FCNL: Quaker Faith in Practice

Quakers have been witnessing for good government, peace, and justice for over 350 years. Our staff have a lot to say about what in their Quaker faith moves them to lobby.

Joe Volk, outgoing Executive Secretary, in the Baltimore Yearly Meeting Annual Carey Memorial Lecture 2007:

"In the way that FCNL’s house was falling down and required renovation, our country’s house of democracy is falling down and requires renovation. In the way that FCNL’s building was seen as a problem to be rid of, so too our falling down house of democracy is something that many would like to just walk away from, to be rid of it. Can we see that this growing problem is really an opportunity for us to practice hope, to see what love can do to mend a broken world?"

Diane Randall, incoming Executive Secretary, in her statement on her Spiritual Journey:

My life's work has been to actively engage in solutions to the problems of social injustice. This opportunity to work with FCNL connects my professional life and my spiritual direction to seek "a society with equity and justice for all."

[I am challenged] to become a public Friend - to daily integrate my spiritual life and the core beliefs of Friends with the policy changes our country and world desperately need to achieve the mission of FCNL. Friends are not alone in sensing the demand for God's radical love, nor are we alone in our vision "to seek an earth restored and a world free of war and the threat of war." But we may be unique in how we give voice and engage political powers to change.

Ruth Flower, Associate Executive Secretary for Legislative Program, in her Plenary Address to North Pacific Yearly Meeting 2008, Answer to That of God in Everyone:

"How many like talking with people that we think we disagree with? Ah, just a few hearty souls. We're not comfortable with disagreement, and sometimes we imagine the disagreement to be much bigger than it really is....It's a piece of the puzzle about answering to that of God in everyone. "Answering" after all, implies a conversation."

Former FCNL intern, Lizzie Biddle, was inspired by Ruth Flower to write a column in the September/October 2009 Contacts newsletter about what it means to lobby as a Quaker.