Ben Richmond
311 College Avenue, Richmond, IN 47374
(765) 935-3289
Friends United Meeting
101 Quaker Hill Drive, Richmond IN 47374
(765) 962-7573l; fax (765) 966-1293
EMPLOYMENT
Friends United Meeting, Richmond, Ind., 1985 – 2000, 2001 to present
Director of North American Ministries, March 2001 to present
Editor, Quaker Life, January – August 2000
Managing Editor, Quaker Life, 1995 - 1999
Coordinating Editor, Quaker Life, 1994 (part-time);
Administrative Assistant, Meeting Ministries, with responsibility for Chain of Prayer, outreach segment of Revitalization program, etc.,1993 – 1994
Interim Administrative Assistant to the General Secretary, April - May, 1992.
Coordinator for Peace and Social Concerns & Quaker Volunteer Witness, 1985-1993
Pastor, West Branch Friends Church, West Branch, Iowa, 1982-1985
Night Supervisor, Matt Talbot Center, Portland, Oregon, 1978-1979
Manager, Dorcas Apartments, Portland, Oregon, 1976-1977
Peace Education staff, American Friends Service Committee, Portland, Oregon, 1971-1976 (passim)
Between 1969 and 1979 I also had stints as a janitor in an office building in Boston, Mass., dishwasher in a couple of restaurants in Portland, Ore., field hand in a blueberry farm and nursery near Olympia, Wash.
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION
Joined Friends in Multnomah Monthly Meeting, North Pacific Yearly Meeting, 1971
Current membership: West Richmond Friends, Indiana Yearly Meeting
Recorded as a minister of the gospel by Indiana Yearly Melting, August, 1991
RECENT APPOINTMENTS
Planning Committee, Watu Kwa Amani (Beinenburg II) DOV conference, Nairobi, Kenya, 2003 - 2004
Clerk, Planning Committee for 7th National Friends Ministers Conference, 2003 - 2006
Ministry and Oversight, West Richmond Friends and Indiana Yearly Meeting, 1999 - 2004
Faith and Practice Review Committee, Indiana Yearly Meeting, 1994 – 2000 (Clerk, 1997-1999)
National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund, 1987 - 1994, 1997 - 2001 (Chair, 1990 -1994, Treasurer 1997-2000).
FUM Triennial Planning Committee, 1988 - 2000
Friends Committee On National Legislation, General Committee, 1988 - 1993
Historic Peace Church Consultative Committee, 1987 - 1992
New Call to Peacemaking, Steering Committee, 1990 - 1992
Friends United Meeting 2002 Triennial Johnson Lecture, Nairobi, Kenya
“Jesus: Our Peace” retreat leader, Ministers and Mates, Wilmington Yearly Meeting, April 12-14, 2002
Christian Peacemaker Teams short term delegation to Palestine, February 2002
1998 Quaker Heritage Day lecturer, Berkeley Friends Church, Berkeley, California
August 1992, co-led work camp in Ramallah, West Bank for five weeks, return visits November 1997, February 2003
EDUCATION
Master of Ministry (honors), Earlham School of Religion, 1983
Reed College, Portland, Oregon, 1970-1971
Sidwell Friends School, Washington, D.C. 1966-1970
SOME PUBLICATIONS
Reminiscences of Levi Coffin: The Reputed President of the Underground Railroad, abridged and edited (with an Introduction), Friends United Press, 1991
Many articles in Quaker Life including:
“Friends United Meeting’s New Priorities,” Quaker Life, July/August, 2004.
“Grace Is True but Theological Speculation Won’t Save You” (review), Quaker Life, June 2003
“A CPT Delegation to the West Bank,” May 2002
"Dear Reader" column April 1998 - July/August 2000
"J.E. McNeil: A Skeptical Advocate for Peace," Quaker Life, (December 1999)
“Into the Light,” [contemporary conversion experiences] Quaker Life, (July 1999)
“Prayer for Kosovo and Us All,” Quaker Life, (June 1999)
"Tearing Down the Walls: Promise Keepers,” Quaker Life, (April 1996)
“Evangelism For Shy People,” Quaker Life, (October 1994)
"Elementary Teaching" (Quaker Life series) "The Wine of the Spirit" (April 1993), "Repentance & Faith" (May 1993), "Baptism in the Spirit" (June 1993), "Resurrection and Judgment" (July/August 1993)
"The Healing Power of the Spirit" (Friends in Ministry), Quaker Life, June, 1992
"Blessed are you when people persecute you falsely on my account," Quaker Life, May, 1992
Other articles, pamphlets, etc.
"The Christian Faith of Friends,” Friends United Meeting, August 2004.
"Perspective" (four lessons), Teacher's Friend "Hold Fast to the Faith,” June, July, August, 2004, George Fox Press
“What is the Work that Friends are Called to Finish?” Johnson Lecture, Friends United Meeting, 2002
"How the Quakers found unity,” Christian Living, September 1999
"Perspective" (four lessons), Teacher's Friend "Studies in the Book of Matthew,” December 1999, January, February 2000, George Fox Press
"FUM's Struggle with Sexual Ethics," Realignment: Nine Views, Pendle Hill occasional paper, 1992
Eight devotions on Matthew 10, Fruit of the Vine, October-December, 1992
A Guide f or Friends on Conscientious Objection to War, Friends United Meeting, 1991 (16 pages), revised 2001
"Sexual Ethics in the Restoration," Sexual Ethics: Some Quaker Perspectives, edited by Wilmer Cooper and Bob Fraser, Quaker Theological Discussion Group, 1990
Testimonies for our day, flier series, 1989-1990, (titles: Simplicity, Peace, Community, Men and Women, Sexuality, Justice, Integrity)
"Jesus and the Struggle for Justice," Education Newsletter, World Council of Churches, No. 2, 1989
"Christ is the One Who Restores Us to Paradise," in Christ Is ... A Study of the Offices of Christ, edited by Patricia Edwards DeLancey, Friends United Press (curriculum), 1988
Testimonies, Friends United Press, 1987. Adult curriculum, combining Bible Study, historical statements and contemporary discussion of Friends' testimonies
“How We Share the Gospel of Hope,” in Quaker Religious Thought # 59, (Hope and Despair-Part II) Spring 1985
PERSONAL
Born: January 3, 1952; Boston, Massachusetts
Married: Jody Kerman Richmond
Children: Jessica (11-6-78); Peter (5-5-81); Christopher (9-11-84)
Hobbies: baking, reading mysteries, bicycling, sailing; retired in 2001 from refereeing soccer at the youth and high school level
most recently updated, September 19, 2004