Meeting for Sufferings: Appropriate oversight
Friends at Meeting for Sufferings considered a minute from Central Yorkshire Area Meeting
Meeting for Sufferings (MfS) received a minute from Central Yorkshire Area Meeting (AM) regarding the suitability of the term ‘overseer’ to describe Friends who have oversight responsibilities in Meetings. The AM minuted: ‘We recognise this concern, but there are differing views on the issue. We feel that the continuing use of the term Overseer, and others, should be considered and discerned at a national level…’
Arguments in favour of a change include the association of the word with slavery and factory overseers. But changing the term could lay Friends open to the charge of making superficial changes in order to appeal to more people.
One Friend who is an overseer and also a psychologist mentioned the concept of superego, which could also be translated as overseer, as another negative connotation.
A Friend gave some historical context: terms like witnesses, prophets and learners have developed over the centuries in the Christian lexicon. Quakers have wanted to be different, but have also been part of the Christian church, and there are equivalents to elders and overseers in other churches. ‘If we’re having overseers, they should be “big picture people” who are part of the care team.’
Another Friend said that we need to look at our language and structures as a whole.
One Friend said that his privilege allows him ‘to shrug about this issue and say it doesn’t affect me’, but he knows that for other people it is contentious. He added that we need to think of others who feel affected by this word.
MfS minuted: ‘We reflect today that the term “overseer” carries some unhelpful connotations, particularly in relation to slavery, in industry, in psychology and in religious contexts. Looking at this term may prompt us to consider other words we use in our organisation.’
MfS forwarded a minute to Quaker Life Central Committee (QLCC) asking for it to return with advice.
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