ending membership
Termination
of membership may be initiated by the member or by
the Monthly Meeting. Membership of a Friend ceases when this
action is formally minuted in the record of that Meeting for
Business. Monthly Meetings need to keep in mind that some
Friends may go through periods, sometimes prolonged, when their
association with the life of the Meeting is tenuous, and it is
important that the Meeting communicate with them. However, a
membership based only on nostalgia, status, or inertia should not
be continued.
on the initiative of a member: A member who no longer feels in
accord with the beliefs and practices of Friends should be
encouraged to consult the Oversight Committee to explore that
feeling before considering resignation.
When
a member writes a letter of resignation, it is given to the Oversight
Committee before being brought to the Monthly
Meeting. When the person and the circumstances regarding
termination are already well known to the Oversight Committee
and they are satisfied that the member’s decision is clear,
the
Committee may make its recommendation to the Monthly Meeting
without appointing an additional committee. If the reasons are not
clear, Overseers should appoint a clearness committee of two or
three persons, including one of its members, to visit the Friend
and
explore the reasons for the resignation. They may encourage the
Friend to reconsider and continue in the fellowship of the Meeting.
If the member’s intention remains unchanged, this is reported
to
the Oversight Committee, which in turn recommends to the
Monthly Meeting that the request be granted.
The
Meeting minutes the release of the Friend, stating that it is at
the member’s request. The Clerk of the Meeting sends a letter
to the
resigning member by registered mail with return receipt requested.
The letter should include a copy of the Meeting Minute that
terminated the Membership and express the affectionate regard of
the Meeting. The Meeting may consider renewed application from
this person, according to the usual procedure for new members.
If the resignation is due to a desire to join another religious body
the Clerk may, at the request of the member, write a letter to the
other denomination indicating that the individual has been released
from the Religious Society of Friends.
on
the initiative of a monthly meeting: When a member seems to have
abandoned Meeting for Worship, or to have replaced
it with some incompatible practice, Ministry and Oversight should
seek clearness with that Friend as to whether resignation or
termination of membership would be appropriate. If it becomes
clear that the termination should go forward, Meeting for Business
should minute the release of that person from membership in the
Monthly Meeting and the Clerk should inform the individual of
that action by registered mail with return receipt requested. One
copy of the Minute should be placed in the Membership Record and
another kept in the file of former members.
If
a Friend shows no interest in the Religious Society of Friends over
a prolonged period, or exhibits repeated disregard of Friends
principles, a Monthly Meeting may initiate the release from
membership. Such
a member should be approached by a member
of the Oversight Committee or by a small committee of its
members, either in person or by correspondence, to clarify the
relationship between the member and the Religious Society of
Friends. If the committee and member reach clearness to terminate
Membership, the recommendation should be brought to the
Meeting for Business. Approval should be minuted and a copy of
the minute, accompanied by a friendly note, should be sent to the
former member.
If
the Meeting repeatedly attempts to contact a member over an extended
period of time and there is no response, the Oversight
Committee may recommend to the Monthly Meeting that the
individual’s membership be dropped. If the Meeting concurs,
it
should minute the circumstances and terminate the membership.
The Clerk of the Meeting should send a note with a copy of the
minute to the discontinued member promptly by registered mail
with return receipt requested. If the address of a member is
unknown, and the above procedure has been followed, a returned
letter should be attached, unopened, to the Meeting copy along with
the membership record in the file with the record of former
members.
If
a Friend by behavior or expression appears to harm the Meeting or
to misrepresent Friends, the Oversight Committee
should appoint a small committee to meet with the Friend. In a
spirit of loving concern, this committee should counsel with the
member, seeking to understand his or her views and actions.
When termination of Membership must be considered, it should
occur over a minimum of three Meetings for Business. If there
appears to be no hope of restoring unity with the Meeting, the
Oversight Committee should report to the Monthly Meeting, and
recommend that the membership be terminated. The Meeting may
then wish to appoint a special committee to confer further with the
Friend before taking action. If that committee reports that there
is
still no hope of reconciliation, the Meeting should notify the
member in writing of its intention to consider termination of the
membership at a Meeting for Business. If the Meeting agrees that
the
membership should be terminated, a proposed minute should be
written, noting that final approval will be sought at the Meeting
for
Business on the date scheduled. That minute should be sent to the
individual by registered mail with return receipt requested. At the
appointed Meeting for Business, the minute should be re-read to the
Meeting for its approval.
A
Monthly Meeting or member may approach the Quarterly Meeting’s
Oversight Committee to help find clearness if problems arise regarding
ending a membership. Procedures designed to
promote clarity amid difficult circumstances are not intended to
displace kindness and loving care for individuals’ spiritual
life.Using
registered mail and following procedures precisely may avoid
misunderstandings and be helpful to the Meeting in case of legal
action.