Message from the Pastoral Care and Eldership Team (PaCET) for Sunday Meeting 7th September 2025

Dear Friends,

For conscience’ sake to God, we are bound by his just law in our hearts to yield obedience to [authority] in all matters and cases actively or passively; that is to say, in all just and good commands of the king and the good laws of the land relating to our outward man, we must be obedient by doing … but … if anything be commanded of us by the present authority, which is not according to equity, justice and a good conscience towards God … we must in such cases obey God only and deny active obedience for conscience’ sake, and patiently suffer what is inflicted upon us for such our disobedience to men.

Edward Burrough, 1661 (Quaker Faith & Practice 23.86)

I am grateful to the Friends who organise demos, workshops, marches and talks in the name of justice, and especially to those many Friends who are willing to be arrested for the sake of conscience. This aspect of our Quaker witness goes back to the early beginnings of our faith.

Patricia Cockrell

Quakers value diversity. We share this Friend’s message in the hope it will speak to others.

Pastoral Care and Eldership Team: Patricia Cockrell, David Hitchin, Sharon Krummel, Tim Pitt-Payne, Theresa Samms, Emily Slater.