Reg Naulty, quoting from Thomas Kelly’s A Testimony of Devotion, asks how we can become “a blessed community”.  This theme of a blessed, and inclusive community is raised in a number of this month’s articles. 

Roger Sawkins in his article of the history of Rainbow Friends, traces the sometimes fraught progress made towards recognising the value of loving relationships between people of any sexual orientation.  Margaret Clark, the AYM representative to Aotearoa/New Zealand Yearly Meeting, speaks about their Quaker Lecture for 2024 “A Queer Gift, Stepping beyond the mindset” and Aotearoa/New Zealand’s revised Faith and Practice, entitled On These Islands I runga I ngā motu nei Quaker Faith & Practice in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Our Backhouse Lecture for the upcoming Australia Yearly Meeting will challenge us to find a space for the spiritual growth of people with disabilities in our meetings.

We welcome two Friends taking up important roles in our Quaker community – Esther Hill as Principal at the Friends School, and Jessica Morrison as the Quaker Peace Worker.

And we celebrate the 400th anniversary of George Fox, who started us on our quest for radical equality, the foundation on which a blessed community can be based.