2022 State of Society survey

Every year, New York Yearly Meeting prepares a “State of the Society Report.” This is a report that is intended to get an overall picture of the spiritual life of Quaker meetings in New York State. It enables NYYM to see trends, new ideas, and what support and resources they can offer. As part of the process, each meeting is asked to prepare their own “state of society” report. Ministry and Counsel of Buffalo Friends Meeting is currently working on this report -- but we can only do that with the input of members and attenders. That’s why we are asking you to take a few minutes to respond to these queries.

Immediate need for food for those impacted by the blizzard

Feed Buffalo is requesting donations to help feed those impacted by the recent blizzard. Nadine is coordinating the efforts of Buffalo Friends for this request. We are currently taking pledges and purchases will be made on the basis of those pledges. If you would like to make a pledge, please use the form below.



Holiday In-Person Meeting for Worship survey

Given that both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day land on Sundays this coming holiday season, we need to decide whether or not to hold in-person Meeting for Worship on those holidays. Would you please send your plans to either attend or be absent to in-person Meeting for Worship.

Friends as Film Stars

Many of you know of my calling/leading to start a business that would film people telling the stories of their lives. Due to the generosity of the meeting, we have been able to create two films of our Quaker elders in Buffalo Meeting. These elders discuss their lives and their Quaker journey. Currently the two films are on the Heirloom Family Films (the new name for the company) Vimeo channel.

Life Story and Faith Journey of Roberta Bothwell

Roberta Bothwell had spent more than a year training to become a Catholic nun when a family emergency took her out of the convent. She eventually got married, entered a period of spiritual questioning, and was invited by a friend to a Friends meeting at a house in Buffalo—a visit that transformed her faith journey.

Buffalo Quakers endorse a minute calling for peaceful solutions in Colombia

In Meeting for Business on September 20th, 2020, Buffalo Quakers discussed a minute (included below) denouncing civil violence in Colombia which was shared by former Buffalo Meeting attender on behalf of the Worship Group in the Nariño Region of that country. Buffalo Meeting agreed to endorse the Minute/Manifesto and will share it with Farmington Scipio Regional Meeting and with Friends Peace Teams to encourage a broader awareness and support. The Meeting hears the call to spread awareness of what is happening and will amplify the demand for alternatives to the violence and the necessity for peaceful solutions in Colombia.

The minute was approved.

manifiesto por la paz

(English translation below)

La Sociedad Religiosa de Amigos (conocidos como Quakers o Cuáqueros) es un grupo religioso de origen cristiano que surgió en Inglaterra a mediados del Siglo XVII, que se dedica a vivir de acuerdo con los dictados de la Luz Interior enfatizando una relación directa entre la gente y Dios. Entre sus valores o testimonios están la comunidad, el cuidado de la Tierra y la paz.

Movidos por los recientes sucesos de violencia que ha llegado a continuos asesinatos colectivos de corte masacre acaecidos en el Sur de Colombia, como Cuáqueros en Pasto, promulgamos el siguiente manifiesto con la intención de hacer un llamado a la paz y a la búsqueda de alternativas para la violencia.

Lamentamos la pérdida de vidas humanas, incluidas las vidas de miembros de los cuerpos de seguridad. Sin embargo, la presencia de ellos con demasiada frecuencia parece una fuerza de ocupación diseñada para proteger y servir a una élite invisible en lugar de proteger a los que residen en nuestras comunidades. Creemos que esta situación compleja que se vive no se puede cambiar mediante retribuciones y represalias, sino mediante el respeto, los recursos y el amor.

Los problemas de señalamientos, de existencia de cultivos ilícitos, militarismo y violencia que enfrentamos tienen sus raíces en las enfermedades más profundas y menos reconocidas del materialismo y la codicia. En general las comunidades donde ocurren estos hechos de violencia carecen de recursos, como lo demuestra la falta de empleo, atención médica, educación de calidad y vivienda digna. En ausencia de oportunidades reales de empleo y autosuficiencia económica, las economías subterráneas se levantan en nuestras comunidades para llenar el vacío tornando en su modus vivendi. Las personas en estas economías y quienes intentan brindar su solidaridad son criminalizadas y condenadas. Nos damos cuenta de que no podemos tener una conversación significativa sobre el fin de esta situación sin abordar también el clasismo, el desempleo y la desigualdad.

Como miembros de la Sociedad Religiosa de Amigos y como amigos de los Amigos hacemos un llamado a la comunidad a ser cocientes de lo que sucede, a no desgastarse juzgando ni justificando sus muertes. Que debemos ser consecuentes con la idea cristiana de amar al prójimo y la idea ancestral de vivir bonito, de vivir en armonía con todas las manifestaciones del Gran Espíritu. Que existen alternativas para la violencia y resolución de conflictos que van más allá de la imposición de una paz por medios violentos.

Invitamos a toda la comunidad a propender por vivir en armonía y a trabajar mancomunadamente en la búsqueda de alternativas de vida que serán la mejor arma para desmantelar la violencia.

Sociedad Religiosa de Amigos en Pasto

English Translation

The Religious Society of Friends (known as Quakers) is a religious group of Christian origin that emerged in England in the mid-seventeenth century, which is dedicated to living according to the dictates of the Inner Light emphasizing a direct relationship between people and God. Among their values or testimonies are the community, the care of the Earth and peace.

Moved by the recent events of violence that have led to continuous mass murders of massacre that occurred in the South of Colombia, such as Quakers in Pasto, we promulgated the following manifesto with the intention of calling for peace and the search for alternatives for the violence.

We regret the loss of human life, including the lives of members of the security forces. Yet their presence too often seems like an occupying force designed to protect and serve an invisible elite rather than protect those who reside in our communities. We believe that this complex situation cannot be changed through retribution and retaliation, but through respect, resources and love.

The flagging problems, the existence of illicit crops, militarism and violence that we face are rooted in the deepest and least recognized diseases of materialism and greed. In general, the communities where these acts of violence take place lack resources, as evidenced by the lack of employment, medical care, quality education and decent housing. In the absence of real job opportunities and economic self-sufficiency, the underground economies rise up in our communities to fill the void by becoming their modus vivendi. The people in these economies and those who try to show solidarity are criminalized and condemned. We realize that we cannot have a meaningful conversation about ending this situation without also addressing classism, unemployment, and inequality.

As members of the Religious Society of Friends and as Friends of Friends we call on the community to be aware of what is happening, not to wear out judging or justifying their deaths. That we must be consistent with the Christian idea of loving our neighbor and the ancestral idea of living beautifully, of living in harmony with all the manifestations of the Great Spirit. That there are alternatives for violence and conflict resolution that go beyond the imposition of peace by violent means.

We invite the entire community to strive to live in harmony and to work together in the search for life alternatives that will be the best weapon to dismantle violence.

Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Pasto