The following resources explain what a clearness committee is, who uses them, and what happens when you are appointed to one.
An individual may ‘feel a leading’ from God to speak or to make some act of witness, or to commit to a new way of living…
The A to Z of the Friends (Quakers), Abbott, Chijioke, Dandelion, and Oliver
What is a clearness committee?
A clearness committee is a group of Friends appointed to help a member of the meeting find clarity around a leading.
Who can have a clearness committee?
Anyone can request a clearness committee from the meeting that they attend. To read about the process of requesting a clearness committee, download the file: Steps in the clearness process
What does the committee do?
A clearness committee’s job is to help the focus person discover whether there is clarity to move forward with a matter, wait, or take other action.
The committee will:
- Worship together.
- Listen deeply to the questions and concerns brought by the individual.
- Question the individual in a careful, gentle and open-ended manner.
- Reflect back what has been heard.
- Try to find clearness on whether the meeting should support the individual’s ministry.
If you are appointed to a clearness committee, you can read some detailed guidelines about the clearness process in the documents below.