Yearly Meeting Gathering (YMG), 2021: Fringe and preparatory events

Fringe and preparatory events from Groups Fair to Stories for Rebel Quakers

Many thanks must go to the committees, staff, groups and individual Friends who have been able to put together, and support, such a full Community and Fringe programme. Several of these groups were available for conversation at the Groups Fair, which ran over Saturday afternoon and Sunday night. Friends could log in via Zoom to speak to people they might otherwise be chatting to on stalls. Those interested in the new ‘Black, Brown and People of Colour Fellowship’, for example, chatted to Edwina Peart, BYM’s inclusion and diversity coordinator, about the group’s emerging vision, and how it felt to worship in a space where everyone was a person of colour. It felt ‘lovely’, where ‘no eyebrows were raised at my very presence’. There were as many differences inside the group as with those outside it, she said, but related a ‘gathering momentum’ on issues important to those involved, such as bringing Quakers up to speed with other faith organisations.

At the Quaker Concern for European Affairs virtual stall, Friends talked to new director Timmon Wallis about the possibility of visiting Quaker House Brussels. Brexit was making life difficult for the relationship with Brits, he said, with it being more difficult for people to apply for jobs there. He hoped Friends here wouldn’t lose touch with Europe. Meanwhile the organisation had been offering workshops online, and there were other ways of staying in touch.

Elsewhere, Friends in Wales gave info on the Symud Ymlaen/Moving Forward plan to create one single charity for all Friends there. The aim was to ‘reduce the paraphernalia’ of existing, complicated structures. At the moment, too much time was spent on process and function, and not enough on spiritual response. Finance sub groups had begun to work more closely together now, which would increase efficiency and limit the burden on individual Friends. It could be a sign of things to come for the rest of the Society as it moved to simplify.

Woodbrooke has been offering a range of events, tied to the YMG theme. Some have proved extremely popular, with extra sessions added. Friends met on Saturday afternoon to discuss privilege – the unearned benefits individuals may gain as part of their membership of dominant groups. It is an issue that comes up throughout the programme, whether discussing mental health or climate change, but Woodbrooke staff have been happy to tackle the subject directly, enlightening and challenging Friends as they came with different levels of understanding.

On Sunday the Quaker Disability Equality Group (QDEG) hosted Disability Equality During Lockdown: How was it for you? Thirty-three Friends shared their experiences. A key theme was technology, and a number of positives shone through: experiences with blended worship, improving speech-to-text functionality within Zoom, the depth of some Children’s Meetings, reconnecting with geographically-distant Friends, and, for many present, the ability to access local worship despite mobility and health issues. One participant said ‘by being able to attend online I have felt much more connected’.

Struggles that Meetings and individuals faced were also shared. One participant voiced concerns that their Meeting had ‘not seen those who don’t use phones or computers for a very long time’. Others spoke of the challenges they encountered due to mental health issues and the need for additional support in using technology, while others described the impact that using technology can have, such as the consequences of too much screen time.

One Friend reflected that ‘the majority of disabled people have found lockdown harder’ and wondered if some of the positive experiences could be indicative of Friends’ privilege at being able to access and use technology. As the session drew to a close, one Friend remarked that Quakers ‘have some serious questions about what we do after this’.

Around eighty Friends attended a session from the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO), in which staff talked about the nature of their work on a range of subjects, from migration to the environment, and how their human rights approach underpinned everything they did. Joachim Monkelbaan, for example,  discussed his work on sustainable and just economic systems, and the need to understand these as spiritual problems. Issues of agency, respect and discernment gave people a necessary greater purpose. Jonathan Woolley, outgoing director, talked about the freedom the organisation had as the result of its Quaker funding. It meant that relevant parties understood that it had no institutional axe to grind, which was essential in quiet diplomacy. British Quakers provided sixty-five percent of QUNO funding – higher than that, recently – and it made the team feel ‘hugely supported’.

A Monday session on young Friends’ involvement in the Loving Earth Project had to be amended slightly when those younger Friends were prevented (the difficulties for Friends of working age in attending the Fringe, held throughout the working week, was a sore subject for some). But they had left their words, to be read alongside images of beautifully-constructed tapestry panels, of which there are now more than 200. This community textile project springs from a series of questions set to budding artists: ‘What or whom do you love that’s in danger from environmental breakdown?’ ‘How do you contribute to the threat and what can you do about it?’ and ‘What’s the tiniest thing that you could do that would make a difference? What’s the most radical thing you could do?’

Friends discussed how the panels might be displayed, tricky since the logistics of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow has yet to be decided. One Friend lamented that they hadn’t gotten involved sooner, but were pleased to hear that there was still an opportunity to make more panels. ‘You don’t even need to be good at sewing – glue and printing works just as well.’

More than fifty people attended a session on the relationship between Meeting for Sufferings and BYM trustees. After the clerks of both were introduced, Friends offered thanks for the difficult work that was being done through the pandemic. It had been a time of a lot of misunderstandings, said one, and he hoped trustees felt upheld. Yes, said Caroline Nursey, clerk to BYM trustees, but it had been a difficult summer. Trustees were very aware of the burden on staff, and knew that they had to keep everyone safe. It was a stressful time, but they wanted to keep as much work going as possible. On the misunderstandings, she said that trustees knew they would sometimes not be well understood – ‘it goes with the territory’ – and the key thing was to not be buffetted around. Friends had known for some time that the Society had to make some hard choices. And there were often lovely notes and messages from supportive Friends.

Margaret Bryan, clerk to MfS, said that MfS had not had ‘anything like’ the same issues. But there had been a steep learning curve, with more than 100 representatives online. Clerks do expect ups and downs, she said, but it was important to remember that, if you were nominated, that meant that Friends thought you could do the job – even when you weren’t sure yourself.

Friends said that it was helpful to have sessions like this, to help with communications throughout the Society, but some wondered whether trustees were becoming too strategic, which was the rightful role of Yearly Meeting. It was a good question, said Paul Parker, recording clerk. The relevant bodies ‘flexed all the time’, he said, but Friends were always going to need two bodies, since the church was not the same shape as the charity. This was an ‘essential tension’, said Margaret Bryan. There were always going to be situations when one side reached a position that would take some time to work through. All this was a contribution to the simplification project said one trustee, and could be discussed at upcoming roadshows and meetings.

Indeed, at a session offering updates on the simplification project, Friends continued to ask about the role of trustees. First, two trustees from the working group spoke about the three strands of governance: spiritual direction; managing the charity; and strategy and resource allocation. Given a blank page, ‘How do we best support Quakers to do what Quakers want to do?’ The trustees had been asking Friends what brought them joy in service, in order to consider how this could be ‘simpler, more inclusive, and more sustainable’. A smaller MfS, for example?

Friends did want to discuss MfS, with one saying ‘I can’t think when then last time Sufferings was invited to comment on the overall balance of priorities’ for the Society, and another saying the body didn’t have enough time to discern properly. One worried that, amid decline, ‘we’re not pulling energy in one direction’. There was a ‘shift in emphasis’ in governance, said a further Friend, towards trustees. Others wanted ‘more consultation’ with Friends on the bench, since some decisions were being taken that had ‘no basis whatsoever in members’ views’. One spoke of wanting to move from a ‘secret garden’ to a ‘public park’. Several Friends added similar concerns.

It must have been a lot to take in. ‘This is a challenging process’ said one trustee. The Friends had been heard.

Almost 200 people attended a fascinating panel discussion aimed at sharing anti-racism journeys, as part of the preparation for Yearly Meeting session three, which asked ‘Are we ready to commit to being an anti-racist faith community?’

Not all those contributing wanted their stories discussed outside those present, but one Friend from Disley Meeting talked about what happened when they erected a ‘Black Lives Matter’ banner. Unity on the matter had been difficult to reach, and then it was burned down. The Friend had received racist communications when the matter was reported in the local press, but, more pressingly, she believed that their local decision-making would inform the national consideration. Not all Friends were in the same place, and there would be discomfort. If we were ready to be serious about this work, it would be difficult.

A Friend from Scotland gave her personal experiences of racism in and outside her Meeting. She pointed out that we were all subject to structural messages, and that as a black woman she still found that she underestimated other Friends of colour, since that is what our culture leads us to.

Friends also met to hear about the changing work of Quaker Peace & Social Witness (QPSW).Clare Wood, head of social justice programmes, said that one of the challenges faced by Central Committee (CC) is how to stay responsive to Quakers, while bringing in other relevant organisations, and recognising that the changes are ‘difficult and hard’.

As part of the new strategy, CC has identified four key approaches (peacebuilding, partnership and movement-building, skills-building and education, and advocacy). It has also asked how QPSW can learn from its international work. Overall, ‘one thing that became clear is how we do things is as important as what we do’.

‘Often our ambition can outstrip our resources,’ said Oliver Robertson, head of witness and worship. Recognising what Quakers can distinctively ßbring to the table is key, he said. We need to ‘get away from the idea that the only people who can do [the work] are staff people in BYM… Historically some of the most powerful Quaker [campaigns] did not start with centrally-managed staff, but came from one or two Quakers.’

Several Friends asked why criminal justice is being laid down as central work. There was quite a lot of criminal justice work being done outside QPSW, said Oliver and it was important to be ‘aware of when we are able to provide something different’ from other organisations.

One Friend said that while working as a probation officer, she had found the support of Quakers in criminal justice extremely valuable. ‘I don’t think other organisations provide that very special dedication. I’m not denouncing them, but it is different.’

Seventy Quakers met to hear about the QPSW Build Back Better (BBB) programme. Several of the participants talked about how interconnected Quaker concerns such as climate justice, peace, equality and the importance of community are, which meant that ‘many of us are already doing good work, and we should follow where we feel spiritually-led’.

‘Maybe the equivalent [to the revolutionary zeal of first generation Quakers] is universal basic income, prioritising services to the most vulnerable, disinvesting from armament, designing houses and infrastructure around the needs of people and communities rather than cars and profit margins?’, asked one Quaker.

Other Friends told us how the ongoing BBB meetings had sparked ideas for activism. Friends were urged to ‘seriously consider joining an alliance or setting one up themselves. The magic comes from working with others. Let us share the richness of our tradition, which is timeless,’ said one participant.

Four sessions were run to help Friends hear more about the work of local development workers (LDWs). In total more than 100 Friends heard from one LDW, talking about work in their respective area. One talked of helping an Area Meeting Arrangements Committee break down its tasks into manageable chunks, to prevent stasis, and of helping another AM to set up threshing meetings to discuss structures. But work had been done with individuals too, for example the man who wanted to find a way to draw attention to conscientious objectors who had been imprisoned in the area. A walk near the site is now an important part of the local calendar.

Friends were encouraged by the work, and Rachel Matthews, head of supporting communities, reminded them that every Friend would be within reach of their own LDW by this time next year. The team were set up to be responsive, she said, not prescriptive, and would spend time hearing what was needed in each area. One of the aims was to figure out what work was necessary to offer ways of being a Quaker that more people could access.

LDWs were also present as Friends met to discuss Meeting Differently. This shouldn’t just be about the detail of what happens at a Meeting, said Alastair Fuller of Quaker Life, but about what a Quaker community is for. It should be somewhere each of us has unmediated experience of the divine, he said, individually and collectively. Somewhere to be cherished and challenged.

Carrie Comfort, LDW, said Friends might want to think about meeting differently in two ways: how we might want to meet differently from the way we do now, and how we might want to meet differently from other people in our Meeting. She talked about Meeting outside as an example. As a nature person, she said, she could touch trees and feel them as part of the worship. ‘To attend Meeting for Worship with someone is always to enter the wild with them.’

Other Friends shared their own ways of meeting differently. One simple way was just keeping the door open, said one. When that happened some of the more ‘wriggly attenders’ worshipped through whispers and cuddles, and could enter and exit without disturbance. ‘The stillness doesn’t have to be in our bodies,’ she said.

In Why Do You Call Me Good?: Whiteness and responsibility’ Woodbrooke tutor Mark Russ shared a talk based on his article in the current issue of Friends Quarterly. It was a popular session, with extra sessions added to cope with demand. He began by talking about Quakers he’d met who’d been outraged at the idea that Quakers were racist. It was a misunderstanding, he said, acknowledging that he, too, used to think that racism was the intentional manifestation of a hatred. It’s actually a systemic issue, he went on, disordered relationship on a grand scale. Accepting responsibility for this was terrifying but also good news, because it meant we could do something about it.

Friends thanked him for the talk (viewable under the ‘On Demand’ section of the YMG Schedule this is viewable for those registered for YMG). One fleshed out the idea of systemic racism by discussing Derek Chauvin, who murdered George Floyd. He too had been failed by the system, she said.

Other Friends wondered how best to proceed, given that they rarely came into contact with people of colour. Self-reflection, said Mark. What media do I consume, and whose stories do they tell?

Those who did live in multicultural areas thought that unpicking racism was a long process. Yes, but we’re already way too late, came the answer. There needed to be a sense of urgency.

There was an opportunity for an all-age gathering at Stories for Rebel Quakers. Alastair Fuller of Quaker Life explained how, as he aged, he had come to believe in just three things: ‘Friendship, delight, and the power of stories’. He asked the twenty-five Friends in attendance for their book recommendations, and received answers that stretched from Alice in Wonderland to Anne Frank’s Diary. He chose the Moomins series, and its ‘diverse, complicated family’. Its world could be strange and even threatening but Mama Moomin could cope with anything. Friends young and old shared their own favourites, with a focus on stories that helped them see through a different lens, or which demonstrated how to overcome a challenge. The session ended with a reading of Mr Pine’s Purple House. There’s lots of big serious stuff to consider this YMG, said Alastair, but hoped there would always be space for fun like that.

YMG reporting by Friend staff: Rebecca Hardy, Joseph Jones, and Elinor Smallman. More next week.

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