Quakers do not have Confirmation, but I think we should. For those who
are unfamiliar with the term, Confirmation is a process for young people
in the church to become a member of the church. In many denominations,
this occurs when the young people are between 12-14, though it can
happen earlier or later. After a series of classes, the church has a
special liturgy for the confirmands to make a statement of faith and the
church to welcome them. In some denominations, like the Holy Roman
Church, Confirmation is a sacrament.
Friends do not have any
outward sacraments, and I am not suggesting that we create a sacrament
of Confirmation. I think there are good reasons, however, to have a
Quaker version of a Confirmation class for our high school group in
Atlanta Friends Meeting, culminating in an invitation to become a member
of the meeting.
For Friends, membership is a way of establishing
mutual support and accountability between the individual and the
meeting---the Friend makes a commitment to be a part of this faith
community and support it spiritually, physically, and financially. In
return, the meeting recognizes that the individual is a part of this
spiritual community and the meeting is responsible to care for and
encourage the person in body and spirit. Membership is not required to
be involved in the life of the meeting, but there are certain positions
and committees on which one cannot serve unless one is a member.
In
Atlanta Friends Meeting, we have many teenagers who are part of the
meeting, but not many of them are members. As these teens graduate from
high school and begin thinking about college and finding jobs, they
will most likely move into a time of transition. This may result in
moving to another place and they may not find another meeting to join
for a decade or more. Having a class on what it means to be a member of
a Quaker meeting and encouraging them to become members of Atlanta
Friends Meeting is a way to provide support and accountability for these
young Friends during this time of transition.
Ideally, a Quaker Confirmation class would include the following:
- An
overview of Quaker history, including the different branches of Friends
and the Testimonies (Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality,
and Service)
- A discussion of what occurs during Quaker worship
- A workshop on Faith and Practice and Quaker business process
- Invitations to participate in business meeting and to sit in on a committee meeting
- A panel on what it means to be a member and why one would consider membership
- An explanation of the process for membership, with an invitation to apply for membership
Ultimately,
the process for membership for those in the Confirmation class would be
the same as for anyone else in the meeting, as set forth in SAYMA Faith and Practice, p. 34. The individual would write a letter to the
Ministry and Worship committee, indicating why they feel drawn
to the Religious Society of Friends. Ministry and Worship would then
set up a clearness committee to meet with the individual. Once the
committee is clear to recommend membership, it would report back to
Ministry and Worship, which then makes a recommendation to business
meeting. The business meeting would hold the recommendation over for
one month and, if all approved, welcome the individual into membership.
Some
caveats: First, I think we may need to call it something other than
Confirmation. When we discussed the idea of having a class like this in
our Ministry and Worship committee, there were some who came from
liturgical traditions and balked at the word Confirmation. Second, it
would have to be very clear that this is an invitation, and the
teenagers are not required to become members of the meeting. Third, if
the class is interested, it might be a good idea to have time for
visiting other kinds of faith communities, to give the class an
opportunity to see whether another path might be a better fit for them.
Regardless
of what the meeting decides to call it, I hope that Atlanta Friends
Meeting will consider some form of Quaker Confirmation. I recommend
holding the class at least once every four years for the high school
group, and preferably every other year, to give the teens two
opportunities to consider whether they want to become members. This is a
way for everyone in the meeting to engage in intergenerational
conversations of what membership means, and for the meeting to provide
support and accountability for the teens as they consider their next
phase of life.
[Written for my Practicum in Liturgy on Weddings, Funerals, and Confirmation.]
My soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning.
Psalm 130:6
Looking
back over this year, it is helpful for me to separate it into three
seasons. In the spring, I finished my second year of Contextual
Education through Candler—eight hours a week of
being involved in the life of Atlanta Friends Meeting. My main focus
was on the meeting’s Gathered Meeting Retreat, which took place the last
weekend of March. The theme was “How Friends Worship.” I was glad to
have the opportunity to lead this retreat; it felt like a good use of my
gifts. I continued to facilitate monthly mid-week worship at Candler.
I also served on various committees at Atlanta Friends Meeting,
including the Worship and Ministry committee, an anchoring committee,
and clearness and wedding committees. I finished my time as the
chaplain of Sacred Worth (the LGBTQ Candler student group), and helped
organize the Sacred Worth week on Trans*forming Christianity, where we
celebrated the gifts of trans Christians.
Over the summer, I
worked for ten weeks as the pastoral intern of First Friends Meeting, an
FUM meeting in Greensboro, NC. I was able to experience many aspects
of pastoral ministry, including helping with four weddings, a memorial,
and two baby blessings. I also
preached in programmed worship, worked in
the office, went on pastoral visits, and organized Quaker Eights
groups. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed pastoral ministry, and
how it brings together my gifts of vocal ministry, pastoral care, and
administration. It was also wonderful to connect with Friends from
other meetings during my time in Greensboro.
In the fall, I
returned to Atlanta for my final year at Candler. Now that I have
finished my Contextual Education obligations in the meeting, this has
been a good time for me to discern what I feel called to do and what to
let go. I joined the Friends Journal Board of Trustees and traveled to
Philadelphia for my first board meeting. I took some interesting and
challenging classes, including Ecclesiology, which gave me an
opportunity to think about Friends’ practices and structures, and a
class on Religion, Sexuality, and Reproductive Health, which was
cross-listed with Emory’s school of public health. I experienced a lot
of changes in my life: I started a new relationship, had to leave my
apartment, and I got a car. The changes have been mostly very good, but
I am still adjusting.
Letting things go has continued to be a
good spiritual practice for me. I withdrew from a class this year for
the first time in my academic career, and I am not planning on taking
the second semester of Hebrew; instead, I plan to focus on my thesis.
My support network is
good: I meet monthly with a spiritual director
and am part of a spiritual nurture group that
meets twice a month. I
met regularly with members of my anchoring committee in the spring, but
have not been as consistent this past fall. I have found self-care
practices that work for me, including exercise, drawing and coloring
mandalas, and singing in choirs, and I have recently started playing
more board games.
Looking ahead, the biggest thing on the horizon
is graduation in May. I am actively seeking employment for after
graduation. In December, I spent a weekend interviewing and preaching
for a semi-programmed FUM meeting that is looking for a full-time
pastor. The search committee and I are in discernment, and I should
know more in January. I feel like my classes this semester are
preparing me for pastoral ministry: I am taking classes on Conflict
Transformation, Preaching, and a practica on Weddings, Funerals, and
Confirmation. I am trying to be open and embrace the new things ahead
in the coming year.
Thank you for your support and prayers.
