This article explains the functions and activities of the Committee for Sufferings. A shorter version appeared in the March 2008 issue of Spark.
Over the years, Friends have been called to lead by example, living out our Testimonies in our daily lives. Our actions, whether they be nonviolent resistance to war, standing for fair treatment and opportunity for all, or working faithfully behind the scenes in Quaker committees, may speak louder or more persuasively than our words. If we are out ahead of the pack in social reform, the seeds we sow by our witness may not bloom in the observer for many years, and so it is easy to feel alone. We may also find ourselves in more physically dangerous or financially challenging positions than we had anticipated.
Since the founding of our Society, Quakers have been asked to suffer physical and financial hardships for conscience' sake, but we are not asked to suffer alone. Our practice is to test leadings through the committee process so that our work has a spiritually supportive community behind it. “Committees of Sufferings” were part of the early Quaker structure to share the burdens experienced by Friends staying true to our Testimonies.
New York Yearly Meeting’s Committees on Sufferings follows this tradition. It provides emergency relief to those who suffer financially in their fidelity to a Quaker testimony. (Requests for ongoing support for leadings should be directed to NYYM Trustees.)
When a Friend landed in prison in Europe while studying the religious roots of nonviolent social protest and working nonviolently to publicize immigration issues, when Friends resisting war and war taxes suffered as the federal government looked askance at them, and when a Friend needed an ambulance to take him home from Yearly Meeting the Committees on Sufferings stepped in. Please remember this avenue for financial help when your conscience leads you beyond your short-term means.
Members and attenders of NYYM may apply for financial assistance from the Committees of Sufferings. The request should be related to a testimony and should be seasoned by a Quaker body such as the monthly meeting, quarterly meeting, or Yearly Meeting. See the NYYM Web site for full details of the application process.
To apply for assistance, send an email, letter, or call the YM office. The request should include the following:
Back to Ministry section Back to Sufferings section NYYM home page