Final World Conference Report

April 25, 2012

The 6th World Conference of Friends ended today, so everyone has moved on: many to safaris, me to Western Kenya for a HROC (Healing and Reconciling Our Communities) workshop with David Zarembka's group, Liz to Nairobi for 3 days of meetings with the Central Executive Committee of FWCC.  As we were leaving the conference, many were using words like "transformative" and "life-changing" to describe their experience. 

In our final "home group" meeting yesterday (small group of about 15 who met together daily)be , we were asked to think about what we would taking home from the conference.  Here are the three I would mention:

1.         A renewed appreciation for the place of joy and gratitude in worship.  On the final night, the Kenyans had everyone singing, clapping, and dancing with their exuberant music. Why are unprogrammed Friends so somber?   

2.         A new perspective on Quaker diversity.  We often pride ourselves on our theological diversity, whereas in truth we cover only a small part of the Quaker spectrum.  At the same time, as we lament our lack of ethnic and racial diversity, the worldwide family of Friends is incredibly diverse.  

3.         A new appreciation of the work that African Quakers have done with peacemaking.  20 years ago, when I was invited to give a message at a Kenyan Friends Church, the invitation came with a caveat: "I hope you are not going to talk about the peace testimony, like every other American who visits."  Kenyans saw themselves as living in a peaceful country, and the peace testimony was something Americans, not Africans, were concerned about.  Now with Friends facing serious civil unrest, ethnic cleansing and even genocide, first in Rwanda and Burundi in 1994, and then Kenya in 2007-08, peace is an active concern for all African Quakers.  There is an amazing and inspiring variety of local initiatives springing up, especially as Kenya looks forward (or perhaps dreads) elections within the next year, and Quakers have been in the forefront of many of these.  The possibility of violence, and the urgent need for programs to prevent it, is a constant part of life for Friends in this part of the world.  It is not a matter of writing letters to your congressman, but learning to live with a neighbor who might be from a different ethnic group.   It is no longer us to teach them about peace, but them to teach us.

There is much more to ponder.

Mid-conference report

Friday, April 20, 2012

We are approaching the halfway point of the World Conference, and I wanted to send at least a brief report back.  The days have been so packed that it has been hard to do even that. 

Nearly 1000 Friends arrived on Tuesday, from 42 countries, and over a hundred different yearly meetings: the most diverse gathering of Friends ever.  Not all things have gone smoothly with logistics, so Liz her small team have been very busy at work behind the scenes to keep things going (little things like not having the number of beds and classrooms that the university had promised us, etc.).  I barely see Liz during the day.  Tonight she was the recording clerk for the first business session; minutes here must be approved as we go along (and simultaneously translated into Spanish)

Where to start?  Perhaps a suggestion to go to the web site to see pictures: www.saltandlight2012.org/  and click on “follow the conference.”

Each morning, responsibility for organizing the worship rotates between the various sections of FWCC.  The first morning, the African section chose Esther Mumbo, a professor at a Kenyan seminary, to address the theme, “Being Salt and Light: Friends Living the Kingdom of God in a Broken World.”  The second day, the Section of the Americas had a semi-programmed meeting for worship, during which Noah Baker Merrill of New England spoke out of the silence (from a prepared text) very powerfully, perhaps for me the highpoint so far (the text of his talk, as well as those of some of the other speakers, is on the web site).  This morning 3 young Friends from Asia / West Pacific addressed the conference theme (a Hindu convert from Nepal, and evangelical Friend from the Philippines, and a liberal Friend from Aoeteora/New Zealand).

The second half of the mornings, we meet in “home groups” of about 15; more than half of my group are Kenyan.  This provides a chance to get to know at least a few others in more depth. 

Afternoons have been occupied with workshops and interest groups.  My 3-day workshop (“Opening the Scriptures”) ended today, so that is a relief to have that behind me.  I also seem to have become the unofficial conference doctor, and have spent an hour or tow each day seeing patients in the infirmary (fortunately, nothing too serious).

On a lighter note: tonight at supper we had “the great termite hatch”, and so were inundated by enormous flying termites which hatch, fly for only a few minutes, and then lose their wings and crawl away.  By the end of the meal, they covered the tables and floors,  to the consternation of some (the Kenyans seemed not to notice) and the delight to the stray cats that hang around the living room, who seemed appreciative of the extra protein. 

Tomorrow, we take a break with “mid-conference excursions” to various local attractions.  Many are going to a couple of nearby small national parks; I signed up to climb up to the crater of an extinct volcano.