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Friends General Conference (FGC) is a North American Quaker association of 15 Quaker yearly and 12 monthly meetings in the United States and Canada that choose to be members.〔http://www.fgcquaker.org/about/affiliated-yearly-and-monthly-meetings〕 FGC was founded in 1900.〔("Locations of FGC Conferences and Gatherings" ), FGC website.〕 FGC-affiliated meetings are typically in the "unprogrammed" Quaker tradition, though there are a number of Friends churches, or meetings, with pastoral leadership who also belong. "Unprogrammed" means that such meetings take place without a designated pastor who leads the service, or a prepared order of worship. In 2013, there were approximately 35,000 members in 641 congregations in the United States affiliated with FGC.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 2008 ''Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches'' )〕 FGC's programs include traveling ministries, religious outreach, interfaith relations, book publishing and sales, religious education, and an annual conference. The main offices for the FGC are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ==Mission and vision statements== Friends General Conference (FGC) provides services and resources for individual Friends, meetings, and people interested in the Quaker way. FGC is an association of regional Quaker communities in the U.S. and Canada working together to nurture a vital Quaker faith. FGC's Statement of Purpose summarizes the work in which it is currently engaged. It reads: Friends General Conference, with divine guidance, nurtures the spiritual vitality of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) by providing programs and services for Friends, meetings, and seekers. Major Goals *Nurture meetings and worship groups. *Provide resources and opportunities for meetings, Friends, and seekers to experience the Light, the living presence of God. *Help meetings guide Friends to discern the leadings of the Inward Teacher and to grow into ministry. *Transform our awareness so that our corporate and individual attitudes and actions fully value and encompass the blessed diversity of our human family. *Work to grow and sustain a vital, diverse, and loving community of Friends based on a shared search for unity in the Spirit. *Articulate, communicate, and exemplify Friends' practices, core experiences, and the call to live and witness to our faith. *Promote dialogue with others, sharing with them our corporate experience of Divine Truth and listening to and learning from their experience of the same.〔(FGC about page )〕 FGC's Vision Statement outlines the direction in which the organization is going. It reads: We envision a vital and growing Religious Society of Friends—a faith that deepens spiritually, welcomes newcomers, builds supportive and inclusive community, and provides loving service and witness in the world. Through Friends General Conference, we see Quakers led by the Spirit joining together in ministry to offer services that help Friends, meetings, and seekers explore, deepen, connect, serve and witness within the context of our living faith.〔http://www.fgcquaker.org/about/vision-statement〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Friends General Conference」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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