Conservative Friend

Greetings in the Lord!

I became a Quaker in 1970 and have belonged to FGC, FUM, and independent meetings. I served as a pastor in FUM (Indiana Yearly Meeting). For a number of years now, I have wanted to become a member of a Conservative meeting since for about 15 years now I have come to believe the Conservative Friends are closer to the original Friends. Plus, I am in total agreement with the Discipline of the Conservative groups.

However, to date, I cannot find a Conservative meeting that offers non-resident membership to me. I live in Indiana. Does anyone know of a meeting that I can become a non-resident member of?  Thanks to all!

hi james-- ohio yearly meeting conservative offers a non-resident membership to people who feel a close connection with conservative quaker faith and practice and are able to maintain a personal committment to some level of participation in a particular monthly meeting. the process is slow, but non-resident membership is available at both a full-and-active-member level, and as an affiliate member, which requires less specific involvment. the closest meeting to you in indiana would be our meeting near zanesville, ohio, in the east-central part of the state. the process differs from meeting to meeting, but is fairly straightforward.

Thanks, Kevin. I live in northern Indiana, near South Bend. Based on what you say, there appears no way my wife and I could become non-resident members of a Conservative meeting due to distance which would make participation in the meeting nearly impossible. Thanks for your reply and help. I guess we can call ourselves Conservative Friends but hold no official membership anywhere in Ohio Yearly Meeting. Take care and again, thanks.

not necessarily, james. there are members of my meeting all over the world. you don't have to live near the monthly meeting, but the members of it would like to meet you a time or two and certainly get to know you.

but at any event, it's god who chooses who is a conservative friend, not any particular meeting. all they can offer is membership, which is something that is more or less just a human creation. this is a good place to begin to know who the conservatives are, and here is another:

http://www.quakerquaker.org/group/conservative

martin kelley's site is a vast accomplishment, and there are a number of conservative friends there (and seekers) who are regular participants. go and see-- modern conservative friends are spread out over the world, and the internet is a growing medium for keeping in touch.

Hi again, Kevin,

I am very well informed regarding the Conservative Friends. Wilmer Cooper, an Iowa Conservative Friend, was one of my professors at Earlham School of Religion. I have been in conversation with the Ohio Conservatives for a number of years but cannot find any meeting tha is open to receiving my wife and me. Health issues prevent us  from traveling. Surely there has to be a way we can become an affiliate member of one meeting in OYM simply by speaking to us on the phone and/or receiving a written tesitmony. Susan Smith of Rockinham expressed some interest a few year's ago, but then she never contrinued the discussion. Thanks again.