Minutes for Falmouth Quarterly Meeting: 4/25/26.

Reports and other materials are HERE.

Present – Liz Kampenhousen-Doan, Marian Dalton, Chris Holden (Brunswick), Sara Sprogel, Wendy Schlotterbeck, Shelly Randall, Leslie Manning (zoom), Dorothy Curtis, Joyce Gibson (zoom), Tess Hartford (Durham) Ann Dodd-Collins, Maggie Fehr, Fritz Weiss (clerking), Paula Rossvall, Sally Farneth, Alan Farneth, Melanie Gifford, Andy Grannell, Dorothy Grannell, Maggie Fiori, (Portland), Janet Hough (Cobscook)

Opening worship, noting that we were meeting on unceded land of the Wabanaki Confederacy.

Durham

• We heard the 2026 Durham Meeting state of society (attached). The report shared that Durham is both small and powerful. A Friend noted her gratitude to be a member of this vital, vibrant community during these times. She testified that the community allows her to live the testimonies more fully.

• We sang a blessing for Durham.  “Spirit of the living God”.

• Members of Durham who are carrying recognized ministries shared their experience and work.
• Shelly Randall serves both as the chaplain of Bath Police Department, and as a volunteer chaplain at the Cumberland County Detention center. After a career working as a counselor with children who had experienced abuse, and as a child protection lawyer, Shelly “crashed and burned”.  She trained as a chaplain and was ordained as interfaith chaplain through CHIME. She came to Durham meeting during her time at CHIME.  Her experience with child protection and her Spanish language fluency led her to work at the Detention Center with Women detained by ICE. After ICE abruptly removed all the detainees from the Detention Center, Shelly has stayed in contact and is supporting several who have been released and who continue to support those they met while in detention. The training to become a chaplain for the Bath Police department was extraordinarily stressful. In this role she is working on a task force focused on domestic violence and is serving as a liaison with the community.  Friends noted positive interactions with the Bath Police during the No-Kings events.  It was noted that Cheryl Cuddy, Pastor of Windham Friends also serves as the chaplain to the Sanford Police.

• Leslie Manning ‘s ministry has been recorded by Falmouth Quarter. She began her sharing with the quarter with a meditation from Bishop Steven Charleston.  Leslie generally experiences her ministry as one of hope and healing. She carries this into her work in the prison working with both women and men. She has become active with the Maine Prisoners Advocacy Coalition carrying a concern for how communities in Maine welcome back those leaving prison. In both spaces, she works work with individuals and as advocates for transforming the current system. Maine does not allow parole, and inadequately funds public defense and community resources.

Leslie also participates in the Quaker Healing Circle which support healing centers at Quaker events. She cohosts the PFM meeting for healing. Leslie was invited to speak and lead retreats at SouthEastern Yearly Meeting. She noted the particular challenges these friends in the deep south face and their stubborn witness to the worth of each human being and for living with hope. The themes that Leslie brought to SouthEastern Yearly Meeting were encouragement to cultivate compassion, uphold conviction and sustain community and to become people of the resurrection rather than people of insurrection.  

The message that Leslie brought to Durham in February sharing her service over the past year is attached.

We sang a blessing for Leslie “Blessings on you.”

• Martha Sheldon (Durham) is also recorded in the ministry. Her recording is held by Durham Meeting and Falmouth Quarter. She was unable to attend the meeting.  Her report in full was: “I reduced my ministry activity with a move to a new country and am allowing for being led in unofficial, undefined forms of ministry as openings slowly present themselves and am appreciating a respite from ministry that took a lot of my time and energy before moving to Northern Ireland. In the past 3 years I was led to go to Ramallah for a year and for a few weeks but personal and international developments led to not going.  I am offering pastoral care, support, guidance, facilitation with Corrymeela Reconciliation centre and the local Corrymeela Cell group and from a distance pastoral support for one in ministry in prison ministry in Maine.” 

• Leslie Manning shared that Ralph Greene (recorded) is currently mostly bedridden and is being cared for by his son.

• We heard Diana White’s memorial minute read by Tess Hartford (attached). Friends expressed gratitude that Diana found a home at Durham Meeting. 

Windham

• We heard the report from Windham (attached).  Friends expressed appreciation to Windham for continuing to be responsible for the Quaker Ridge meeting house

Brunswick

• We heard the State of Society report from Brunswick (attached).

Portland

• Maggie Fehr read the State of Society report from Portland (attached).

Members from Portland who are recognized as carrying a public ministry shared with the Quarter.

• Maggie Fiori noted that she continues to carry a public ministry while recognizing that it has changed since Portland first endorsed it.  Her care committee has noted that there are three aspects to her ministry; preaching, teaching, and exhortation. The preaching includes both vocal ministry and bearing witness to a truth through art. The teaching is happening in community with others, often by lifting up their voices in her art (e.g. making Genna Ulrich’s poem “When I know my Belovedness” into an illustrated pamphlet.) The exhortation part is less active at present.   Maggie is a print maker, and works part time at another job to support herself.  Protecting the time to do the print and art work feels like an act of obedience. The work now is mostly reprinting the work from years past, which is still creating material that is new to many and that they have been looking for. Maggie has experiencing personal challenges this past year that have sucked away the energy from the ministry.  We were encouraged to recognize we all need help and it takes courage to ask; and that the truth is that most people make it in communion, not by ourselves. Friends collected funds to support Maggie with some current necessary expenses.  

• Sally Farneth sent a written report to the quarter (attached).  Sally shared that she is working on a project “Literacy for Peace and Justice” using story books to teach values and English literacy to children in Rawand and Uganda, building on the quaker storytelling strength. Sally has been doing work creating quaker curriculum for children for decades.  In 2019 her work shifted from creating materials for North American Friends to creating materials for children in Africa – using open source & editable & projectable books.  Members of Sally’s Ministry Care Committee shared details of Sally’s work including that by teaching English to children they were also helping parents learn English.

• Fritz Weiss sent a written report (attached).  He shared that PFM named him as a Public Friend in 2020, and he has been making annual reports to the meeting since.  Recently he has found himself speaking more frequently in public as a Friend, and asked for a ministry care committee to test his discernment. He will be speaking at Allen Avenue UU church tomorrow with a panel about our experience standing at the American Roots factory during the recent ICE surge to keep the workers safe.

• Jay O’Hara is recognized as engaged in pubic ministry by PFM.  He was unable to attend today’s meeting.  His report is attached.

• Elizabeth Szatkowski carries a denominational endorsement through Falmouth Quarter.  She was unable to attend today’s meeting.  Her report is attached.

• Heather Denkmire is recognized as engaged in pubic ministry by PFM. She was unable to attend today’s meeting.  Her report is attached

Friends approved appointing Liz Kamphausen-Doan (Brunswick) to the Beacon Hill Friends House Corporation.  Doug Bennett (Durham) is our other representative to the corporation.

Friends approved sending a note of appreciation to Dennis Redfield for his service as our representative to the corporation.

Friends Approved forwarding the State of Society reports & the Memorial minute for Diana White to New England Yearly Meeting.

Closing worship