February 15, 2018



On February 14, 2018, the Executive Committee of Evangelical Friends Church – North America unanimously approved to respectfully separate from its relationship with Barclay Press, effective immediately.



Notice of the decision was shared with Barclay Press by email this afternoon. In that email, Adrian Halverstadt, Director of EFC-NA, graciously indicated to Eric Muhr, Barclay Press Publisher, his concern: “I can only imagine the additional burden this adds to your load of responsibility with Barclay Press,” Halverstadt wrote. “May the Light of Christ shine forth clear direction for you in the days ahead.”



The plan agreed to in 2017, when EFC-NA laid down its Christian Education Commission, was to reduce Barclay Press support by 20 percent that year, by an additional 32 percent this year, and by 50 percent in 2019. The decision announced today means that Barclay Press will receive no financial support from EFC-NA after 2018.



“This decision puts Barclay Press in a very difficult financial position,” according to Muhr. He added that there are three realities that make him hopeful: One evangelical yearly meeting has communicated its intention to maintain financial support, and a number of evangelical Friends churches have increased the size of their Sunday school curriculum orders this month as a result of growth. Five new titles are in the works, including Shalom, an ebook and pamphlet on peace from Howard Macy, Professor Emeritus in the College of Christian Studies at George Fox University; and a history of the Friends pastoral system by Derek Brown, Director of M.A. Pastoral Ministries and Transformational Leadership at Barclay College. A push to raise $25,000 this year has already brought in $5,075 from 22 donors. EFC-NA commissioned Illuminate Bible study materials in 2010; and evangelical Friends churches and their members account for the purchase of more than two-thirds of all Barclay Press products, including membership class materials, books, pamphlets, and Fruit of the Vine quarterly devotional readers.



Barclay Press board members will meet by conference call on Monday to discuss possible next steps. In the meantime, please pray for the continued work of Barclay Press, its editors and writers, and all the churches and individuals who continue to depend on Barclay Press for Friends curriculum, books, pamphlets, and resources.



You can also support the continuing work of Barclay Press: Make a one-time or monthly donation by clicking on DONATE at barclaypress.com

Talk to your church or monthly meeting about making support for Barclay Press a part of your budget.

Bring Barclay Press your next print, web design, or communications project.

Pray for Barclay Press and for the work that we do. Back in 1943, Adelaide Barker had a concern for “publishing sound, spiritual and evangelistic Friends Bible School literature.” That concern led to the cooperation of three yearly meetings in producing a Christian education manual and the adoption of the Aldersgate lesson. Then, in 1948, Ray Carter and Ralph Fletcher each put up an investment of $3,000 for offset printing equipment that they used to print Northwest Friends magazine (later replaced by Evangelical Friend). When Carter died in 1959, Oregon Yearly Meeting (now Northwest Yearly Meeting) purchased the equipment and renamed the operation Barclay Press, committing to the work that Ray and Ralph had started.



Barclay Press is a Friends (Quaker) publisher based in Newberg, Oregon.