A letter to NCYM and its officials dated May 14, 2015, from Deep River Friends Meeting in High Point NC:

Deep River Friends Meeting

Minute of Concern

 Dear Friends and Yearly Meeting New Committee:

Over the past few months, Deep River Friends Meeting has observed closely the issues and responses within our Yearly Meeting. Up to this point, we have chosen not to respond simply because we did not feel led to do so in any manner. Anything we wanted to add to the conversation we wanted to come from a clear heart and engaged mind. As we have received updates and reports regarding the work of the New Committee, we feel led to offer these thoughts.

 We are thankful and appreciative of the work the New Committee has accomplished and the time they have given to their task. We realize that all of the committee members have been faithful to the task and given generously of their time. It hasn’t been easy. We are grateful for their work and effort.

As much as we realize that finances are a deep concern and some meetings do not pay all of their Askings, we are deeply concerned of the punitive nature of the recommendation. The language of “member I non-member” rates feels very exclusive and we are concerned that children and families who want to participate at Quaker Lake will be negatively affected. We don’t feel anyone or any meeting should be denied Yearly Meeting services or have to pay more for Yearly Meeting services due to a meeting’s inability to pay Askings in full. We do feel that it is important the Yearly Meeting engage these meetings in thoughtful and honest conversations regarding the issue of Asking’s payment. Beyond that, we feel any type of punishment is inappropriate and not in keeping with Quaker values and beliefs.

 We have deep concerns over what feels to be a push to have some meetings excluded or excommunicated from the Yearly Meeting. We do not agree with this and would not support this move. After much discernment and conversation, we feel clear to say that we would not approve and would not stand aside.

On the matter of dual affiliation, we feel that whomever a local meeting affiliates with is up to that local meeting. We do hope and encourage every meeting to be as involved with the Yearly Meeting as much as possible and in good faith. If a local meeting has issues or a problem with the Yearly Meeting, we strongly encourage those local meetings to engage the Yearly Meeting in conversation. But, to the point of dual affiliation, we feel that it is best left up to each local meeting to decide and no meeting should be penalized or removed for dual affiliation.


Ultimately, we understand the role of the Yearly Meeting is to serve the local meeting so that local meetings can thrive and flourish and bless the communities in which they serve. Also, we feel it’s very important to allow each local meeting the freedom to discern who Christ calls them to be in their own local context. We acknowledge that it’s good to have a Faith and Practice that provides guidance in matters of meeting polity and spirituality but we do not consider it to be a final and ultimate authority. We understand that to be the Living Christ who is here to teach his people himself and reveals himself through the Scriptures as well as the covenant community. We also feel that it’s the Yearly Meeting’s role to support this process within each local meeting rather than serve as a regulatory agency that exists to enforce theological creeds or procedural regulations. It’s our understanding that the Yearly Meeting can play a significantly positive role if it seeks to protect the integrity of discernment within each local meeting and encourage each local meeting to live out Christ’s call as each meeting discerns that call. Furthermore, we would hope that the integrity of this discernment process would be protected within the Yearly Meeting so that each meeting is honored and “that of God” within each local meeting and individual is acknowledged and honored as well. We recognize there is diversity of belief and practice within the Yearly Meeting but we view this as a positive that adds to the life and strength of the Yearly Meeting.
 As Deep River Friends, we will continue to:

    •    Pay our Askings in full
    •    Remain engaged with the Yearly Meeting through missions and ministries
    •    Respect the right of each meeting to discern its own way and calling in keeping with Christ’s call upon their corporate life
    •    Pray for the Yearly Meeting and its leadership
    •    Engage the Yearly Meeting in honest and humble conversation when we feel we have concerns or
    •    Honor and respect each meeting even when we feel we may have differences both in how we minister as well as theology
    •    Continue to engage and support the Yearly Meeting through the utilization of its services, facilities, and

 As it reads in the Gospel of John, “There are many rooms in my Father’s home…” (John 14:2, NLT), we feel there is plenty of room in God’s kingdom and North Carolina Yearly Meeting for a wide diversity of gifts, understanding, and ways of serving. As we seek to learn from each other, we also seek to live by the words of the Apostle Paul: “Let Love be your highest goal…” (1 Corinthians 14:1, NLT).
In Christ’s Peace

Deep River Monthly Meeting of Friends

Approved in Monthly Meeting for Business – May 14, 2015
Mary Ann Cherry, Monthly Meeting Clerk

cc: Don Farlow, Wallace Sills, Hugh Spaulding