PA-QUAKERS-L Archives

Archiver > PA-QUAKERS > 2006-09 > 1158954696


From:
Subject: Re: [PA-QUAKERS] Disownment
Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2006 15:51:36 EDT


Please feel free to use it, although it was just a dashed-off email and can
probably stand some editing.

Also, you should be aware that there are 2 flavors of Friends in CA. One is
what we call "unprogrammed" Meetings - they follow the 350-year old
traditional, silent meeting format without music or a pastor.

By the 1880s, a different form of Quakerism had formed. As Friends moved west
(Ohio and beyond), they often adopted a form of worship more like mainstream
Protestants - a "programmed" period of worship with music, Bible readings,
minister's sermon, etc., while keeping basic Quaker beliefs. This was
consolidated during the late 19th century.

Both are fully accepted forms of Quakerism, but they do have slight
differences in approach and "church" rules. The disownment info that I was giving is
accurate for Quakers until ca. 1875, and still is for the "unprogrammed" type.
Nothing is ever simple, is it?

The complete process of disownment took/takes place over several months,
sometimes even several years. At the monthly Meeting for Business, any "error" or
"concern" might be brought to the attention of the congregation, from allowing
your animals to roam onto others' property to drunkenness to adultery. A
small committee to verify the facts and help the person to return to the Quaker
fold would then be appointed (called "eldering" - remember the 3 men who called
on Gary Cooper in the movie "Friendly Persuasion" to convince him that having
an organ was inappropriate?).

After the committee was/is able to meet with the individual, sometimes
several meetings, the committee would then report the outcome of their visit(s) to a
later Meeting for Business. The full congregation would then ponder and
decide (sometimes over a period of months) whether disownment was justified. The
individual and/or family members often would speak to the congregation also,
explaining the circumstances. Therefore, the Meeting's minutes always contain the
reason for a person's disownment, and often their responses. This makes for
sometimes racy reading!

And often disownment was considered NOT appropriate, as when an ancestress of
mine had "married out" and she pointed out there was no one else her age in
the vicinity. This was thought a reasonable response, and she was continued in
membership while her husband remained a Methodist.


Thy friend, Nancy Webster

This thread: