Grand Rapids Friends Meeting
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
September 15, 1962 Grand Rapids Friends Meeting held its first Meeting for Worship as a Preparative Meeting at the South YWCA on Easter SE and 44th Street.
A Simple Synopsis of Events that have happened as we have developed as Monthly Meeting over the last 44 years.
SEPTEMBER 1969 Weekly Meetings for Worship were discontinued because of small membership and the distance people had to drive, a radius of 50 miles, and the difficulty of providing a meaningful First Day School experience for children. Meetings were scheduled once a month at Friends' homes. The format was: Worship, discussion, potluck, followed by Meeting for Business. One First Day School class was held during Meeting for Worship. This schedule was to be accompanied by an afternoon Meeting once a month at Hennacy House on Charles SE, the home of Jasiu Milanowski. The format was Meeting for Worship for about 45 minutes followed by discussion.
1970/71 The Meeting continued to follow the pattern of a Monthly Meeting at individual homes including Worship, discussion, potluck, and Meeting for Business. First Day School was held on Sunday as well. An afternoon Meeting once a month was continued at Hennacy House. Friends involved themselves in on-going peace-making efforts. Some served on the Michigan Area Committee of the AFSC, others worked with Friends Committee on National Legislation. Friends were also active in local peace groups: Muskegon Priorities Council, Newaygo County Citizens for Peace, and Kent County Peace Council. Lewis Benedict resigned as Clerk in the Fall of 1970 when he and his family moved to New York. Chester Graham became Clerk. During these years Jo Graham was Recording Clerk followed by Olga Wagbo. Paul Dunlap continued as Treasurer.
In the Fall of 1970 Grand Rapids Friends Preparative Meeting requested Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting to recognize it as a Monthly Meeting. At the Meeting for Business on March 21, 1971, Verne Bechill, Clerk of Green Pastures, congratulated Friends on their Monthly Meeting status. At the April 18th Meeting, a letter from Adda Dilts informed us that Lake Erie Yearly Meeting Representatives confirmed the action of Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting in granting independent status to Grand Rapids Monthly Meeting.
Finally in the Fall of 1974 Meeting for Worship was begun, second Sunday of the month, at Grand Valley State University. The afternoon Meeting at Hennacy House continued the first Sunday of the month as did the schedule in Friends' homes on the third Sunday of each month.
In September of that year Meeting was moved to the AFSC Office located at 28 Jefferson. The First Day School met in the Westminster Presbyterian Church across the street. The Hennacy House Meeting was moved to Jefferson Avenue and then discontinued in June, 1976.
In July, 1976, Helen Wenck became Clerk and Kate Kerman was Recording Clerk and Newsletter Editor. Peter Wenck was Treasurer. At a Meeting for Business in May, 1977, at the Ablao's home, Friends gave serious consideration to purchasing a building for a Meeting House. It was realized that we needed to begin a Meeting House Fund if we were ever to be able to purchase a building.
In July, 1977, Jo Graham became Clerk and Josie Martineau was Recording Clerk; Jana Norlin was Newsletter Editor. We began looking for a more adequate place to meet and through the effort of Wayne Norlin began meeting at Cherry Street Center at the corner of Cherry and Division. We met at that location for the next five years.
SEPTEMBER 1982 Friends began meeting at the Central YWCA, 25 Sheldon SE. The evening discussion group begun in the Spring was continued. Meeting for Worship, First Day School and discussion were held the first and third Sunday of the month. Alternate Sundays, Friends met at the Wards. In later years Friends met on alternate Sundays at the Olmsteads.
NOVEMBER Friends decided to become more aggressive in community outreach. Ray Tomaszewski designed a poster to be placed in local colleges and other appropriate locations. An ad was placed in the GRAND RAPIDS PRESS the first Saturday of each month. An ad has been placed in the Friends Journal for the last several years as well as a listing in the Yellow Pages of the Telephone Directory.
DECEMBER Distressed by recent developments in the Middle East and the war that seemed imminent, Friends wrote a Minute on the Middle East and one on the Draft and sent them to Senator Levin, Senator Riegle, Representative Henry, and President Bush urging them to explore every avenue possible to avoid a war, expressing our strong opposition to war and our opposition to the beginning of any draft.
This section is not written from the Minutes but rather as observed and remembered.
1991/1992 The Central YWCA was being remodeled again and became a Women's Center. Wayne's firm, Design Plus was Architects for the project. We watched the changes and were looking forward to the completion. At this time we had decided to begin in the Fall to hold Meeting for Worship every Sunday. After some discussions with the Y, it became clear that we should look for another place for our Meeting. We were disappointed not to be continuing at the Y in its "new" building. Fortunately Bea Murray investigated the possibility of the newly remodeled Dominican Center.
In September of 1992 we began meeting in the Dominican Center every Sunday. We began to increase in numbers. After our first year we realized that we could not cancel Meeting because of going somewhere else for an event. Visitors might show up expecting to attend Meeting. We also missed our monthly potlucks. So beginning in September, 1993 on the first Sunday of the month we went to Bea Murray's for a potluck. Bea had graciously offered her home. We also changed from Sunday to Saturday our tradition of visiting an out of town Friend's home in the country or on a lake for Meeting for Worship and a Potluck.
1993-1997 and 2000-2006 With the influx of new attenders, we held several programs around the Meeting for Worship. Hope Hills helped us in that effort. Our Meeting has always tried to respond to the needs of the friends in the Meeting and to be sensitive and respond to ideas and suggestions. Friends Book Group began in the summer of 1997. It was Walt and Steve Ford who started it. The Book Group continues to meet, reading a wide variety of books and articles. Everyone in the Meeting is always welcome to attend.
Over these years the Ministry and Counsel Committee has met regularly and served the many pastoral and spiritual needs of the Meeting community. The Advancement Committee has developed some procedure to welcome visitors and new attenders consistently over the years. They have tried different "techniques" at the Seekers meeting usually held in October. The latest being the "Sixes and Eights" which is a time when one household hosts a group of six or eight friends for a meal and fellowship.
Grand Rapids Friends Meeting is still growing and making a continuous effort to respond to the needs and suggestions of those who make up our fellowship. In the spring of 2006 we decided to do two or three sessions on "re-envisioning" the goals of our Meeting. Cathi Deyo and Deb Wickering were the facilitators. It was well planned by Cathi using many techniques that helped us look at ourselves and our Meeting, to feel included in the process and to feel that we were being heard. Over the coming year we will be implementing some of the ideas that have come from this process of re-envisioning. One of our goals was fulfilled by a conversation with the Dominicans here at Marywood. When they realized that our needs were not being completely met they offered us space at the Aquinata Hall which had recently been vacated by the completion of a new structure for their health center and care facilities for retired Dominicans to live. It will be a nicer place for the fellowship that follows Meeting for Worship. It also has a large room for First Day School. We can have potlucks on site as well. We look forward to our growth, deepening our spiritual roots and some day being ready to have a Meeting House.
© 2006 Grand Rapids Friends Meeting