The joy of money
A look at the different sides of being a Quaker treasurer
Handling money for Quakers is a joy as well as a responsibility, as I have found during three years as an Area Meeting (AM) treasurer. This is not only the joy when the figures come right: the job involves interpreting to the members what our money is, so we can all understand what it represents as ministry, and how we can best use it. How do we expect Quaker witness and support to be financed? How does our local or area Quaker money connect more widely with the work of Quakers in Britain? Ultimately, it comes down to how as Quakers we make our own financial contributions, and how we encourage each other to do that. The Annual Conference of Treasurers, which took place 25-27 June at Swanwick, is a good opportunity for treasurers to meet and compare ways of doing things. It helps treasurers to step back from their own figures, so what they collect and look after for Meetings is related to the fund-raising and spending of Britain Yearly Meeting’s centrally managed work. The conference is a part of the structure of accountability of BYM, though a lack of clarity about this was acknowledged, and may be one reason why about a third of Area Meetings were not represented.
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