id: quaker-clearness-for-membership
title: Quaker Clearness for Membership
description: >-
  A Quaker process where a small committee meets with a person seeking
  membership in the meeting to discern their leading and readiness. A
  specific application of the clearness committee practice to membership
  in the Religious Society of Friends.
source: Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, "Faith and Practice"
source_url: https://www.pym.org/
tags: [quaker, membership, clearness, discernment]
forked_from: null
image: null
steps:
  - headline: Request clearness
    description: >-
      The applicant writes to the meeting requesting membership and shares
      a written account of their spiritual journey and what draws them to
      the meeting.
  - headline: Appoint a clearness committee
    description: >-
      The meeting appoints a small committee of members to meet with the
      applicant for discernment, not examination.
  - headline: Meet in worship
    description: >-
      The committee and applicant meet in worship, asking honest questions
      about the applicant's journey, understanding of Quaker practice, and
      readiness for membership.
  - headline: Report to meeting
    description: >-
      The committee reports to the monthly meeting whether clearness was
      reached — that is, whether the applicant and committee discern unity
      that membership is right at this time.
  - headline: Meeting decides
    description: >-
      The monthly meeting acts on the report in its business meeting,
      welcoming the new member or holding the matter for further
      discernment.
outcome: >-
  Membership is discerned communally rather than applied for and approved,
  with both the applicant and the meeting clear about the step.
practice: >-
  The committee is not a vetting panel. Its work is discernment with the
  applicant, not examination of them. The written spiritual journey is
  the substance; honour it.