Quakers and Money with Joann Neuroth, Alicia Mendonca-Richards, and Brian McClaren

 Peterson Toscano (he/him) and Miche McCall (they/them) look at how Quaker meetings align their financial practices with their values. The episode features Joann Neuroth sharing how Red Cedar Meeting in Lansing, Michigan, has shifted its financial priorities to work towards racial justice. Alicia Mendonca-Richards discusses how Quakers can embrace mystical knowledge to rethink our economy. You will also hear Brian McLaren from an excerpt of Climate Changed, a podcast by The BTS Center. He considers how to maintain a vibrant life while navigating unavoidable losses and significant uncertainties. 

Moving From Hand Wringing to Agency: A Quaker Meeting Uses Money as a Vehicle for Action

Joann Neuroth highlights how Quaker meetings can make financial decisions that align with their values. She emphasizes thoughtful stewardship, intentional action, and the potential to contribute to community well-being by using financial resources to address injustice and meet community needs.

Red Cedar Meeting moved its long-term maintenance fund to Liberty Bank, a Black-owned bank in Detroit, to support Black communities. It makes annual payments to The Justice League of Greater Lansing Michigan as reparations, acknowledging that these resources belong to those harmed by slavery, segregation, and white supremacy. Red Cedar Meeting also created a tiny pantry to provide free food to the community. This project began with a few members bringing extra groceries and grew to distribute approximately $11,000 worth of food annually.

Joann Neuroth wrote the article “Putting Our Money Where Our Hearts Are.” It appears in the January 2025 issue of FriendsJournal.org. Joann is a member of Red Cedar Meeting in Lansing, Mich. She has served on the boards of American Friends Service Committee and the School of the Spirit Ministry, where she will co-teach an upcoming spiritual nurture class, "God's Promise Fulfilled: Encountering and Embodying Grace in the Shadow of Empire”.

How Quakers Can Rethink the Economy

Alicia Mendonca-Richards shares her insights on how Quakers can rethink the economy. She argues that the current system, based on unsustainable growth and competition, distracts from what truly matters. Mendonca-Richards connects economic thought and mysticism, suggesting that mystical knowledge can be a foundation for courageous action and alternative economic models.

The full video featuring Alicia Mendonca-Richards and other QuakerSpeak videos can be found on the QuakerSpeak YouTube channel or at Quakerspeak.com. 

Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart by Brian McLaren.

In Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart, Brian McLaren explores the anxieties and uncertainties many people feel about the future of our planet and civilization. He acknowledges the serious challenges we face, including climate change, social and political divisions, and the decline of traditional institutions. However, instead of dwelling on despair, McLaren focuses on finding meaning and purpose in the face of these challenges. Audio with Brian McLaren comes from The BTS Center's podcast, Climate Changed, which offers intimate interviews and conversations around some of the most pressing questions about faith, life, and climate change. Thank you, BTS Center!

Read Pamela Haines’s Friends Journal review. Read more Friends Journal book reviews.

Answers for this month: In last month’s episode, we asked: What are some unexpected ways you find yourself drawn to repair?

Thank you to Callie, Lena, Erin, Micah, Maggie, and Joann for answering! 

Question for next month: What is your relationship with nature like?

Leave a voice memo or text with your name and the town where you live at +1 317-782-5377. You can also comment on our social media channels or send an email to podcast@friendsjournal.org.

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation (FPC) content online. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Miche McCall.

Season Four of Quakers Today is sponsored by American Friends Service Committee and Friends Fiduciary.

American Friends Service Committee:

Vulnerable communities and the planet are counting on Quakers to take action for a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. The American Friends Service Committee, or AFSC, works at the forefront of many social change movements to meet urgent humanitarian needs, challenge injustice, and build peace. Find out more about how you can get involved in their programs to protect migrant communities, establish an enduring peace in Palestine, de-militarize police forces worldwide, assert the right to food for all, and more. Visit AFSC.ORG.

Friends Fiduciary:

Since 1898, Friends Fiduciary has provided values-aligned investment services for fellow Quaker organizations.  Friends Fiduciary consistently achieves strong financial returns while witnessing to Quaker testimonies. They also help individuals support organizations they hold dear through giving strategies, including donor-advised funds, charitable gift annuities, and stock gifts. Learn more about FFC’s services at FriendsFiduciary.org.

Feel free to email us at podcast@friendsjournal.org with​​ comments, questions, and requests for our show. Music from this episode comes from Epidemic Sound. Follow Quakers Today on TikTok, Instagram, X, and visit us at QuakersToday.org.