[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":3,"doc-seo-278984-105":53,"doc-detail-278984-en":126},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,14,19,24,29,34,39,44,49],{"id":8,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":11,"show_sort_weight":12,"slug":13},11,1,"Template","Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":15,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":16,"show_sort_weight":17,"slug":18},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":20,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":21,"show_sort_weight":22,"slug":23},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":25,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":26,"show_sort_weight":27,"slug":28},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":30,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":31,"show_sort_weight":32,"slug":33},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":35,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":36,"show_sort_weight":37,"slug":38},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":40,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":41,"show_sort_weight":42,"slug":43},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":45,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":46,"show_sort_weight":47,"slug":48},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":50,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":51,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":52},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":54,"data":55},"ok",{"site_id":56,"language":57,"slug":58,"title":59,"keywords":60,"description":61,"schema_data":62,"social_meta":119,"head_meta":121,"extra_data":123,"updated_unix":125},105,"en","afm-marriage-guidelines-2017-revised","AFM Marriage Guidelines - 2017 Revised","","AFM Marriage Guidelines outline how Atlanta Friends Meeting supports couples seeking a loving, committed relationship under the Meeting’s care. The document emphasizes the spiritual foundation of marriage/joining and the role of clearness discernment, vow review, and community witnesses. It describes preparatory steps, committee responsibilities (M&W, clearness, marriage/joining), approval procedures, and what happens before and after the ceremony, including signing and reporting at Meeting for Business.",{"@graph":63,"@context":118},[64,80,101],{"@type":65,"itemListElement":66},"BreadcrumbList",[67,71,74,77],{"item":68,"name":69,"@type":70,"position":9},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":72,"name":10,"@type":70,"position":73},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/",2,{"item":75,"name":41,"@type":70,"position":76},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/letters/",3,{"item":78,"name":59,"@type":70,"position":79},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/afm-marriage-guidelines-2017-revised/278984/",4,{"url":78,"name":59,"@type":81,"image":82,"author":87,"headline":59,"publisher":90,"fileFormat":93,"inLanguage":57,"description":61,"dateModified":94,"datePublished":95,"encodingFormat":93,"isAccessibleForFree":96,"interactionStatistic":97},"DigitalDocument",{"url":83,"@type":84,"width":85,"height":86},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/afm-marriage-guidelines-2017-revised/278984.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":88,"@type":89},"\tJames","Person",{"url":68,"name":91,"@type":92},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-09-15",true,{"@type":98,"interactionType":99,"userInteractionCount":20},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":100},"ViewAction",{"@type":102,"mainEntity":103},"FAQPage",[104,110,114],{"name":105,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":107},"What does a Marriage/Joining under the care of the Meeting mean?","Question",{"text":108,"@type":109},"It is an outward affirmation of an inward commitment between the two individuals and between the Meeting and either or both individuals. The clearness process helps the couple and community examine commitments and make a public affirmation led by the Spirit.","Answer",{"name":111,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":112},"How does a couple begin the process to marry under the Meeting’s care?",{"text":113,"@type":109},"The couple sends a letter of intent to marry under the care of the Meeting to the Ministry and Worship (M&W) committee. M&W then reports to the next Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business and appoints a clearness committee at its next monthly meeting.",{"name":115,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":116},"Which steps occur during the approval process before the ceremony?",{"text":117,"@type":109},"The clearness committee meets separately to discern clearness, reviews the vows, and recommends the couple’s promises to M&W. The full M&W committee considers and approves the marriage/joining, prepares a minute for Meeting for Business, and introduces the couple at Meeting for Worship at least once before final approval.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":78,"og:type":120,"og:title":59,"og:site_name":91,"og:description":61},"article",{"robots":122,"canonical":78},"index,follow",{"doc_id":124,"site_id":56},278984,1790174972,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":127},{"doc_id":124,"user_id":128,"nickname":88,"user_avatar":129,"doc_module":9,"category_id":40,"category_name":41,"doc_title":59,"doc_description":61,"doc_content":130,"file_id":131,"file_url":132,"file_type":133,"file_size":134,"view_count":20,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":9,"is_downloadable":9,"audit_status":9,"page_count":8,"language":135,"language_code":57,"site_id":56,"html_lang":57,"table_of_contents":136,"faqs":137,"seo_title":138,"seo_description":61,"update_tm":139,"read_time":79},2336474466412,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d","Approved 1990, Revised 8/2011, Revised 2/2017  \nFriends have long recognized that some couples are called into a loving,  \ncommitted relationship: a ministry of caring. With Divine assistance, this commitment may open the way to deep and unreserved love, to forgiveness, to trust, to spiritual development and nurture of each other's gifts. Early Friends understood that the joining of two people in this covenant relationship “is the work of the Lord only, and not the priests‟, or magistrates‟; for it is God’s ordinance and not man’s; and therefore, Friends cannot consent that they should join them together: for we marry none; it is the Lord’s work, and we are but witnesses.”(George Fox, 1669)  \n▪ from SAYMA’s A Guide to Our Faith and Our Practice, approved Sixth Month, 2010  \nThe Atlanta Friends Meeting affirms our willingness as a Meeting to hold celebrations of loving commitment under our care. We intend to follow the same customary and careful process of arriving at clearness for any couple who wish to unite under our care, regardless of sexual orientation, when one or both of these partners participate in our community.  \nWe are aware of the diversity of attitudes toward the term “marriage” and leave to the couple the characterization of their relationship – whether a celebration of marriage, commitment or joining.  \nThe Meeting acknowledges the certificate signed by the couple and those present at the ceremony as the witness of Friends to the couple’s spiritual union  \n▪ From a Minute from Sixth Month, 1990, Atlanta Friends Meeting  \nIntroduction and Overview  \nThe information given herein is meant to supplement the couple’s careful reading of the section on marriage among Friends in SAYMA’s A Guide to Our Faith and Our Practice. Where differences in these documents exist, the Atlanta Friends Meeting guidelines6 take precedence.  \nThese guidelines are organized into five main areas. Note that this summary is not intended to cover all details of the guidelines. Couples are encouraged to read the entire document.  \n▪ Preparatory Steps for Marriage/Joining  \n▪ Clearness Process  \no Couple sends letter of intent to marry under the care of the Meeting to the Ministry and Worship (M&W) committee.  \n6 Paper versions of these and the SAYMA guidelines will be available in the Meetinghouse Library and/or other locations so designated by the Meeting  \no M&W reports to the next Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business that a request has been made by the couple.  \no At its next monthly meeting, M&W appoints a Clearness committee to meet with the couple.  \no The couple meets with the Clearness committee to discern the clarity to marry and share their vows with the proposed committee.  \n▪ Approval Process  \no Clearness committee meets separately and discerns its clearness on the couple’s marriage.  \no The Clearness committee reviews the vows, finalizes its recommendation on the couple’s promises/vows and gives its recommendation on the marriage to M&W.  \no The full M&W committee considers and approves the marriage/joining.  \no The Clearness committee prepares a minute and presents it at Meeting for Business recommending that the couple’s marriage/joining be taken under the care of the Meeting.  \no The couple is introduced at Meeting for Worship at least once so that others in Meeting can meet them.  \no At the next Meeting for Business, the Meeting gives its approval.  \no The couple formally announces their marriage plans.  \no  \n▪ Marriage/Joining Committee  \no M&W forms a Marriage/Joining committee. A least one member of M&W shall serve on the Marriage/Joining committee.  \no The Marriage/Joining committee helps plan a ceremony in harmony with Friends’ practices and testimonies. The committee helps ensure that the details of the actual marriage/joining are faithfully carried out, including preparation and signing of the certificate of marriage/joining. See the Addendum that follows these guidelines.  \no  \n▪ After the Marriage/Joining","cbCaiosTWGpKVLvQ","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiosTWGpKVLvQ","pdf",410231,"English","# Introduction and Overview\n## Preparatory Steps for Marriage/Joining\n## Clearness Process\n## Approval Process\n## Marriage/Joining Committee\n## After the Marriage/Joining Ceremony\n# What is a Marriage/Joining Under the Care of the Meeting?","[{\"question\":\"What does a Marriage/Joining under the care of the Meeting mean?\",\"answer\":\"It is an outward affirmation of an inward commitment between the two individuals and between the Meeting and either or both individuals. The clearness process helps the couple and community examine commitments and make a public affirmation led by the Spirit.\"},{\"question\":\"How does a couple begin the process to marry under the Meeting’s care?\",\"answer\":\"The couple sends a letter of intent to marry under the care of the Meeting to the Ministry and Worship (M\\u0026W) committee. M\\u0026W then reports to the next Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business and appoints a clearness committee at its next monthly meeting.\"},{\"question\":\"Which steps occur during the approval process before the ceremony?\",\"answer\":\"The clearness committee meets separately to discern clearness, reviews the vows, and recommends the couple’s promises to M\\u0026W. The full M\\u0026W committee considers and approves the marriage/joining, prepares a minute for Meeting for Business, and introduces the couple at Meeting for Worship at least once before final approval.\"}]","AFM Marriage Guidelines - 2017 Revised | PDF",1789514502]