Message from the Pastoral Care and Eldership Team (PaCET) for Sunday Meeting 21st May 2023

Dear Friends,

At a recent MFW a Friend ministered on his thoughts and beliefs regarding Quaker faith and the challenges he faces in balancing this with his background in science, university education and intellectual thought processes regarding faith and religion.

This ministry got me thinking about my own thoughts and beliefs regarding faith in general and Quakerism in particular. Throughout my own spiritual journey I too have pondered these difficult questions and wondered what do I truly believe in?

Like Quakers, Buddhists have a set of moral guidelines and principals called precepts that they aim to live by, and I could easily have followed this path. However; they do not believe in a God and do not worship Buddha as he was just an exceptionally ‘enlightened’ but normal man.

The Quaker way has its roots in Christianity and finds inspiration in the Bible and the life and teachings of Jesus. Quakers also find meaning and value in the teachings of other faiths and acknowledge that ours is not the only way, which I really appreciate and admire.

After a great deal of thought, meditation and prayer I have come to realise that I personally believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ, the truth of there being that of God in everyone and that there is a God, or The Light or someone or something that I have belief in. I have absolutely no problem or issue with any Friends who do not share this view, as how can I know that I am right? All that I can say is that as a simple man I share and try to live by Quaker values, and have a belief and simple non intellectually based FAITH in something eternal and greater than I could ever explain!

In Peace, Love and Friendship
Geoff Halsey


On behalf of the Pastoral Care and Eldership Team (David Hitchin, Chris Lawson, Tim Pitt-Payne, Caroline Pybus, Theresa Samms, Nancy Wall)