Recording Process

RECORDING AMONG FRIENDS

As Friends, we reject the idea that schooling, licensing, or other outward qualifications like ordination are necessary to become a minister. We believe that anyone may be called by God into public ministry.

Quakers have chosen simply to observe those who serve in ministry. When the community is clear that their public ministry is empowered and congruent with the spirit of Friends, we affirm and celebrate that faithful service by “recording" this clarity in the minutes of a meeting for business – hence the terms “recording" and “recorded minister."

The following recording process will work for the majority of persons who wish to enter the process with Sierra Cascades Yearly Meeting of Friends. The Nurture of Ministry Committee, who oversees the process, is aware that this structure and process may not work for all. Of particular concern is for those who have experienced trauma within communities of faith, especially those who have been denied recording in the past. For those persons, we wish to extend an invitation to communicate with us to find Spirit led ways that we might alter the process to accommodate the individual. We welcome direct communication from the person seeking recording, or with a representative of their choice.

In addition to those who have concerns related to trauma, we hold a concern for those whose physical or other limitations may require accommodation. Though we would like to be able to articulate what those might be, it is likely that we would leave out a significant number of possibilities. Immediately we think of hearing or vision impaired individuals or those with limited technological availability. It is our intention to welcome and work with those who desire recording to fulfill the intentions of the process (getting to know the individual through their personal journey and the community in which they minister) while being open to change the specific process as needed.

An individual or faith community may contact the Nurture of Ministry or any one of the members of the committee to raise a concern or make a request for accommodation.

Local Meeting Recording

In the life of the Meeting, a community often notices that the gifts and call in a member’s life go beyond the roles they hold inside the Meeting. They have a public presence. This leads to paying attention in an intentional, discerning way. There may be leading to begin a process of exploration, discernment, and clearness around Recording.

The local Meeting is then empowered to follow the Sierra-Cascades Yearly Meeting process for Recording by the local Meeting.

    • Candidate must be an direct member of Sierra-Cascades Yearly Meeting of Friends (SCYMF)

    • Exploratory conversation with a member of the SCYMF Committee for Nurture of Ministry

    • Complete the Recording Questionnaire‍ ‍

    • Meet with a recording clearness committee from a local worship group, an anchor committee, or a clearness committee established with the help of the Committee for the Nurture of Ministry. Guidelines for Recording Clearness Committees

    • Complete a Ministry Packet using the “Ministry Packet Outline” below and background check” initiated by the Clearness Committee.

    • The clerk of the Clearness Committee reports their discernment to the SCYMF Clerk for the Committee for Nurture of Ministry

  • Whether the candidate is entering the process as an individual, or through their local meeting, the process at the Yearly Meeting Level is the same.

    • If it is discerned that recording should be done at the Yearly Meeting level, all information and the discernment process is forwarded to the SCYMF Clerk for the Committee for Nurture of Ministry Clerk.NurtureOfMinistry@scymf.org. The local group will name someone to accompany the candidate throughout the process at the Yearly Meeting level. If it is discerned that recording should be done at the Yearly Meeting level, all information and the discernment process is forwarded to the SCYMF Clerk for the Committee for Nurture of Ministry Clerk.NurtureOfMinistry@scymf.org by the clerk of the Clearness Committee. Guidelines for Recording Clearness Committees

    • The local group will name someone to accompany the candidate throughout the process at the Yearly Meeting level.” change “local group” to Clearness Committee.

    • The Committee for the Nurture of Ministry meets with the candidate, discerning any additional work to be completed. The background check is reviewed by the Nurture of Ministry.

    • There is a 30-day feedback period for people to give input about the candidate to the committee

    • If there is clearness and joy, the committee brings a recommendation to the SCYMF Meeting for Business. If approved, there is a celebration of Recording.

  • This questionnaire is a first step in writing out the call to Public Ministry. It is useful as background information for the Meeting for Clearness.

  • Following a Meeting for Clearness where there is clarity to proceed with the Recording process, the Candidate creates a Ministry Packet that includes following sections:

    • Name and contact information;

    • Spiritual Journey;

    • Shape of the Call and how the Ministry has unfolded;

    • Education (formal and personal) with special attention to familiarity and agreement with Quaker process and testimonies and a familiarity with Quaker history;

    • Written Testimonies from persons who have benefited by this ministry.

  • SCYMF Revised Recording Process .pdf (printable) has all the information needed to apply to be recorded, or to recommend someone else for recording. It includes information on a Meeting for Clearness.

  • Upon receiving a request for licensure approved by a member church of Sierra-Cascades Yearly Meeting of Friends (SCYMF), Nurture of Ministry Committee will issue a Minister’s License. The church should submit basic contact information, the nature of ministry, and their affirmation of the minister/ministry as part of the request. Licensed ministers must be a member of SCYMF and comply with the Yearly Meeting’s policies for protection of children and avoidance of boundary violations.

    In general, a Minister’s License is granted for short term needs or to someone who requires a license before completing the Recording Process. All licenses will expire on December 31. Licenses (including those granted mid-year) will require a repeat request from the local church if the license is to be extended for an additional year.

    All requests can be sent to the Clerk of the Committee on Nurture of Ministry at Clerk.NurtureOfMinistry@scymf.org

  • This document addresses the topic of “recording,” “ministers,” and, especially, what those two terms may have meant to Friends through history. This document cannot explore these concepts fully, but can hopefully give some description of common phases in the practice and usage of those terms. Of course, this is not an exhaustive history of ministers among Friends. Instead, this description attempts to focus on the meaning of ministers as it changed and evolved into the pastoral system with particular importance for the recording of ministers in Sierra-Cascades Yearly Meeting. At its best, this document provides a historical context, pointing out tensions within Quaker views of ministry, and does not attempt to make prescriptions for solutions. That will be the work we accomplish in discernment together.

    READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE

Recording isn’t just for Pastors!
Public ministry may include all the ways that God’s love flows into the public sphere.

Yearly Meeting Recording

When a person’s ministry sphere is broader than a local area, it may be appropriate for the local Meeting to recommend the person for Recording at the Yearly Meeting level. In addition, a Recording request to the Yearly Meeting may rise from a worship group or anchor committee as they recognize that one of their people has gifts of public ministry.

All Yearly Meeting Recording is under the care of the Committee of Nurture of Ministry of Sierra-Cascades Yearly Meeting of Friends. The purpose of the Committee for Nurture of Ministry is to accompany a person through the process of identifying, empowering, and recommending the person for recording by Sierra-Cascades Yearly Meeting.