Out of the work of the Reference Group grew shared visions of how Quakers in London might flourish with less onerous structures, roles and more efficient practices, whilst fulfilling our legal and charitable obligations. This paper is our attempt to share this vision and to provide a starting point for us all to contribute.
For this I can say, I … joyfully entered prisons as palaces, telling mine enemies to hold me there as long as they could: and in the prison house I sung praises to my God, and esteemed the bolts and locks put upon me as jewels, and in the Name of the eternal God I always got the victory, for they could keep me there no longer than the determined time of my God.
If any one has received any good or benefit through this vessel, called William Dewsbury, give God the glory; I’ll have none, I’ll have none, I’ll have none.
Part of Qf&p 19.33
We will have become a flourishing community, the number in membership growing each year and attenders energised by our spiritual and community engagement.
We will be a worshipping group able to take a strategic view to the aspirations, needs and work of all Quakers in London.
London Quakers will be widely known as a community of spirit led people, a diverse community of Quakers from many faiths and non-faith traditions, shining forth from one of the great capital cities in the world. The concerns and leadings of London Quakers will ‘light a thousand fires.’
Quakers in London will be renewed. Our London centre will provide support and capacity so that we can take on projects that will truly benefit people in an increasingly complex world. Quakers will naturally form part of the London wide community and will have the capacity to more readily address London wide issues and spiritual needs.
As Friends we are called to live out our faith, taking action both collectively and as individuals to make the world more just, sustainable and peaceful, deepening our worship and reaching out beyond our own communities. Towards this end we will
have simplified how we do things. We will have maintained our unique decision making and record keeping, and we will have kept worship at the centre but avoided complexity in our method, enabling us to focus more on what is truly important and enriching.
Our resources will more truly serve our objectives. Where our meeting houses have become a burden, then we will create new ‘palaces’ for today. Where our roles have become a burden, then we will adapt and change, making them fit for the number of Friends in membership, and we will embrace new technologies to enable us to become fleet of foot in our modern world.
We will have built a London wide group of Friends, learning from good practice and creative ideas from our meetings and projects throughout the city. Local meetings will be able to connect with one another in new ways, not only in geographical groupings, but with others who share the same characteristics (e.g. small meetings, or city centre meetings) or who are working on the same concern (e.g. refugees, or outreach).
The early Quakers created a radical society of spiritual seekers without any creed to bind them because they had the administrative genius to hold such a disparate people together. We will learn from them in our renewal.
Approved for distribution by minute 4 of a meeting of the Pan London Governance Group, held 13 June 2023