The work of QLC is guided by an advisory council made up of 10 Friends representing a wide spectrum of Quaker faith and practice in North America.
They meet quarterly to pray, discern, discuss ideas, report from their circle of ministry, and guide the direction of the Center.
Richmond, IN
West Elkton Friends Meeting, (membership/recording held by Sierra Cascades Yearly Meeting of Friends)
Ministry Interests: Quaker pastoral ministry, children’s ministry, child protection
Mooresville, IN
Plainfield Friends Meeting (Western Yearly Meeting)
Ministry Interests: Connecting people with their interests/gifts, pastoral care, Quakers working together, humor
Greensboro, NC
First Friends Meeting (North Carolina Fellowship of Friends)
Ministry interests: making connections between branches, communications, environmental justice, equity, living wages, prayer, fun, and beauty
Easthampton, MA
Northampton Friends Meeting (New England Yearly Meeting)
Ministry Interests: Faith formation across the lifespan, leadership development, evaluation, and congregation/organizational health.
Cincinnati, OH
Community Friends Meeting, (Ohio Valley Yearly Meeting)
Ministry Interests: Social Impact, Equity, Democracy, and Supporting the Future of Friends
Greensboro, NC
Friendship Friends Monthly Meeting (North Carolina Yearly Meeting – Conservative)
Ministry Interests: My aspiration as a minister is the same as every Friend’s: to do everything God asks, and nothing else.
Muncie, IN
Muncie Friends Church (New Association of Friends)
Ministry Interests: Pastoral Ministry
Richmond, IN
Friends United Meeting
Ministry Interests: Quaker Leadership, Global Ministries, Social Justice
Philadelphia, PA
Byberry Friends Meeting (Philadelphia Yearly Meeting)
Ministry Interests: I have been in Quaker service for almost 40 years. Ten of those years was as General Secretary of the American Friends Service Committee. Another 25 of those years was serving as a volunteer with Friends General Conference. Currently, my entire focus is on revitalizing the Religious Society of Friends, through the lens of developing strategies, models and roadmaps to re-invigorate our small and struggling Monthly Meetings.
Oskaloosa, IA
Iowa Yearly Meeting of Friends, General Superintendent
Ministry Interests: Spiritual Formation, Organizational Leadership, Leadership Development, Team Development, Church Health, Pastoral Support
Ann Arbor, MI
Ann Arbor Friends Meeting, Lake Erie Yearly Meeting
Ministry Interests: I have been in the ministry since 1966 serving as a pastor, General Secretary of FGC, Dean, Headmaster, Trustee (including Clerk of two Quaker institutions). I am forever a servant and an educator.
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Stop Firing Your Friends By Andy Stanton-Henry I recently read an article in The Atlantic about a trend that has taken hold within interpersonal relationships. When a friend lets us down, displays a disappointing character trait, or holds an opinion that is opposed to ours, we “fire” them. Maybe we simply ghost…
Attempt Repair By Andy Stanton-Henry In the last Friendly Reminder, I invited Friends to “accept influence,” drawing on the wisdom of the Gottman Love Labs. This time, I find myself drawn to another concept from Gottman’s system for long-term relationships: “the repair attempt.” The Gottmans define a repair attempt as “any statement…
By Andy Stanton-Henry One of the common definitions of leadership is the ability to influence others. John Maxwell famously says: “Leadership is influence — nothing more, nothing less.” It’s not a bad definition. We see the world as it is, envision the world as it could be, and seek to reduce that…
By Andy Stanton-Henry Friendly Reminder: A Bi-Weekly Reflection from the Quaker Leadership Center One of my spiritual heroes is Thomas Merton. His writing and contemplative witness have shaped my life in many ways. One of the interesting parts of Merton’s biography is that he intersected with Quakers and Quakerism at several points….
By Andy Stanton-Henry Happy December! Depending on your feelings about winter weather and winter holidays, you may hear “happy” in various tones of sarcasm or sincerity. If you’re like me, this time of years brings a mix of feelings. I experience seasonal affective depression this time of year, so I have to…
Sylvia Graves Beane, Sue Whitesel, Andy Stanton-Henry By Della Stanley-Green Over the past four years, I have had the amazing opportunity to job share in two different positions with three Friends. In August 2019, Sylvia Graves Beane, Sue Whitesel and I began our shared work as the Co-Superintendents of Western Yearly Meeting…
Let us know if you have questions, concerns, visitation inquiry, or request for resources
Director
Della is excited to see where God is leading the Center, ESR and the whole of the Religious Society of Friends. She is a Recorded Minister in Western Yearly Meeting and a trained spiritual director.
She recently completed a three-year interim as the leader of the Interim Co-Superintendent Team for Western Yearly Meeting of Friends, (33 Quaker Meetings in western IN and eastern IL). She also serves as an Adjunct Professor in the MBAOnline@UDayton program teaching “The Principled
Organization: Integrating Faith, Ethics and Work.”
Associate director
Andy is a writer, Quaker minister, chicken-keeper, and distraught Reds fan. He holds degrees from Barclay College and Earlham School of Religion, and is a doctoral student studying Open and Relational Theology. He carries a special concern for rural leaders, leading to his recently published book Recovering Abundance: Twelve Practices for Small-Town Leaders. Andy has also trained in spiritual direction, labyrinth facilitation, conflict transformation, and entrepreneurial ministry. A native Buckeye, Andy now lives in East Tennessee with his spouse, Ashlyn, their blue heeler Cassie, and their laying hens.
Administrative Assistant
Katrina McConaughey is a lifelong Quaker originally from the Pacific Northwest. She recently relocated to central Indiana with her husband Shawn, after serving a four-year term with Friends United Meeting in Kenya. She is most proud of having raised two awesome adult children, but also loves gardening and is almost as proud to have grown a six pound sweet potato this year!