MEMBERSHIP

  

Becoming A Member

It is not necessary to wait to be invited to join a Friends Meeting; people decide for themselves when they are ready to commit themselves to membership.

A person who has been coming to meeting regularly, and who:

• has been learning more and more about Friends through reading Faith and Practice and other Quaker literature;
• who is becoming active in the life of the meeting;
• attending meeting for worship for business; and
• who has come to feel at home among its members,

        ... may feel ready to apply for membership.

This is the time to write a letter to the clerk outlining the feeling of being drawn into fellowship with Friends and of being in unity with Friends' principles and testimonies. The clerk forwards the letter to Worship and Ministry, which at its next meeting appoints a membership clearness committee to meet with the applicant. This committee reports back to Worship and Ministry, which then makes a recommendation at the next meeting for business.

The applying member should not be present at that business meeting. When the request for membership is approved, a welcoming committee is appointed.