All posts by Chuck Fager

“We Expelled Nobody!” Says Carolina Executive Committee. Really?

“Under our Faith and Practice, the Executive Committee has the ability to make any decision not inconsistent with its described authority. Although its described authority is vague, my years of service on the Executive Committee have, if anything, taught me that the widely accepted exercise of the Executive Committee’s authority is much broader. A decision of the Executive Committee, though, is “subordinate to” the Representative Body.”

To which I say, Whoa, Nelly!

This “vaguely described” authority is too “vague” and sweeping for me. And letting the committee take unto itself the prerogative of deciding that this or that meeting has forfeited its membership in the yearly meeting, with no warrant, no notice, no standards and no procedural guides, is a recipe for big trouble.

Appeal! Groundswell in Northwest Over A Welcoming Meeting’s Ouster

“When dealing with disciplinary actions involving individuals or regarding a crisis within a local meeting, confidentiality makes sense. However, when dealing with conflict and disagreement that has arisen between whole churches and that is likely to affect the whole of the Yearly Meeting, confidentiality can serve as a hindrance, leading to speculation and accusations that spread through a wildfire of whispers and rumors and leave us with an onslaught of unanswerable questions that only serve to fuel the fire further. The lack of transparency in this process has contributed greatly to the “shattering” experience for all and has created a growing mistrust not only of leadership but of each other—meeting to meeting, individual to individual. West Hills Friends Church was open and public with their lengthy discernment process and subsequent conclusion. Because of this, absolute confidentiality was not warranted, and we believe a different outcome was entirely possible had this process between the elders and West Hills been more open. . . .”

Breaking– Carolina Bombshell: Three NC Meetings Expelled! Will It Stand?

Already questions are being raised as to whether the Executive Committee was authorized to take such actions. There is nothing in the list of duties for the Committee in the YM Faith & Practice (p. 97-99) giving it such jurisdiction or authority.

New Garden and Poplar Ridge are the two largest meetings in NCYM. Holly Spring is also a sizable group.

Holly Spring and Poplar Ridge have been leaders in the efforts to divide or purge NCYM in the past year. As reported here in March, Poplar Ridge has prepared and circulated an outline & creed for a breakaway yearly meeting, with a strict evangelical character and an enforced creed.

Over My Head & Over the Top In Vermont

To read the reports in beer-lover journals, a case or so of Heady Topper, which is golden here, would be more like platinum back home. So what else does Sean want? A private plane? The down payment on a North Carolina bungalow? Surely he wouldn’t just drink the stuff.

We’ll talk about that later, and hope the Feds aren’t listening. And I won’t even ask him for a sip. Different strokes, and I don’t care about Topper-Mania. It’s all bitter nasty stuff to me, still. Pity me if you will, but even a ride on those Clydesdales wouldn’t change my mind.

Showdown in Quaker Carolina? (Sort of)

The “Total Separation” group appears to include a number of meetings which have been discussing leaving the YM& forming their own body. Considering that non-split options were favored by more than half of the meetings, these results seem likely to keep that pot bubbling, but suggest it has limited appeal.

The “liberal” meetings, which had been targeted for a purge, seemed to fare better: the “status quo” Option Two fared well, and several meetings said explicitly that they would stoutly resist any outcome that authorized expulsions, especially for “heresy.”