Faith and Practice The Book of Discipline Friends Ministry Center 2018 W Maple St Wichita, KS 67213 July 2021 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................................. I PART I – FRIENDS HISTORY, BELIEF AND PRACTICE ...................................................... 1 CHAPTER I – HISTORICAL SUMMARY ............................................................................................ 1 CHAPTER II – FRIENDS IN EVANGELICAL FRIENDS CHURCH – MID AMERICA YEARLY MEETING 4 CHAPTER III – A GLANCE AT QUAKER HISTORY* ........................................................................ 7 CHAPTER IV – BELIEFS ................................................................................................................. 9 Section I – Basic Beliefs .............................................................................................................. 9 Section II – Faith in Action ....................................................................................................... 11 A – Testimonies Regarding Sacred Worship ........................................................................ 11 B – Testimonies Regarding Christian Living ....................................................................... 12 C – Testimonies Regarding Christian Households ............................................................... 14 D – Testimonies Regarding Christian Ministry .................................................................... 15 E – Testimonies Regarding Christian Relationship to Government and Society .................. 16 F – Testimonies Regarding Certain Issues............................................................................ 18 PART II – THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT ............................................................................. 20 CHAPTER I – THE DENOMINATION OF FRIENDS .......................................................................... 20 CHAPTER II – THE ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH ................................................................... 21 Section I – The Local Church ................................................................................................... 21 A – General Organization ..................................................................................................... 21 B – Qualifications for Leadership ......................................................................................... 22 C – Officers ........................................................................................................................... 22 D – Elders ............................................................................................................................. 23 E – Trustees........................................................................................................................... 24 F – Structure .......................................................................................................................... 24 G – Suggestions for the Conduct of Business ....................................................................... 28 H – New Churches ................................................................................................................ 29 I – Mergers and Closing Churches........................................................................................ 31 Section II – Areas ...................................................................................................................... 33 Organization and Functions .................................................................................................. 33 Section III – The Yearly Meeting .............................................................................................. 35 A – General Organization ..................................................................................................... 35 B – Yearly Meeting Sessions ................................................................................................ 36 C – The Representative Body ............................................................................................... 36 D – Officers........................................................................................................................... 37 E – The Elders Board ............................................................................................................ 41 F – Trustees ........................................................................................................................... 43 G – Yearly Meeting Boards .................................................................................................. 44 H – Responsibilities of Boards ............................................................................................. 45 1. Stewards Board ......................................................................................................... 45 2. Camp Board .............................................................................................................. 47 3. EFC-MAYM Mission Mobilizer Team .................................................................... 47 4. Home Missions Board- ............................................................................................. 47 i I – The Yearly Meeting Financial Program .......................................................................... 48 J – THE YEARLY MEETING IN SESSION....................................................................... 49 K – YEARLY MEETING SUBSIDIARY ORGANIZATIONS .......................................... 49 PART III – PRACTICES OF GOVERNMENT .......................................................................... 51 CHAPTER I – MEMBERSHIP ......................................................................................................... 51 Section I – Participating Membership ...................................................................................... 51 Section II – Non-Participating Membership ............................................................................. 51 Section III – Associate Membership ......................................................................................... 52 Section IV – Affiliate Membership ............................................................................................ 52 Section V – Transfer by Certificate or Letter............................................................................ 52 Section VI – Resignation and Forfeiture ................................................................................... 53 CHAPTER II – PASTORS AND OTHER CHRISTIAN WORKERS ........................................................ 54 Section I – Duties and Privileges of Pastors ............................................................................ 54 Section II – Other Christian Workers ....................................................................................... 55 CHAPTER III – DEALING WITH OFFENDERS ................................................................................. 56 Section I – Ministers ................................................................................................................. 56 Section II – Erring Members..................................................................................................... 56 Section III – Appeals ................................................................................................................. 57 CHAPTER IV – MARRIAGE .......................................................................................................... 59 CHAPTER V – THE QUERIES ........................................................................................................ 61 CHAPTER VI – MINISTERIAL PROCEDURES ................................................................................. 63 PART IV – MISCELLANEOUS ................................................................................................... 69 FRIENDS UNIVERSITY .................................................................................................................... 69 PART V – APPENDIX ................................................................................................................... 70 CHAPTER I – ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................................................................. 70 CHAPTER II – ACADEMIES IN KANSAS YEARLY MEETING (EFC – MAYM) ............................... 74 CHAPTER III – ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION ............................................................................ 76 CHAPTER IV – IMPROPRIETY GUIDELINES .................................................................................. 79 CHAPTER V – MEMBERSHIP FORMS ............................................................................................ 81 CHAPTER VI – HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS ................................................................................... 89 Section I – Excerpt from George Fox’s Letter to the Governor of Barbados, 1671................. 89 Section II – The Richmond Declaration of Faith, 1887 ............................................................ 90 CHAPER VI – EVANGELICAL FRIENDS CHURCH INTERNATIONAL.............................................. 101 CHAPTER VI – GLOSSARY OF QUAKER TERMS ......................................................................... 108 ii PART I – FRIENDS HISTORY, BELIEF AND PRACTICE CHAPTER I –