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Spring Friends Meeting 2013 Spiritual Condition Report
Approved by Spring Monthly Meeting on March 17, 2013

Spring Friends Meeting is spiritually led towards commitment to the Quaker community.  We note many actions by the North Carolina Yearly Meetings, Friends United Meeting, Friends General Conference, Piedmont Friends Fellowship and other larger organizations, have similarly demonstrated commitment to the wider Religious Society of Friends.  We do not believe this commitment necessarily indicates complete agreement among all Friends on every single concern, but rather recognizes the fact that Friends with divergent views can accomplish much good work together.

Spring appreciates the fact that the Religious Society of Friends is historically a faith that values individual leadings as expressed at the level of the monthly meeting.  Spring seeks to maintain connections to the greater Quaker community, including members of that community that do not share Spring’s views on some issues.  We believe that previous well-known separations within the Society of Friends were tragedies that resulted from lack of historical knowledge, lack of spiritual understanding and lack of love for one another and that these separations exist in history as cautionary tales, from which all Friends can learn.

Spring Friends Meeting believes that love should be one of the guiding principles in our life as a Monthly Meeting.  William Penn’s statement long ago, “Let us then try what love can do” speaks to us as a community, and to us captures the spirit behind the historic Quaker testimonies of simplicity, integrity, peace and equality.  Some examples of actions by members and attenders of Spring that flow from these convictions include: assisting the Women's Resource Center in providing a former convicted female felon released from prison with GED tutoring, food, mentoring, and support; providing financial gifts to Quaker House, Snow Camp Outdoor Theater and the North Carolina Friends Disaster Service; sponsoring four youths from outside our Meeting to attend Quaker Lake Camp; providing food and support for families in need at Spring in times of death, surgery, and sickness; volunteer staffing of the Peace Booth at the  North Carolina State Fair; considering and adopting a minute expressing Spring’s opposition to Amendment One of the North Carolina Constitution; assisting Kevin Muhanji by obtaining his release from detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and raising funds for Kevin’s housing, transportation, food, employment and college education; and donating to various charities using ‘Tis Best gift cards given to Spring families for Christmas by the Meeting.

Spring Friends Meeting has experienced the spirit behind William Penn’s quote – we have seen what love can do.  We have loved our neighbors and they have returned a bounty of love and peace.  We believe this is what God directs us to do – to love one another, without reservation, as God loves us.


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