Photo: FWCC World Plenary 2024.
Preparing for Yearly Meeting 2025: Part seven
Quaker Earthcare Gathering 2025 - QPSW Central Committee: How we discern priorities for our work - Quaker Concern for Animals - Quaker Truth & Integrity Group - Interfaith and the Nicene Creed - Quaker Asylum and Refugee Network - Friends World Committee for Consultation - Meet Friends from around the world
‘We’re trying to braid together all of the different threads of things that Quakers are doing, and to signpost Friends into the different threads to have cross fertilisation,’ explained Laurie Michaelis, of Living Witness, at a special interest group on Saturday called Preparing for Quaker Earthcare Gathering 2025.
Twenty-seven Friends gathered to learn more about the event, taking place in October. The planning group includes: Living Witness, Britain Yearly Meeting, Quaker Support for Climate Action, and Woodbrooke.
‘This comes out of a need that I think has been felt and expressed for a long time, to nurture our community of mutual care and support, of shared purpose of earth care and earth crisis, and discern our ways forward.’
The event is intended to be inclusive, of ‘activists, organisers, supporters, students, elders, mystics, healers, artists’ and of all ages. Although it won’t be blended, there will be some online sessions before and after, and Paul Hodgkin shared some of his experiences of local and regional events.
Friends were encouraged to first reflect individually and then in breakout groups on the following questions: How are you engaged in Earthcare – in your own life, Quaker Meeting, other communities? What themes and questions are arising from your engagement? How would you like to connect with the gathering/extended gathering process?
A rich period of worship-sharing followed, with Friends sharing the emotional and practical responses to the reflections they had shared in small groups.
In What Is To Be Done? How we discern priorities for our work around peace & social witness, QPSW Central Committee members explained how they discern which work should be actioned. Jonathan Lingham, clerk to the committee, introduced several of its members, noting that ‘It’s really important that we open ourselves to scrutiny; the work is done in your name.’
Diana Jeater then talked about ‘how we understand what it is we’re doing’. The first thing, she said, was that ‘we are not managers, we are Friends who are spiritually accompanying the work that’s being done’.
Colin Holliday went on to discuss the public policy statements that go out in the name of Quakers. These were usually done in conjunction with other organisations, and a lot of work went into the process. Each statement had to be in accord with what Friends had discerned at YM. The checklist asked questions like: Who are we hoping to influence? Have we said this before? Are the language and tone appropriate? Might this harm other Quaker work? Which other organisations are involved, do we know them?
Often the answer was ‘no’, and Friends heard how the committee had dealt with the concern from some Friends about the campaign to make Ecocide a criminal activity. MfS had asked QPSWCC to look at the issues, and it eventually recommended that Friends shouldn’t sign up. The primary reason was that it was felt that ‘it simply wouldn’t work’, said Jonathan. It would generate headlines and interest, but in terms of practical assistance, it probably wouldn’t actually change an anything. Plus: ‘We don’t have limitless resources, either of funds or people.’
Another example was the process behind BYM using the terms ‘risk of genocide’ and ‘apartheid’ to refer to the situation in occupied Palestine. There was ‘a real Spirit-led discernment’, said Diana, where ‘every contribution felt like ministry’.
Friends had questions. Was there a central resource that collects information on discerned positions, and might it be available to Local Friends? Not yet, said Oliver Robertson of BYM, ‘It’s one of the pieces of work we’d like to do.’ Other Friends wanted to know about whether Quakers could be doing more international work. There was some of this, said Jonathan but, in the end ‘we could do a lot more if we had more money’.
Friends from Young Friends General Meeting (YFGM) gave a presentation on What does the peace testimony mean for non-human animals? to twenty Friends who gathered for a Quaker Concern for Animals special interest group.
Sasha described how her decision to become vegan ‘felt like it was coming from a place of love and hope’ and that Quakerism can offer ‘this idea that we can strive for a peaceable kingdom where we do no violence to each other’ to the animal rights movement.
She also shared two elements that felt most pronounced: the power dynamics between humans and other animals, and a parallel between the distance created by modern remote warfare and the distance consumers have from the way animals are treated.
Elliott added: ‘When Quakers talk about the Peace Testimony… we’re talking about large scale conflict… that’s for good reason, but if we’re called to live a peaceable life, as I think that we are, that has to involve looking at small actions in our day-to-day life.’
Ceridwen brought the presentation to a close by reflecting: ‘The Peace Testimony requires us to really work on how many of us are quite conflict avoidant, because it asks us to physically step in rather than turn away.’
A heated forty-minute discussion followed, with many Friends contributing their perspectives. One Friend spoke from her experience as a specialist in agriculture and co-author of Why Vegans have Smaller Brains. She argued against plant-based diets, saying that, ‘the growing of crops causes huge amounts of animal death and suffering, far more than some forms of animal livestock husbandry’.
Others expressed how the original presentation resonated with them, and the choices that they have made or are considering.
One commented: ‘I get the impression that there are very entrenched views… I think there’s a difference between eating meat on the one hand and mass production, mass farming on the other hand.’
As the discussion drew to a close, one Friend reflected: ‘We are working out the best way to use the freedom we have… we need to sit with these personal decisions and we need to look for the light that we have.’
In Truth and Democracy – difficult conversations in times of conflict, around thirty Friends were introduced to the Quaker Truth & Integrity Group and its work.
Anne Wilkinson from its steering committee read Quaker Faith & practice 20.71 before Friends went into breakout rooms to identify one difficult conversation they might be able to address. These ranged from challenging something on social media to living with a racist and controlling brother.
It was tempting to avoid difficult conversations said Martina Weitsch of the group, and we should not castigate ourselves for sometimes avoiding them; ‘we need to pick our moments’. How could Friends make sure they’re conversations and not battles? Remember to speak from your own point of view, said Martina. Check that you’ve understood. Leave space to hear. Ask open questions. Be respectful. Stay honest. Find a place of connection. Demonstrate empathy. Let allies help. And bear in mind that you might be mistaken.
In breakout rooms Friends role played some of these difficult conversations. They knew more would be coming up.
The Quaker Committee for Christian and Interfaith Relations (QCCIR) hosted a special interest meeting on Saturday, exploring Interfaith and the Nicene Creed.
Peter Caldwell, deputy general secretary of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, spoke to over thirty Friends about the implications for interfaith relations of the 2025 celebrations to mark the 1700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed.
The first part of his presentation explored the ecclesial, historical and political context of Nicaea, and reflected on how the anniversary is important ecumenically for some, while ‘for others it is a time of struggle’.
Friends entered into small groups to discuss the question: ‘How has my tradition absorbed an “empire mentality” that has contributed to the othering of different faiths? And what are the resources from my tradition that help us rebalance our relationship with other faiths?’
In the second part of his talk, Peter looked more closely at creeds and confessing faith. He shared the Nicene Creed, along with the observation that Christianity is unusual in having such detailed creeds – sharing much shorter examples from other faiths.
Friends returned to breakout rooms to discuss: ‘In a world of many faiths and ideologies, how might we express faith in a coherent way, which meets the challenges of our time, just as the council of Nicaea sought to do the same in its time?’
The meeting drew to a close with worship, with ministry on the discussions that had been had.
In Challenging the hostile environment, Fred Ashmore, from the Quaker Asylum and Refugee Network (QARN), introduced a session to help Friends support asylum seekers and refugees. After worship, Bridget Walker, also from the group, talked about the system of detention in the UK, including QARN’s campaign to prevent Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre from being reopened. This government plans to expand the centre, said Bridget, and ‘they’re going to deport more people’. QARN believes detention has to end, said Bridget, as it is ‘chaotic, unjust and inhumane’, but, while it continues, there should be a twenty-eight-day limit and better access to legal aid.
Catherine Margham then spoke about safe routes, emphasising that the new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill focuses on ‘smashing the gangs’ with ‘nothing on establishing safe routes’. Meanwhile, the UK’s policy on refugee children is very harsh, unlike most countries in the EU where they are allowed to sponsor family members to join them.
David Forbes spoke about ‘people already here’ and the ‘extreme difficulty’ they have in obtaining citizenship, with ‘astronomic’ costs of renewals. This raises ethical issues, subverting their human rights ‘to a kind of business model’, he said. It’s also inefficient, as the Home Office has to employ ‘a vast gang of people to scrutinise fee waivers and applications’.
The UK does have obligations under international law, explained Ginny Baumann, including the refugee convention, which stipulates that people have a right not to be punished through irregular entry to a country – something that the UK’s criminalising of people who arrive in small boats flouts.
After feedback from the room, Jo Cox, Britain Yearly Meeting’s interim public affairs and media manager, spoke about the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, now in its report stage. ‘There are some promising amendments,’ said Jo, which would be on QARN’s circulation list (to join, email info@qarn.org.uk), urging Friends to contact their MPs.
After Friends shared their local witnesses, QARN reminded everyone that the group meets quarterly on Zoom, and that ‘creative arts’ also play a part in ‘how we can get our message over’. Fred also flagged up a new handbook from Quaker Council for European Affairs, Moving with Dignity, which QARN would be holding a launch for on 18 June.
Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) and the Quaker World Relations Committee (QWRC) gave forty Friends an exclusive preview of a documentary about the 2024 FWCC World Plenary Meeting in a special interest meeting on Saturday.
In Living into the spirit of Ubuntu, Antony Froggett, of QWRC, said the film had only been completed a few hours earlier – ‘so it isn’t the final edit… but it still gives a very good flavour of the final film’.
The moving thirty-five minute documentary wove together music, song, excerpts from speakers and epistles, footage of worship and powerful ministry, as well as featuring interviews with Friends around the world.
A diversity of language and experience was reflected, as were the three themes that Friends considered: Care for creation, Ubuntu, and Healing historical injustice.
Tim Gee, general secretary of FWCC, described opportunities for Bible study, unprogrammed worship, and Plenary worship with each section. He emphasised: ‘We don’t exist just to create nice weeks for people… [but to] create brave space, where maybe everyone’s a little bit uncomfortable.’
Viewers can also see Simon Lamb, then-clerk of the FWCC central executive committee, addressing the gathering throughout, and the documentary draws to a close with the words: ‘In Loving Memory – Simon C Lamb – 1959-2025’.
In breakout rooms Friends reflected on the film and offered feedback, before coming together in the main session. The final version of the documentary will be released in August, a year on from the Plenary itself.
Saturday offered an opportunity to Meet Friends from around the world who are visiting Yearly Meeting this year. Ruth Homer, of Quaker World Relations Committee, began by asking Friends to introduce themselves, and those gathered heard voices from Germany, the USA, Canada, Austria, Ireland and South Africa.
The session dealt mainly with practicalities for meeting people and finding one’s way around. But some wanted to know how welcome their ministry would be. ‘Ministry can come from anyone’ said Adwoa Burnley, clerk to YM. ‘You are super welcome.'
