Meeting for Sufferings: Role for Young Friends in revision
Young Friends' input into the revision of the Book of Discipline was discussed at Meeting for Sufferings
Meeting for Sufferings, on 7 July at Friends House in London, agreed to appoint and oversee a Book of Discipline Revision Committee.
Sufferings is tasked with implementing the decision made at Yearly Meeting 2018 to proceed with a revision of Quaker faith & practice and Central Nominations Committee was asked to bring names forward so the Revision Committee can start work in 2019.
Sufferings heard that Young Friends General Meeting, held on 25-28 May, had expressed a concern that ‘the potential length of service and time commitment of roles on the Revision Committee may make them inaccessible to some’ and that Young Friends should be involved in a meaningful way.
Some Friends highlighted the importance of the spiritual and religious basis of the Book of Discipline and others stressed the need for the consultation to be wide and inclusive.
Friends also commented on the value of having continuity in the Committee and in facilitating participants who might only be able to give a limited commitment of time and serve for a year or two.
A member of the Revision Preparation Group said that this subject was important and had been addressed.
He reassured Friends that there would be opportunities for Friends to serve for limited periods of time.
A Friend hoped that the aspirations to diversity and inclusion, as time went on, would be maintained. She said this needed to be constantly monitored to avoid the danger of ‘cosiness’.
Central Nominations Committee was asked to ensure that the names brought forward included younger Friends.
The minute stated that the revision process should be ‘fully accessible to younger Quakers’.
A Young Friend said that younger Quakers in Britain were ‘delighted to be involved’ in the revision.
