Participants at the Church and Peace conference. Photo: Barbara Forbes.
Quakers at Church and Peace gathering
Friends made up around half of the participants at the Church and Peace gathering
Quakers from around Britain made up about half of the participants who gathered in Birmingham on 23 February for the third annual Church and Peace (C&P) gathering. The topic, ‘Peace is not a fairy-tale – we have to work to make it happen’, had been devised by C&P in conjunction with the Fellowship of Reconciliation.
Barbara Forbes, member of Central England Area Meeting and also the board member of C&P for Britain and Ireland, told the Friend: ‘An inspiring and thought-provoking talk by Al Barrett, a local vicar, set the scene for our discussions… which interpreted peace in the widest possible sense, ranging from interfaith action on climate change to supporting Churches of Sanctuary.’
There were also discussions on Brexit and workshops about ‘everyday civil courage’, led by Oliver Robertson, BYM’s new head of witness and worship.
Barbara Forbes added that next year’s event is ‘already under discussion and there are plans to make the European network of Church and Peace more visible in this country and to consider how we can… work together across borders’.
