Oregon Coast conference center faces ownership question in light of YM restructure
Twin Rocks Friends Camp distributed a draft to supporters Saturday regarding possible changes to bylaws in light of the Northwest Yearly Meeting restructure. The document includes two options for ownership, clarification of who can attend camp, how staff will be selected, and it addresses the possibility that a new yearly meeting might run its own camps at Twin Rocks.
“Twin Rocks seeks to continue its highly effective ministry, and hopes to conduct its future work in a matter that is – in as many ways as possible – consistent with its successful past. We desire that the watching world may see Twin Rocks’ ministry as one that cares deeply about one another and all those who desire to come to Twin Rocks.”
Twin Rocks is owned by churches in NWYM that are part of the Salem, Newberg, Portland and Southwest Washington areas. One ownership option approved by the board of directors in May would make no change, meaning that churches in these four areas that leave the yearly meeting – Camas, Newberg Emerging Friends, West Hills and possibly others – would not retain ownership.
The second ownership option would make the camp independent: “In an effort to avoid being ‘owned’ by either branch of the split among Friends, Twin Rocks will become an independent entity, not tied to any Yearly Meeting. This independent camp will maintain a Friends heritage, but board members will not be required to be members of a Friends church. Instead, board members will need to be Christian, and able to adhere to the expectations of camp volunteers.”
Camp volunteers are expected to “(1) sign a Christian Statement of Faith (which has to date been the same as George Fox University’s), and (2) avoid advocating beliefs in opposition to the following statement: “Related to human sexuality, Twin Rocks aspires to be a camp welcoming of all people…. We affirm the goodness of marriage, singleness, celibacy, and sexual intimacy exclusively within a marriage covenant between a man and a woman. Because God has called us to seek peace and unity, we call on all those who would serve at Twin Rocks to offer grace, love and forbearance to each other as we discuss issues of sexuality, always seeking to be faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The document supposes that there would be no change as to which campers or churches are welcome to use the property or attend camps, and “Twin Rocks plans to continue to offer its impactful slate of summer camps.” In addition, churches that leave NWYM would continue to qualify for the Friends group rate, “which is 15 percent below regular rates.”
Click here to read the full proposal.
Gathering brings together Quaker women
The Pacific Northwest Quaker Women’s Theology Conference announced the theme for its next gathering: Answering that of God in every person – recognizing, naming, imaging, abiding.
The planning committee shared in a letter, “Our hope is to build a community among us that nurtures the souls of all involved. Our purpose for 2018 is to foster a community of spiritual refuge by answering that of God in every person and abiding in the Divine, which radiates to the wider world and nurtures our Quaker witness.”
The conference started as a friendship between two women, grew into a group that met “to encourage each other in our individual ministries and leadership roles within the Society of Friends,” and eventually a series of retreats that are “centered on experience. This keeps us from arguing over meanings of words, and allows us to come to know and accept each other without having to defend particular belief systems against the prejudice of the others.”
The conference will be held June 6-10, 2018, at Canby Grove Christian Center in Canby, Oregon.
The planning committee is looking for participants who may also have gifts and be willing to serve in one of the following areas:
- Producing publications
- Webmaster
- Facebook facilitator
- Friends traveling to publicize the conference among the meetings
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