Conflict in the Meeting

It happens

In any community, conflict will sometimes arise between members and/or between members and the meeting. Notwithstanding these occasional difficulties, we are usually a loving and caring community, and we want to use that love and care to heal any differences that may come up.

Come to us

If you have a difficulty with some other member of the meeting or with the meeting itself, we hope you will come to Membership Care Committee with your concern and work with us to heal the rift. Ask someone who's on the committee or contact the office.

Members one of another

This commitment to stay engaged with tenderness and integrity when conflict arises is an important part of our covenant with each other as members one of another. It is our faith that, when we meet each other in the spirit of love, we can heal our hurts. We Friends have some tools that we find often work pretty well toward this end.

But sometimes, change

But none of us are perfect, and neither is the meeting. Sometimes the best thing is to separate. With sadness, we release those who wish to find a new spiritual home. And with tenderness, we may require that someone leave, if they threaten other members or the safety and well-being of the community. This has not happened in recent memory, but the meeting does carry with appropriate seriousness the charge to protect the fellowship of the community.