Ministry defence: Clive Ashwin on one of the central concepts in Quakerism

‘True ministry can come from the most unexpected sources.’

by Clive Ashwin 18th September 2026

Ministry is one of the central concepts of Quakerism. This is reflected in Quaker faith & practice (Qf&p), where the term arises in many paragraphs, sometimes featuring as the main concern. What does it mean? And how did it get to a place of such prominence in the Quaker lexicon?