FM Clearness, Anchoring, and Support Committees
Clearness, anchoring, and support are three ways that Friends have of caring for one another in a structured way. Two of these, clearness and anchoring, tend to be done by elders and are considered spiritual care and the third, support, tends to be more in the category of pastoral care, although sometimes Friends will use the word “support” and “care” to describe what I mean by anchoring. Different meetings and regions use different terms.
Clearness committees are Friends’ gift to the world and Parker Palmer has done a lot to promote them far beyond our Quaker spaces. I’ve clerked several clearness committees for folks from other denominations who know about clearness committees through his Center for Courage and Renewal. For folks who may not know, a clearness committee is an opportunity for someone who is needing to do discernment about something in their life to have a small group of people sit in worship and discernment with them, trusting Spirit’s guidance. The committee does not direct the focus person nor offer advice but rather holds the person in the Light and asks questions or reflects back as they are led by Spirit to do. Clearness committees can be a powerful tool when one is needing help figuring out what is next for them.
Anchoring committees, also called spiritual care committees are one way Friends support a person in ministry or when they’ve committed to a spiritual path or program. An anchoring committee made of people in one’s home meeting and is a way to for the community to provide a connection of spiritual, emotional, and/or practical support and accountability to a Friend as they engage in ministry or learning beyond the meetinghouse. School of the Spirit’s Spiritual Nurturer program required participants to have an anchoring committee for the duration of the program. This allowed members of the community to hear about and feel the changes the person was experiencing through their participation in the program. An anchoring committee is often expected to make periodic reports to the community, usually once a year, about their relationship with the Friend.
A support committee provides dedicated pastoral care for a set amount of time or on-going as needed by an individual. There are many reasons to have a support committee. Often, they care for a person who is having physical, emotional, or mental health problems. A Friend with a broken leg or one who just had a baby might welcome a support committee of short duration. An elder experiencing declining abilities may necessitate a long-term support committee that provides rides and accompaniment to medical appointments or light housekeeping. A support committee might help a newcomer find a place to live or check in with a young adult who has moved away and is feeling lost. Support committees are a structured way to provide consistent pastoral care.
