributing to this work.

Linda Goldstein

On Behalf of the BYM Representatives to FGC


2016 Annual Report

This past year has been a one of challenges, unexpected changes, and deepened reflection for the FGC Central Committee and the members of all of the supporting committees that make it up. Before our annual meeting in October, 2016, we did not anticipate the news that a feasibility study for a new capital campaign found that no campaign should be undertaken this year. Instead, the report recommended that we do the following:

  1. Clarify our mission and purpose so that our work is mission driven rather than program driven;
  2. Look at our income and realistically balance our income and expenses in a way that is sustainable over time;
  3. Have the grit and confidence to make hard decisions and live with them.

Treasured and valuable projects and programs had to be addressed with clear eyes. Discernment does not come easily, even to Friends!

  • Quaker Quest and the New Meetings Project were funded by grants that have run out, and these were discontinued.
  • The Traveling Ministries Program was laid down.
  • Quaker Bridge, our self-publishing program, was discontinued.
  • Couple enrichment will no longer be under FGC’s care, but will continue as a largely independent project.
  • We are working to make QuakerBooks more self-supporting. It was moved from Philadelphia to Pendle Hill, where it can receive walk-in business, and it has partnered with Quaker and Fair Trade Vendors to offer new kinds of merchandise. We are happy to report that as of this spring, there has been a 41% increase in sales and a reduced costs of goods. Other structural and staff changes have been made, and their effects will be evaluated over time.

As the year unfolded, we focused on these three goals:

  • Fostering and nourishing collaboration among yearly and monthly meetings.
  • Growing and strengthening the Religious Society of Friends.
  • Fostering a more inclusive community

This spring Rachael Ernst-Stalhut was hired to coordinate the new Spiritual Deepening Program. Its goal is “to bring the full depth, joy, and fire of Quaker faith and practice to our daily lives, to our meetings, and to those who come to our meeting as seekers”. This program is expected to be available to monthly Meetings everywhere this fall.

Also this spring the Executive Committee agreed, after painful discernment regarding the best use of scarce resources, to lay down Stewardship Services for the present. The committee is committed to a renewed Planned Giving program which will focus on the most useful aspects of Stewardship Services.

Our Ministry on Racism Program directly supported a large number of the more than 500 Quakers attending the White Privilege Conference this year, and the Summer Gathering at St. Benedicts College in St. John, Minnesota offered a pre-gathering retreat for Friend of Color and Their Families. The 2017 gathering will be held at Niagara University in New York, with the theme “Ripples Start When Spirit Moves.”

As Jean-Marie Prestwidge Barch, Clerk of the Nurturning Ministries Committee reminded us, “programs and projects can and have changed from time to time—the emphasis and focus of the particular work can and has changed-- but although our ways of approaching or achieving our goals may have changed, the work of inclusion, religious education, outreach, extending the embrace of our Quaker Way— has not changed because it is the work to which we are called by Spirit!”

We are deeply appreciative of the opportunity BYM has given us to engage in this work.


2015 Annual Report

Greetings from members of Baltimore Yearly Meeting (BYM) who serve on the Central Committee of Friends General Conference (FGC), its governing body. Work under our care has supported and nourished monthly Meetings across the country and thousands of individual Friends. This work included the Quaker Cloud, Quaker Quest workshops, gatherings for Friends of Color, a consultation on Spiritual Deepening within the Religious Society of Friends, and ecumenical outreach through the World Council of Churches.

This year Central Committee focused particularly on three areas: discerning way forward for Quaker Books, which has been in financial trouble, spiritual deepening, and consideration of a fundraising campaign. After a challenging period of discernment, the physical bookstore was relocated to Pendle Hill for a trial period, and it became a mostly online bookstore at QuakerBooks.org. Here Friends can download e-books, order printed books, and read interviews with Quaker authors. The sustainability of this model will be evaluated by the committee. A Spiritual Deepening program was launched, to “make the full depth, joy, and fire of Quaker faith and practice highly available, teachable, and experiential for all those who are or will become part of our faith communities.” This program is in formation, and several Friends from BYM have taken on pieces of the work, which is designed to strengthen and deepen our Meetings as worshiping communities. Study of the feasibility of a major fundraising campaign for FGC is currently underway.

Friends from Baltimore Yearly Meeting have served Central Committee on the Personnel Committee and the Friends Mutual Health Group, the Long Range Conference Planning Committee, the Executive Committee, the Committee for Discernment, Planning and Priorities, and the Committee for Nurturing Ministries. This year, the Friends Mutual Health Group has expanded its outreach to include many Quaker organizations seeking better and more affordable health care coverage for employees. The Long Range Conference Planning Committee’s work has focused on making the Gathering more welcoming to first time attenders, Transgender Friends, Friends with disabilities, and Friends from working class backgrounds. The BYM Friend who serves on the Executive Committee described their work as sometimes appearing to be less glamorous than that of some other committees. However, their work is vital to strengthening FGC’s financial base, evaluating the effectiveness of its programs, discerning leadings for new or changed programs, and encouraging Friends and Meetings to use the many resources and programs available through FGC. Members on the Committee for Nurturing Ministries have been involved in visioning for the emergent Spiritual Deepening Program and in the rewarding work of developing resources and materials for this exciting new FGC offering. Friends from Baltimore Yearly Meeting feel that they have been well used in the work of Central Committee and appreciate the opportunity given to them by the Yearly Meeting to engage in this work.


2014 Annual Report

Greetings from the members of Baltimore Yearly Meeting who serve on the Central Committee of Friends General Conference, its governing body. It has been our joy and privilege to be part of this work. One representative from BYM observed, “ I found the experience of attending Central Committee both enriching and a bit overwhelming. . . I was amazed at the number of opportunities for service. . . I felt centered during most of the business meetings; I felt centered as I wrote and reflected about the experiences when I got home.”

Much of the preparative work for the Central Committee’s annual meeting is done in smaller committees, which may also have subcommittees and working groups. Members from our Yearly Meeting serve the Central Committee in the following ways: Michael Boardman – Baltimore Stony Run – Long Range Conference Planning; Arthur Boyd – Baltimore Stony Run - At large member of Executive Committee; Sue Carnell – Baltimore Stony Run - Personnel Committee; Laura Fisher – Langley Hill – Publications and Distribution; Linda Goldstein – Charlottesville - Blue Book Committee; Deborah Haines – Alexandria - Central Committee Recording Clerk, also Personnel Committee; Elise Hansard – Roanoke - Growing Subcommittee of the Committee for Nurturing Ministries (CNM); John Meyer – Friends Meeting of Washington - Transforming Subcommittee of CNM; Nancy Moore – Baltimore Stony Run - coopted directly to Central Committee – Publications and Distributions; Tim Mullady – Annapolis - representative to Friends Committee on Scouting; Brad Ogilvie – Friends Meeting of Washington – Christian and Interfaith Relations; Ann Riggs – Annapolis - delegate to the World Council of Churches; Riley Robinson – Friends Meeting of Washington, BYM General Secretary - observer to Friends Committee on National Legislation; Ken Stockbridge – Patapsco - At large member of CNM.

In October 2013, the Central Committee approved the following Epistle, which beautifully conveys the spirit and substance of our work:

“One hundred thirty seven Friends from fifteen yearly meetings gathered on a beautiful fall weekend at the Pearlstone Retreat Center near Reisterstown, Maryland for the 2013 annual meeting of the Friends General Conference Central Committee. Our worship and deliberations have been deeply blessed. We have been swept by an awareness of opportunity and new energy. As one Friend said: “There is a deep and powerful stream flowing here, and we are invited to plunge in.”

Two years ago, Friends General Conference defined three areas of focus to guide our work—Deep Worship, Loving Community, and Outreach. Focusing on these three priorities has already yielded good fruit and opened new doors as we consider how we are called to nurture Quaker faith and practice.

We heard from our General Secretary, Barry Crossno, a call for us to take up the challenge of reaching out to and accompanying the thousands of seekers who visit our meetings each year. We heard of new energy around our work in religious education, and how we are re-envisioning it as spiritual formation. We heard how eager Friends meetings are to take advantage of the online services offered by our new Quaker Cloud, which hosts monthly meeting websites and a meeting “minute manager,” and will soon be offering a meeting directory feature. We heard how the new approach to planned giving being pioneered by our Stewardship Services program liberates Friends to give more generously to all the charities they support. We heard of the new books coming out of our two publishing programs—FGC’s QuakerPress and QuakerBridge Media—and were encouraged to hear of renewed efforts to preserve and extend the ministry offered by our bookstore—QuakerBooks of FGC. We heard how our New Meetings project is reaching out to dozens of clusters of scattered Friends and seekers, and helping to establish new worship groups across the country. We heard of continued excitement about the outreach-inreach work of our Quaker Quest program.

This weekend, we dedicated a period of time each evening to diversity work, exploring together the challenge of how to be an ally to those experiencing discrimination and injustice. Dedicating this time has been very valuable. We encourage monthly and yearly meetings to consider engaging in this work.

It has helped us to experience our own humanness, our weakness, and our common longing to do better. We still have much work to do, as individuals and in our Friends’ communities, to be truly welcoming and to live the Truth that we are all family. We are committed to carrying forward this work.

We know that when we enter into the presence of the Divine together, experiencing and living out the love that binds us and opening our hearts to the world, way will open. We have experienced this weekend a taste of divine grace, and the way opening to new opportunities and new discoveries. We have been blessed.”


2013 Annual Report

Central Committee of Friends General Conference meets as a whole only once a year, at its Annual Session in October, over several days. It is a huge committee, with well over 100 members. Much of the real work is done by the many smaller committees, each consisting of some members of Central Committee and reporting to Central Committee. Some committees, in turn, have their own subcommittees.

For 2012, Central Committee moved its Annual Meeting to the Pearlstone Center, after the Brethren's Conference Center in New Windsor closed in June 2012. We had to adapt to a strict Kosher regime, also to sharing the Center with a few other groups. Sue Regen presided over the plenary sessions.

The Vision Statement for FGC proposed in 2011 was not accepted, and work continued. Committee for Discernment, Planning and Priorities then proposed a rather long and rambling vision statement, but later stripped it down to the following two-sentence version, which was approved:

We envision a vital and growing Religious Society of Friends -
a faith that is deepening spiritually, welcoming newcomers,
building supportive and inclusive community, and providing
loving service in the world.

Through Friends General Conference and led by the Spirit,
we see Quakers joining together in ministry to offer services
that help Friends, meetings and seekers explore, deepen,
connect and serve within the context of our living faith.

This year, Personnel Committee adopted two new policies: a Conflict of Interest policy, and an Ethical Standards policy.

Committee for Nurturing Ministries has launched the New Meetings project. In the first month, 15 inquries were received. They have compiled a list of 63 meetings, new since 2002, and plan to find out how they got started.

We approved a request from Starkville Monthly Meeting (in eastern Mississippi) for direct affiliation with FGC.

Stoph Hallward (Treasurer) noted that there has been some non-standard recording of receipts; with the hiring of a new bookkeeper, there is an opportunity to clean up the accounts and make other changes over the next year. The Bookstore has lately been doing better than expected. A grant of $400K from the Shoemaker Foundation has been received, which will be used to fund the New Meetings project as well as Quaker Quest.

Future years promise, in an era of reduced revenues, a budget gap of around $280K if no changes are made. Less than half of the budget is available for cuts. Some segments are self-funding or grant-funded. Bridging the gap by only cutting expenses would likely mean cutting CNM. Quakerbooks has been losing $100K, but is popular. Cuts in IT positions would impact other staff. Nor is it realistic to increase revenue by enough to fill the gap. There had to be a third way.

A group of committees (and the Organizational Discernment Working Group) therefore asked CDPP for advice on reaching a sustainable budget for 2013, and beyond. The result was a list of 13 very specific recommendations. Some programs will have to be cut. The Bookstore needs to focus on Quaker titles and ministry. Some staff will have to be cut, to about 18 full-time equivalent positions. Finance Committee then presented a balanced budget for fiscal 2013 (which actually began October 1) in 7 highly condensed pages.

Stewardship Services (formerly known as Planned Giving) has undergone a third-year evaluation by a committee with outsiders. A bequest pipeline has been started, but this takes 7-10 years to produce, though $890K per year could result in due course. The recommendation is that the Committee should continue, with another evaluation in 3 years.

We are told that Development is more than fundraising. Development reported contributions of $1 1/4M for fiscal 2012. The Stoking the Spiritual Fire of Quakerism campaign ended in December 2011 with $6.3M, above its target of $6M. The goal for 2013 is an increase of $100K. The October Friends Journal, on money, is recommended reading.

Long Range Conference Planning reported that the 2012 Gathering at Kingston RI was excellent. A half-Gathering option was offered for the first time. There were 1,248 attendees, slightly fewer than expected, but the Gathering still broke even financially. It was announced that the 2014 Gathering has been set for California PA (south of Pittsburgh on the Monongahela River).

We were invited to the 2013 Gathering in Greeley CO by the Gathering co-Clerks; the dates are June 30-July 6, with the theme "At the Growing Edges of our Faith." We were given Top Ten Reasons to go. You can get there by airplane, train or car.

Conference Visioning Committee was formed last year to consider the implications of rising costs and reduced attendance at the Gathering; this has not been looked at in many years. The Committee will be meeting in November. Look for a report next year.

Another proposal from CDPP is to reorganize communications. It is time to lay down the Communications Advisory Board (a temporary ad hoc group) and establish a new standing committee, Communications Policy and Infrastructure, separate from Publications & Distribution. These two committees will continue. The new CPI will focus on the Web, not on producing content.

Yet another proposal from CDPP is to set up a Working Group (or some such body) to collect data and review the structure and governance of Central Committee.

We heard the final report from CAB, which was mostly about cloud support. The FGC website has been revamped, and content development is ongoing. The Quaker cloud, at www.quakercloud.org is planned to be a suite of tools for meetings and committees, with a full rollout planned for January 2013. The focus will be on what Friends, seekers and meetings want or need to do, instead of being based on the internal committee structure of FGC. (It was noted that clouds (the real ones) were first classified by Luke Howard, a Quaker.)

At present, the Quaker cloud is in beta mode, with 6 meetings participating. System news is on the site now. Simple demonstrations were presented. Initially, three tools are on the system: a meeting website manager, a minute manager, and a meeting directory, with appropriate privacy restrictions; these are open to updating by anyone with the access. There will be monthly fees for the tools, depending on the size of the meeting. So far, there has been an 85% increase in visits to the website, with a big reduction in "bounces" (visitors who leave after finding nothing they want). They are looking for 100+ meetings in 2013.

Central Committee will be distributing an Epistle on the Annual Session.

J. Michael Boardman, Baltimore Stony Run


2012 Annual Report

Central Committee Annual Session – October 27–30, 2011
Brethren Conference Center, New Windsor, MD

Informal report by J. Michael Boardman
The weather was noteworthy: rain on Thursday, sunny on Friday, snow all day Saturday (about 3 inches), and sunny but cold on Sunday, with icy spots.

Central Committee is the governing body of FGC, and it meets once a year. It is huge, with well over 100 members. It contains several committees, where much of the real work is done; they meet more often. And some committees have their own subcommittees.

Annual Session was clerked by Sue Regen. The new FGC General Secretary is Barry Crossno, following Bruce Birchard, who retired this year after many years of service.

The Stoking the Spiritual Fire of Quakerism campaign was created in 2006, with a goal of $7.25M over 5 years. The intent was to spend the money raised over 7–9 years, beginning in 2007, on programs such as youth membership and Quaker Quest, as well as on more mundane matters like office renovations, rather than to set up endowments. In 2010, as a side effect of the economy, the goal was lowered to $6.3M and the time frame extended by a year. To date, $6.5M has been raised in gifts and pledges. Now that the campaign is winding down, FGC will have significantly reduced funds over the next several years. Displayed graphics explained that very little campaign money will be left after 2012, so FGC needs to wrestle with the financial realities and work towards a balanced sustainable budget for 2013 and beyond.

Committee for Discernment, Planning and Priorities was formed in 2009 by merger. It was charged with discerning which are the core activities of FGC, which activities should be reduced or eliminated, and possibly what new opportunities might arise. Any plan needs to be specific and transparent. Barry Crossno reported that a small working group under CDPP will work on this, and involve Finance and Development. There have been some committee mergers, and more changes can be expected.

The fiscal year runs from October through September. FY2011 actuals were within 2% of budget. The FY2012 budget was approved; it includes a $165K decrease in the personnel budget. The operating budget is set at $2.3M (was $2.4M in FY2011); the total budget is $2.7M (was $3M in FY2011).

Development noted that building endowment is a long-term process, taking 7–10 years to show returns. Meanwhile, the annual fund goal for FY2011 was met.

CDPP offered a Visioning Statement. However, there was some unhappiness with it, as being too generic; it was returned to CDPP for further seasoning. On Saturday, small focus groups were organized, to provide some input for CDPP.

Communications and Advisory Board (which is not a permanent committee) and Publications and Distribution have much overlap. The eventual aim is to integrate them into one program and one committee to handle all communications. Meanwhile, CAB is working on a new website, to be launched February or March 2012, with the tag line “Nurturing Faith and Quaker Practice”; this will in effect replace QuakerFinder and enhance services to monthly meetings, with further additions later. This work should be completed during 2012. Executive Committee recommends that CAB should continue for now, and CC approved.

P&D reports that FGC Quakerbooks has 23,000 customers, but declining revenue. Is this a business or ministry? Book publishing is undergoing a revolution. One proposal is to merge Quakerbooks with the Pendle Hill bookstore, as both are losing money. The merged bookstore might be named “FGC Bookstore at Pendle Hill.” However, it is not clear that Pendle Hill has a usable location. The idea needs further seasoning. Executive Committee is asked to decide whether it is practical and desirable to merge, before the next session of CC, as part of a strategic plan. P&D plans to lay down the Traveling Ministers Directory (unless enough volunteer help emerges), as there are no staff to update it.

Long Range Conference Planning reported that the 2011 Gathering at Grinnell, IA was highly successful. The 2012 Gathering will be at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston. We are promised a Quaker cantata there, and were reminded that Quakers were in Rhode Island before Philadelphia. The 2013 Gathering will be out west, at Northern Colorado University in Greeley. Some changes may be needed in future Gatherings, and a committee is being formed to consider. Projections suggest they may not be financially sustainable in their present form; attendance has been declining in recent years.

Committee for Nurturing Ministries reported that the Staff Diversity Committee of FGC is asking CC to devote serious time to diversity issues, including racism, ageism, white privilege and class. Specifically, that CC should devote 2–3 hours to study, conversation and exercises in each of the next 5 years. This applies also to committees, working groups and individuals. This needs time and work, not extra money. CC accepted the challenge. CNM put out a sheet of queries, and their Transforming Committee can collect answers. There is a diversity section on the FGC website, to which users may add (moderated) comments.

Christian Interfaith Relations Committee was born in 1893, so is older than FGC. It works with National Council of Churches and World Council of Churches. One recent achievement was to convince them that baptism by convincement was as valid as baptism by water; this gives Quakers a seat at the table. Another action, at Friends United Meeting Triennial, was a call to set about making war illegal.

This is the last year that Central Committee will meet at New Windsor. In June 2012, the Conference Center will close, for financial reasons.


2011 Annual Report

As representatives to the Central Committee (CC) of Friends General Conference, we understand FGC as fundamentally guided by a shared vision of a revitalized Religious Society of Friends that is spiritually deepened, transforming lives, increasingly diverse and growing, and relevant to the wider world. We believe FGC has an extremely important role based on its unique position as a service organization supporting, working with and serving Meetings and Quaker organizations in the United States and Canada.

Service with FGC brings many rewards. Here are some of our voices:

Gail Thomas notes that Central Committee members have the opportunity to serve on one or more of its standing committees. “I serve FGC by being a member of the FGC Personnel Committee, particularly important in these times of financial challenge. I also serve on the board of the Friends Mutual Health Group, the health insurance used by many Friends organizations. FGC this year had both the excitement of change and possibility with the challenge of reduced financing. I feel so few Quakers understand the value of FGC and all it offers to support Meetings.”

Mary Anna Feitler writes: “I serve FGC by being a member of the Nominating Committee which works to discern and name gifts of members of Central Committee. The hoped for result of this discernment is to have Friends to serve FGC on its Administrative and Program Committees. As there is a regular turnover (or there should be) of BYM members named to Central Committee, and if gifts are named and recognized, members of CC from BYM will have opportunity to give to FGC time and talent, and in turn be able to share the results of their participation back to BYM and their own meetings. As a result of my own service, I am able to relate the value I find in FGC work and activities to Friends wherever I am.”

Arthur Meyer Boyd describes his experience as a new member to CC last year and now this year as a new member of its Executive Committee: “Attending Central Committee of FGC in New Windsor, Maryland was an enjoyable experience. A highlight is seeing Friends from far-flung corners of North America (FGC serves both the Untied States and Canada). Everyone there has many things in common, not the least of which is the desire to support FGC. FGC’s governance structure and process (having observed now two years) seems to be designed for maximum participation of Friends. There has been a committee restructuring over these last two years, to make the governance structure clearer and more efficient.”

FGC has had fifteen years of steady growth in the services it offers to Friends and Meetings and in the involvement of more volunteers and committee members. We are serving more and more Friends and Meetings in more ways than we were at any time in the past. We have become a more open and flexible organization, finding new ways to listen to the leadings of the Spirit and more able to respond creatively to new challenges and opportunities. New leadership continues to emerge.

Now FGC is at an important transition point. Our general secretary of nineteen years, Bruce Burchard is retiring, and new, younger staff leadership is taking over. Barry Crosno, with experience in communications and development, begins this summer as the new general secretary. While FGC projects a time ahead of financial constraints, we have sufficient reserves that we could continue all of our current work for several years. Nevertheless, we share the conviction that it is better to be prudent now than to allow FGC to drift into what could become a crisis in several years. And being prudent involves some reductions in expenses. Guided by our Minute of Purpose the Executive Committee has been considering what services and programs will best serve our Religious Society of Friends into the future. Some programs may not continue, or may be carried forward in new ways. We understand this as pruning for future growth.

In this age of constant change, we must continue to listen to the promptings of the Spirit and the needs being expressed by Meetings and Friends. One area for new growth is in using internet communications in new ways that promote community among Friends, and new approaches to publications. In developing these initiatives, concern has been raised by Yearly Meeting representatives that these creative new initiatives support and serve Yearly and Monthly Meetings, and not in some ways supplant them.

Please continue to hold this work and the Friends laboring on it in your prayers, that we might continue to be open to the Spirit and discern how we are truly being led.

Compiled by Arthur Meyer Boyd

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