Dear Friends,Our time in Belize has come to an end. And all I can say is . . . thank you. As I leave Belize, the church is growing from week to week under the leadership of Oscar and Miriam Mmbali; the school has just graduated the biggest class in several years, as our dear principal Frank Tench bids us farewell; and the center is partnering with many other organizations with help from our own Athina Major! The Belize Friends community is transitioning in many ways and though transitions are never completely smooth, I am leaving so impressed by the vision and energy these leaders bring to our community. What more could I ask for?
Read MoreBelize Friends School, with great enthusiasm, is pleased to announce the appointment of Antoliana Budna as our new principal. She comes to this position with a master’s degree in Leadership in Education, as well as the necessary bachelor’s and associate’s degrees in Primary Education. Antoliana Budna’s qualifications and life experiences align with Belize Friends School’s vision and values.
Read MoreI served as a pastoral minister among Friends for most of my adult life. In preparation for a recent move, I sorted through twenty-three years of sermon files, notes, and manuscripts. This revealed a lot about me and the kind of messages I like to preach—and the kind of messages I avoid.
Read MoreThe Fall 2019 issue of Quaker Life, on justice, is in the mail and on shelves now. In the Bible, justice has to do with land and labor and family structures; with ownership and employment; with widows, orphans, and immigrants; with food and water and housing; with access to God at the Temple—with everything, material or spiritual, that is required for a human being to thrive. God cares for ALL of what God has created, and therefore shows a special regard for the weak and the marginalized for whom society cares less. And since God shows a special regard for the weak and the poor, a corresponding quality is required of God’s people. God’s people must also be especially concerned with equity and fairness in society and economy, with guaranteeing every creature’s access to the necessities of life: to water, food, health, respect, attention, kindness, helpful community, and the opportunity to draw near to God. As a foundation for life together, justice is a vast and widening gyre, and our authors in this issue explore the theme from many angles.
Read MoreThroughout our history, the people known as Friends (or Quakers) keep rediscovering an essential and enduring truth: There is one who speaks to our most basic needs and most significant hopes—Christ Jesus the Lord. Both individually and communally, we are learning to know and follow the Voice that guides us in the way we should go. Together, we seek to understand and obey that truth which sets us free. As a people, we share in the experience of that powerful life which makes all things new. Maybe you are searching for an authentic and transforming faith and community to call home—if so, come in and join us as we seek to know and follow Christ.
Friends United Meeting commits itself to energize and equip Friends through the power of the Holy Spirit to gather people into fellowships where Jesus Christ is known, loved, and obeyed as Teacher and Lord.