I recently helped organise and co-facilitate a British Quaker diversity and inclusion national gathering at the Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre. It was challenging and rewarding in equal measure, and I’ve put together some thoughts on the event for the Woodbrooke blog, which you can read here.
Thank you, as always, for your unique insights on such meaningful issues. I agree with you that important work was done during the weekend (and, I would add, I imagine much was done before to prepare for what was a challenging experience for many). I join you in your prayer: that we can as a Yearly Meeting become ever more humble and ever more open to the experience of the other, so that we may answer that of God in everyone, and have that of God answered in us too. I hope that all Friends/Attenders who are unable to attend Britain Yearly Meeting this year will uphold those who do. Bless you for all you are, Mark, and for all you contribute to life and our Religious Society.
You’re welcome Augene, and thanks for your encouraging words.
I spent many years in an Evangelical Friends Meeting. In the west of the U.S. many Friends Meetings were evangelical in name as well as in action. I realize that the Friends umbrella has many diverse members and enjoyed reading about your gathering.
Thanks Elizabeth.
[…] I’ve written twelve blog posts this year plus an article in the Friend, so posts and readers are up from 2018. Much of my writing has been prompted by my work at Woodbrooke. Quakers in Britain have been considering issues around diversity, inclusion, power and privilege, and I hope my written contributions have been a helpful addition to the conversation: there are my reflections from Britain Yearly Meeting (my second most popular post of the year), ‘Does Jesus exclude?’ (my third most popular post, helpfully shared by the Inclusive Church network), and my reflections on the 2019 Diversity and Inclusion National Gathering. […]