Reprint of August Newsletter article

 Campus Discernment 2.0: What F/friends Said (PartI of II) Amanda Franklin and Lois Loontjens

The Campus Discernment Committee has been hard at work for several months, attempting to interview all  members/attenders about four questions. (If you were not contacted, our deepest apologies! The task proved  large, and some committee members had setbacks.)

This article summarizes what respondents said about who we are, what is the nature and purpose of UFM,  and what should guide us as we discern our future.

How long have you been associated with UFM?

We attempted contact with 177 people, and succeeded in speaking with 99—some very active with UFM, some  formerly active, and some at a distance (one in Japan!). Another 78 people either did not respond, or declined  to participate. A few not in the directory responded to invitations via verbal announcements, the bulletin or  the listserv. About 20% of respondents had been associated with us for less than five years, and another 20%  for 40+ years, with the rest pretty evenly distributed over each decade in between. The strength and range of  people’s opinions did not particularly correlate with how long a time they had been part of UFM.

What role do you think our campus should play in supporting the root purpose and work of  University Friends Meeting?

These might well be differently-worded but identical answers: half of the respondents said that our root  purpose is to be a spiritual community, and about a third said our root purpose is to worship together. Other  oft-mentioned root purposes included providing a meeting place for Quakers and non-Quakers, and renting  out our space for uses that align with our values. A third said that having a physical space provides a home or  a sense of groundedness, while generous handfuls praised the worship room specifically, the calm and beauty  and serenity of the meetinghouse and grounds, the benefits of being a visible presence in the U District, and  being able to provide a space for carrying forward our concerns for peace and social justice. Even among  people who praised our physical space, though, fully ten percent said that owning the campus itself is not  part of our root purpose.

As UFM discerns what to do with our property, and when to do it, what do you think is important to keep in mind/to pay attention to?

There was less agreement here, but (in descending order of frequency) these concerns were mentioned by  three or more respondents:

● Our presence in the community, and our ability to serve our neighbors/city

● The financial implications of any choices we do (or don’t) make

● The human energy it takes to remain as is, or to make any changes

● The importance of preserving our community

● Considering and providing for the future, up to seven generations hence, even though we cannot know  what the future might hold

● Getting more families, young people, and children to join us

● Climate/environmental concerns

● Reparations to BIPOC

● Seattle’s housing crisis

● What is our vision? what is our goal?

● We have a community which is aging and dwindling

● We must listen to each other carefully and discern from what we hear

● Accessibility

● What is God leading us to do?

● The time and energy it takes to sustain our aging buildings

● We should not be landlords!

● The role UFM’s history has played throughout the years

● The need for parking

● Staying true to Quaker values

● The decline in religious membership across all denominations

A Brief Summary

Although we are blessed by people who have been with us for decades, about a third of respondents have  come on board within the last ten years or so. Most people see the root purpose of UFM as being a spiritual,  worshiping community, with the role of the campus being to house community for Quaker activities and  fellowship, and for Quaker-aligned groups to meet.

As we discern our way forward, people mentioned spiritual/community concerns (keeping the community  connected, seeking leadings and discerning deeply from one another, clarifying our spiritual vision) and  practical concerns (we are aging and dwindling, it takes growing amounts of time and money and human  energy to keep our campus functional, and there are needs for social justice and for housing which our  campus might help address).

Next month’s article will summarize the Light we gathered on each of the four options on the use of our  campus.