WhatistheFunctionofanOversightCommittee?

1
PreparedbyCallidKeefe
Perry,FreshPondMonthlyMeeting,NEYM
6/15/2016

Itismyunderstanding,bothviaexperienceandfromtradition,thatspiritualgiftsarisewithin
anindividualinthecontextofacommunityandarefortheserviceofothers,notmerelythe
individualwhostewardsthem.IthinkoftenofthefactthatPaultalksaboutspiritualgiftsas
themanifestationoftheSpiritforthecommongood(1Cor.12:7),notinginparticularthat
thismeansthatthegiftsarenot ours
butratherarethemanifestationofSpiritsmovementon
ourlives.Itismysensethatthoseinpublicministryaretaskedwithtendingtothegiftsofthe
spiritthathavebeennamedbytheircommunity,exercisingthemtothebenefitofall.

Followingthisunderstanding,Iunderstandministrytobeshorthandforwhatwecallitwhen
someonehas(1)sustainedintentionsorleadingsthattheyhave(2)soughtdiscerningguidance
aboutwithotherpeople,andwhichleadto(3)actionsintheworldthataregroundedinprayer
andanintentiontobeoffaithfulservice.Inthissense,whilevocalministryiscertainlyatype
ofministry,itisnotatalltobeconsideredtheonlywayinwhichFriendscanbeofservicein
publicministry.2WhateveritisthatanindividualfeelsLedtodothatiswiththehelpof
othersdiscernedtoberightlyordered,canappropriatelybebroughtintotheoversightofa
committee.

GiventhatitisanintentiontogroundpublicservicewithintheReligiousSocietyofFriends,
andthatMonthlyMeetingsareourspiritualhomeswithinthatbody,theOversightCommittee
servesasakindofcorporateliaison,simultaneouslynurturingandholdingministers
accountabletorightorderundertheMeeting'sdisciplinewhilekeepingtheMeetingabreastof
theministerspublicservice.Inotherwords,thoseinpublicserviceshouldknow,andbe
knownby,theOversightCommitteetosuchadegreethateveryoneinvolvedknowshowSpirit
ismovinginthelifeoftheminister,helpingthemtostaytruetothatguide.

1
EspeciallyinthecontextoftheUnitedStates,thewordsoversightandoverseercancarryhugely
negativeconnotationspertainingtothepracticesofslavery.Forthisreasonmanyprefertouse
AnchororSupportcommitteesinstead.Ofthese,IpreferAnchorassupportdoesnotseemto
capturethefullnessofthetaskofsuchascommittee,particularlyasitrelatestohelpingtheminister
whenitcomestopruningandorderingtheirlife.Thatis,SupportCommitteeseemsappropriateas
thenameofagrouptendingtothepastoralcareofsomeone,whileanOversightCommitteedoesthat
and helptoholdtheministeraccountabletotherightexerciseofthegiftsintheircare.
2
PublicMinistryinthissenseismerelyastatementofthecontextoftheactionsbeingtaken.Only
everwithinonespecificMeeting?Notpublicministry.Doneinmorethanonemeetingorinother
congregationsorspaces?Publicministry.
Amongotherthings,theOversightCommitteeisthebodychargedwithdirectlyoverseeingthe
careoftheministry.IftheFriendbeingcaredforandoverseenisoutrunningtheGuidethen
someoneonthecommitteeshouldbeawareenoughoftheirworkintheworldtoknowthat
thisisthecase,andtospeakplainlytothem,askingaftertheirsenseofthings.Sotooshould
wehopethatthisbethecaseiftheminister"under runs"theGuide,notlivinguptothatwhich
theyhavebeengiven.Ontheministersend,thereoughttobeavoiceddesireandcommitment
toremainincommunicationwiththecommittee,keepingthemalertedtolargeshiftsand
invitationstoservice,aswellasOpeningsandLeadingsexperiencedregardingtheministry
andgift(s)theyarestewarding.WhentheOversightCommitteemeetswiththepublicFriend,it
ismyunderstandingthatthesethingsareconsideredaswellaswhateverelsecommittee
membersseeaswell orderedtoaddress.

Additionally,asindividualstrytoliveunderthedisciplineoftheMeeting,theOversight
Committee,asappointedbyWorshipandMinistry,servesasavoiceofaccountabilityandan
extensionoftheOversightforwhichWorshipandMinistryisresponsible.Iunderstandthe
personservingastheClerkoftheOversightCommitteetobechargedwithattemptingto
regularlycalltogetherthecommitteetoworshiptoconsidertheabove.Itistheministers
responsibilitytomakethemselfavailabletoworshipwiththecommitteewhenitisavailable,
significantlyprioritizingthatcommitmentinacknowledgementofanattempttoliveunderthe
disciplineoftheMeeting.Justaswebelievethatspiritualgiftsarisewithinanindividualinthe
contextofacommunityandarefortheserviceofothers,nottheindividualwhostewardsthem,
sotoodowebelievethoseGiftsaretobetendedbythatBodyasawhole.Regularworshipof
theCommitteeisbetterthansporadicmeetingsjustwhenneeded,asscrutinyandsupport
maybothbeneeded preciselywhenwedontthinkweneedit .Mypersonalpreferenceisto
meetmonthlyforworshipwiththecommittee.

AsendorsementsforMinutesofTravelarereturnedtotheMeetingtheyaretobeforwardedto
theClerkoftheMeeting andtotheClerkoftheOversightCommittee,whowillthenpassthem
alongtotherestofthecommitteetoreview.Atleastonceayear,thecommitteewilldrawup
somereportofhowthingshavebeenproceeding:akindof"stateoftheministrycarried"
reportasitwere.ThisreportwillbegiventotheWorshipandMinistryandpresentedata
MonthlyMeetingwithaConcernforBusiness.Itshouldhelptoclarifymoreconcise
statementsabouttheFriendspublicworkandspiritualcondition,allowingmembersofthe
Meetinganopportunitytoreadabout,consider,andbeinOversightof,howthatpersonhas
beenofservice,enablingthemtostayawareofthepublicFriendspathinawaythatdoesnot
requireasmuchtimeaswoulddirectserviceontheOversightCommittee.