Steering Committee

 

Heeding God’s Call: A Gathering on Peace

 

 

First Day, Second Month 3, 2008

 

Plymouth Meeting Friends Meeting

 

 

Unapproved Minutes

 

 

Present:  Judith Anderson, David Bates, Jordan Blevins, Ted Brinton, Francis Brown, John Bryer, Gretchen Castle, John Caughey, Suzanne Day, Zac Dutton, Jonathan Evans, Pat Finley, Fred Kauffman, Arthur Larrabee, Therese Miller, Liz Perch, Peggy Pillard, Josh Sollenberger, Thomas Swain, Jim Waddington, Barbara Walker

 

Guests: John Bailey, Tony Junker, Marlon Milner, Diana Milner, Chris Rossi

 

Regrets: Drick Boyd, Anne Bradley, Sam Caldwell, Aaron Crosman, Robin Harper, Phillip Jones, Don Mitchell, Aldo Siahann

 

The clerk welcomed the committee.  Fred Kauffman led the group in worship.

 

New and returning members of the committee were introduced and welcomed.  The proposed agenda was reviewed, with the clerk identifying two tasks for today: first, to give feedback to the general session plan that Therese Miller has been working on, and second to continue work in task groups

 

The minutes from the meeting held January 6, 2008, were approved as submitted.

 

 

Therese continues to work with preliminary general session plan.  Received comments form six committee members.  Organized them in major categories, distributed organized comments (attached)

 

Therese outlined a plan for response to the document.  She proposes that, should the committee wish, she would bring a revised document next month.

 

David Bates: framing overall observation: distinguish between excitement and inspiration.  What rises up so we take it out as new.  What rises up within us.  What opportunities do we have for that to rise up.

 

Suzanne Day: I don’t know how we do that appropriately when we haven’t talked about this whole issue of outcomes.

 

Therese: concern about moving to outcomes too soon.  When I used the word “outcomes” I was thinking of the words of our purpose statement, not more specific or actionable than that.

 

Thomas:  Nothing has been created.  This is an idea of a possibility.

 

Therese: Straw design.  Where is the energy. 

 

Barbara Walker: Major concern about outcomes—how are we going to reach out?  What are we doing?  Reaching out to new administration?  Number of other faiths that were or were not included.

 

Therese:  Need to talk about outcomes.  If we create the right container and put the right people in it, something will be created.  If we prescribe it, we undersell ourselves.  We’ve got to do something. 

 

Francis:  I was under some kind of impression that this first conference might develop certain areas where further study might be needed and there be a second conference.  Some groups study what I believe to the be power of peacemaking.  We ought to realize that there is power in acts of goodness.  Group study real research on the power of goodness.  Assign five or six areas where we want further studies.

 

Gretchen:  working groups/worship groups generating ideas, hoping for collective agreement, how we collectively want to move into action.

 

Therese:  question.  Clear everyone wants outcomes.  Question for session design is do we want to name those ahead of time and program that or do we want a schedule that will enable these things will to develop.  Tension.  Two ways to get to outcomes: how do we want to get there.  Identify ahead of time or do we create a structure and process to allow those outcomes to arise.

 

Ted Brinton:  Clerk needs to have in mind specific outcomes so everyone goes away thinking the time they spent there was worthwhile.  Melding the two approaches.  I believe that a strong statement is so important.  Ever since 9/11 we haven’t heard a voice.  We need a voice to come out of this gathering.  Incumbent on the clerk to formulate a voice.  Voice has to go out to the world.  Power of ideas that support militarism.  We’ve got to trump that with ideas that support peace.

 

Arthur:  brainstorm possible outcomes.

 

David: I would hope that we keep it in mind in worship and expectation, we might be asking what should we do, asking God what we should do. 

 

Barbara:  I’ve heard that we’re not all on board with the peace testimony.  We’re not all of one voice about peace.  Might be like that in other places.  Those of us who have a commitment to the peace issue be able to communicate that to our local groups effectively.

 

Suzanne: our sense has been very much taking on the idea that the HPC are not vocal and hopeful enough to be really true to our roots.  Join other churches to learn and learn from them.  IN that dialogue emerges energy inspiration excitement.  Learn how to share with the people in the benches back home.  How the people actually come are more committed than average.  Outcome: excitement, inspiration

 

Barbara: tools to work effectively within our own group.

 

Francis: identifying areas where we want explored.  Five or six areas of emphasis.  What areas.  Speakers selected on these subjects

 

Jim: Terminology: outcomes.  Planning to seek input, not outcomes.  Troubled that we go into this expecting that the outcome is specific.  Mystical bent.  No expectations coming out of it except we are being moved in this direction.

 

Thomas: we’re talking about faith and trust in terms of getting a container to allow something to happen.

 

Arthur: 1. ringing declaration 2. learn something new about peacemaking.  3. feel the strength of a gathered peace community.  4. opportunity for some public witness. 

 

John C. since we’ve excluded the Muslims and the Jews, I’d like to see something set up so we can reach out to those people after this conference.  Meet with those people.

 

Zac: I think that we in terms of outcomes I would like us not to be any more specific than what Arthur gave us because I think that there is mentioned that we might have emphasis: those could form really wonderful queries so that there are opportunities for discernment.  Movement in the group that has to be waited on.  We need to be going through a process.  I’d like us to formulate a process of interacting with each other so that we are not leaving with dispersed ideas.  One thing to say, a process.

 

Jordan: Not sure that I feel comfortable going much further in outcomes than our statement of purpose.  What form that takes I’m not sure.  If we are going to have a statement we better have it written beforehand!

 

Josh Sollenberger:  I’ve seen the most fertile containers with a sense of preaching to the choir.  Clear observations to identify movements.  New administration.  We want to go about peacemaking without the political game, but they are the only game in town.  Amazing opportunity. 

 

Jonathan:  level of outcomes at level of purpose statement.  Themes, leaving open space for continuing revelation.  Themes: public policy, foreign policy, global peacemaking and community peacemaking.  Alternatives to violence.  Another possible theme is marrying the faith based theory with the practice. 

 

Turn brainstorming to big topic areas in which we would like to bring a speaker or focus the agenda:

 

Fred: been talking to African Americans about this gathering.  Skepticism about outcomes.  Well off white people talking about global issues—no impact for people on the streets.  Someone who can help us catch a vision about what Jesus has to do with this.  Without that, not rooted in the life and teaching of Jesus. 

 

Peggy: Conflict resolution.  Involved in teaching Conflict resolution to teachers.  Inmates in
Chester who’ve finished AVP, want programs for their children.  If everywhere our children, young adults, all of use could learn these skills it could change the world.

 

Zac:  what peace means.  It isn’t just alternatives to violence, also addressing cycles of oppression.  Reinforce and dismantle cycles of oppression: racism, sexism; structures that perpetrate oppression.  Institutions of oppression still exist. 

 

Suzanne: one of the outcomes, process outcome, people who come and get all inspired I want to build in some kind of a way that whatever we resolve that somehow participants are going to be in an “accountability group,” relationships that will help you actually implement after the disbursement of the gathering.

 

Ted: Peace churches have a reputation of effective responses to Peace, both in the streets and in the power structures.  An outcome should be the HPC got together and said where we failed, where we succeeded, and how can we succeed more effective.  HPC have thought about this and they are going to move forward in a very effective way.  Structure it so it does come out. 

 

What is the balance between sitting and listening to one person/panel and working in smaller groups.

 

Jim:  I kind of agree with some of what Ted said.  HPC can offer leadership if we can’t why are we here.  I don’t hope direction comes out of this conference.  I TRUST that direction will come.  We have lifetimes of leadership in peacemaking that we can offer to the world.  We haven’t been doing that.

 

David:  Jesus will be there.  Present, accessible.  But what we might get told, do we want to hear that?  Do we want to held to account about how we live our lives.  Might really rock the world.  Could be really scary. 

 

Gretchen:  Radical faith.  Opening ourselves to the radical faith that we hold so dear.  Whenever you plan an event there are those who wish there was more free time, those who wish there was more structure.  I hope there will be small groups, ways to know a small group, in worship or work.  Hope will have both.  Plenty of worship.

 

Jonathan:  felt you struck a nice balance in initial draft.  Likely to able to add worship throughout the week.  Structure with plenaries and workshops and facilitators for small groups.  Can do away with that, but can’t go the other way—adding speakers and facilitators.

 

Judith:  something Pat said about the wording, defining ourselves as something we’re not.  Gandhi’s “soul force.”  Redefine peace as strong, powerful.  Peace not weak, timid.  Christ was strength in his compassion, gentleness.  Change the notion of peace to strength.

 

Pat: question keeps coming to me.  Why does peace fail to generate the same passion as war.  Peace does need huge strength.  Have to have had that experience to understand the incredible power.  What if we come out of this with something really mundane we have to do about our lives?

 

Fred: I think part of the outcomes, hopefully, will be good relationships with other peacemakers we didn’t know before.  Time, help with that process.  Have meaningful dialogue with the private roots of our public commitment. 

 

Suzanne:  not more than 1/3 of our time in plenary sessions.  A lot of time in structured small groups.  Same people so you really get to know them.  Some with people from your own group and some with mix group.  Bubbling up to happen.  Hard work to be happening in small groups. 

 

Arthur:  was going to say 2/3 plenary, 1/3 small groups, but maybe the right balance is ½.

 

Therese:  whip.  Question of plenary/small group.  Where does worship fit in.  Is it the same equation or is worship a third category.

 

David:  I wouldn’t want to be misunderstood, as long as it is not just somebody droning on is different from plenary.

 

Gretchen 1/3 each: plenary/small group/worship.

 

Francis:  Time is important.  Do we have any kind of a structure or do we let it flow and let what happens bubble.  Structure, identify areas we want speakers to speak on and then have small groups and worship.

 

Jordan:  I appreciated and liked the way it was laid out and the topics proposed.

 

Thomas; how worship plays a part.  Silence plays a part for me.  How does it play for those who are not Friends.

 

Josh:  Worship, then speaker, then a little more worship.  One and the same.  Worship meaning hymns, bible reading. 

 

Fred: lots of singing in our tradition.

 

David: we shouldn’t forget that one of the outcomes to the extent we can involve young people, seeing neighbors, taking things seriously. 

 

Ted: power of ideas which support militarism, fascism, jihadism, …must be trumped by the [Ted had this all written out, and I didn’t get it all]

 

Continue the dialogue with Therese.

 

Clerk raised the question of employing Therese to facilitate the gathering.  Approved.

 

Children’s program:  possibility of home hospitality.  Structure can intentionally exclude people.  Monthly meetings, proactive about establishing contacts. 

 

Establishing an executive committee.  Approve. 

 

Marlon Miller from Pentecostals for Peace joined us as an observer. 

 

What would bring people, African American people from
Philadelphia to the event.  If the program or theme was structured in such a way to allow them to be invested in the outcome.  New Baptist Covenant, poverty.  Poverty was a topic worthy of discussion.  Willing to listen.   Peacemaking has a reputation.  Do peacemakers actually confront the violence they oppose?  What makes people able to step into harm’s way in
Iraq in ways they can’t do in
West Philadelphia?  What’s going to come out of this will have implications for what we go back to.  Making linkages.

 

Presentation by Imagine
Peace Museum.  What it will be, where it is now.  Making ourselves known.  Creating a number of programs.  An exhibit.  Housed in the venue where the Gathering is. 
Opportunity for people to sign up the display, accompanied by study materials.  Stories that go untold, are forgotten.  Stories where non violence made a difference.  Creating social justice.  Exhibit that says “What is your religious tradition?  What is the history of peace within your religious tradition?  Would like to inaugurate it at the Gathering.  Lectures that tie into the exhibit.  Help to arrange.  Nine panels.  Freestanding.  Handouts. 

 

Sounds like a great project.  Steering committee prioritize requests.  Have discussion about criteria.

 

Show how we can contribute truly professional exhibits. 

 

Can we affirm that if at all possible we will include them.  Need eight months.  Fundraising, planning.  By May, sooner is better. 

 

The Committee will meet at 3 pm March, April May and June. APPROVED

 

Jonathan will take care of refreshments. 

 

Conference calls. 

 

Meeting adjourned.

 

Executive committee bring back criteria for groups.

From easel sheets, 2/3/2008

 

 

Tools to be effective

5/6 emphasis with speakers

Ringing declaration

Something new about peacemaking

Feel strength of gathered peace com (committee? conference?)

Public witness

Invitation to Jews, Muslims to meet with these

Not too specific

Queries for discernment

Going through process leading to collective outcomes

Statement of purpose is enough now

Clear observations to identify movements in gathering

Hope of new administration

Need some themes: Public/foreign policy

Local level for alternatives

Marriage of faith with practice

What does Jesus have to do with peace?

Street applications

Conflict resolution skills (for children too)

What is peace and how to dismantle oppression

Build effective connections with one another

HPC—where we failed, where we can succeed, where we can

We (HPC) have a message to the world

Trust that direction to emerge from gathering

Held to account what we do with our lives

Radical faith

Know people

Worship (can be added

Flexibility

Redefine peace as strength and power

To come out with knowing we need to change our lives

Time & structures to build relationships

Hard work in small groups

Active worship

Structure

Invite younger