Are Quakers a Radical Faith? Fired by the Spirit

As Imi Hills said in their article in The Friend (27th September 2024):

'' Radicalism is not just a moral imperative, it is foundational to our collective identity. And I believe it is essential for the future of Quakerism, too. Attracting young convinced Friends has the potential to resolve some of our financial hardships, but also, more importantly, the potential to infuse more energy into our community."

Imi suggested that:

''Young people are in a unique position to challenge traditional, pre-existing systems and structures, and to reveal an organisation's blindspots, and we need the space to do this.''

This session attempts to offer such a space—to listen deeply to the promptings of love and truth so boldly delivered by this young Friend, followed by a period of worship sharing.

In response to this call for space, we hope this session can be the start of a much-needed, longer conversation. We anticipate that Friends will leave with vital questions and promptings to ponder both individually and within their Quaker communities.

Quakerism is a unique type of church, and we have not shied away from involvement in historically difficult and political issues. Our Quaker roots are radical, but are we genuinely challenging the status quo? Or are we—to some extent—working within systems that perpetuate harm?

The FWCC World Plenary in August 2024 called for a radical transformation of society. The time has passed for small, incremental shifts. They said, "We are called into practical and prophetic action."

What does love truly require of us? Can we be bold enough to step into this call and rekindle the blazing, transformational fire of our forebears?

https://thefriend.org/article/long-term-solutions-imi-hills-says-quakerism-should-harness-the-radicalism-of-young-friends