Meeting for Sufferings: Revision of the ‘Red Book’
Meeting for Sufferings heard the report of the Book of Discipline Revision Preparation Group
In 1994 Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) approved the current Book of Discipline. Minor changes to the ‘church government’ sections of the book have been made since then. In 2014 Yearly Meeting in Bath considered whether the time was right for a new revision and a Book of Discipline Revision Preparation Group was set up.
The Book of Discipline Revision Preparation Group spoke to Meeting for Sufferings on Saturday 2 December about their work and the results of the nationwide project in which British Quakers had engaged in a systematic reading of Quaker faith & practice.
The Group felt that Friends had discovered more of the book’s riches and the project also ‘raised an important theme’ – the discussion on theism and nontheism – a binary opposition that ‘doesn’t reflect the reality of the phrase “religious difference”’. The church government section was described as ‘increasingly out of date.’ The Group recommended a revision.
Sufferings was also told of the very productive ‘theology think tank’ at Woodbrooke and a resulting book, God, words and us: Quakers in conversation about religious differences, produced by Quaker Books. It was explained that ‘our differences are our richness’ and the value of discussions over ‘new ways of approaching the presentation of information on church government’ was highlighted. The reading project had revealed that some Friends in BYM felt ‘there is nothing in the current book that speaks to them’.
Friends talked about the pros and cons of having one book or two, as had been the case in the past; on what might be placed online; and on whether a printed version was necessary. They were reminded by the clerk that the key question was: ‘Is the time right for a revision?’
A Friend said: ‘I am excited. However, given that we are going to be celebrating religious difference, is it going to be still called the book of Christian discipline?’
A Friend commented that she was very glad so many people had read the book in the past year and ‘strongly recommended’ a revision.
Another Friend, however, was concerned. She said that while she understood the reasons for a revision, she admitted: ‘I’m scared and I will not be the only person at Yearly Meeting in 2018 who will be scared.’ She said she welcomed the additions but explained: ‘I am scared rigid that this will be at the expense of taking out language that speaks to me.
‘My Local Meeting, when we have been reading it, have not found words they wish to change. I am afraid what they cherish will not be retained and words added in order to address other people for whom these words do not speak.’
A Young Friend explained that Quaker faith & practice had been studied in Young Friends General Meeting and said: ‘There was a lot that doesn’t speak to us. I think it was done thirty years ago. It desperately needs to be revised. I think Young Friends should be involved in the process as much as possible and not as “tokens”.’
A Friend thanked the Revision Preparation Group and hoped Friends could ‘move forward in faith and listen to the Spirit’.
The draft minute was offered and some suggestions made. It was felt that the committee who were appointed to do the final revision should have the ‘freedom to be creative’. A Friend hoped that the book might have a visual element and ‘not be full of words’. Another Friend raised the subject of the ‘terms of reference’ of the revision committee and whether it can recommend constitutional changes.
Recording clerk Paul Parker explained that it was ‘important to remember we will look at the terms of reference in the future in more detail’.
Sufferings were in unity that the ‘time is right’ for a revision and agreed to the draft minute and to bring this decision to Yearly Meeting.
The Revision Preparation Group was asked to work with Agenda Committee to prepare material for Yearly Meeting 2018.
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