Eldering Story by Anonymous

Anonymous said...
Judy, what a lovely post about eldering. RichardM, my husband, has been trying to get more people to discuss eldering as well. I think my first experience with eldering was the day an older, grandmotherly looking woman approached me at a pot luck, and said, 'I hear you're moving, is there a meeting, maybe you'll start one'. My response was total bafflement, I was only a relative newcomer to Friends. That was 23 years ago. We are in North Carolina and similar to you, there was a worship group here, and we were sufficient catalyst to get the meeting to weekly meeting for worship. We have over the years become the elders of the meeting. This past summer, the meeting was clear to appoint us both elders. (there has been a great deal of coming and going in membership over the years within the meeting and previous members were against appointing elders). Today after meeting we spent some time with a new attender at meeting who is very new to Quakerism and hopefully answered his questions. (Another form of eldering). Within our Yearly Meeting, eldering is a regular practice, at least at the Yearly meeting itself. I am still surprised when I am thanked for my work as elder. I hope I am a vehicle for God's work.MaryM
March 30, 2008 8:58 PM Anonymou, Thank you for your story. It helps me understand how we are being lead to eldering. Not something I thought I would be doing.
Blessings, Judy