The Future Of Global North Churches

Reg Naulty Canberra Meeting

Religion as we practise it in the West seems to be withdrawing to the Global South, to South America and Africa. And that seems to be true of relatively new churches like the Pentecostal, as well as old ones, like Catholicism. 

What might take their place? There follows here a suggestion that the replacement might find its foundation in experience, i.e. religious experience, and not just vague religious feeling, but in powerful mystical experience. Such experiences have been part of Quakerism since its origin. For example, George Fox, as he was led away to jail reflected:

… I was ravished with the sense of the love of God and greatly strengthened in my inward man. But when I came into that jail where those prisoners were, a great power of darkness struck at me; and I sat still, having my spirit gathered into the love of God. (Rufus M.Jones [ed] The Journal of George Fox. Friends United Press. Richmond Indiana. 1976, p.116)

And Marmaduke Stephenson in Yorkshire in 1655:

I was filled with the love and presence of the living God…it did increase and abound in me like a living stream, so did the love and life of God run through me like a pleasant ointment, giving a pleasant smell. (Christian Faith And Practice In The Experience Of The Society Of Friends. London Yearly Meeting. 1972,Entry 32)

Both of these are from the early period of Quakerism. Two hundred years later in Philadelphia, in 1886, Christopher Healy had recognizably the same experience:

Returning from my school at evening, my mind as I walked was fixed on heavenly things, and I felt a stream of Divine love flow into my soul, whereby my inner man was greatly refreshed. ( Howard Brinton.The Religious Philosophy Of Quakerism. Pendle Hill Publication. Pennsylvania. 1973, p.48)

What was the impact of these experiences? It allowed them to know that God loved them. It also strengthened their soul. What could be worth more than that?

What makes people uneasy about these experiences is that they are locked up within individuals; they are inevitably private. Is there some way they can be conveyed to others? Well sometimes they are. As John Woolman observed, ‘some glance of real beauty is perceived in their faces, who dwell in true meekness.’ And more than glances are sometimes found, for example, when George Fox rode through a crowd of rowdy undergraduates at Cambridge. ‘Oh!’ they shouted, ‘how he shines, how he glisters!’ Transfiguration is not solely biblical.

How can we prepare for such experiences? There are some steps we can take. They are like things we might have to do to meet someone. But who decides whether we are ready to be met?

Prayer is one way of seeking. Such prayers have to go beyond habitual repetition. We have to put our heart into them. If we can do that, heartful prayer may be a source of consolation and joy. To proceed further, we may have to overcome deficiencies in our personalities like selfishness, pride and fear, and replace them with their opposites, selflessness, humility and bravery. That is a process of integration.

If we make progress there, we enter a state of harmony and peace. In this state we possess the gifts of the spirit: peace, joy, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. It is worth noting, in view of the accusation of self-preoccupation which is sometimes levelled at those pursuing the spiritual life, that these are eminently social virtues which enrich social life.

At this stage, comes a new vision of reality. There is a stirring of love, at first very gentle. As time goes on, an inner fire is experienced in a new and mysterious way. This fire penetrates the depth of the human person more fully than anything in the senses. It rises up as a powerful fountain of energy that envelopes one`s whole being. The fathers of the Eastern Church interpret that as an experience of the uncreated energies of God.

There is something else new in this experience. We become aware of spirits. Some advice given in the Epistle of St.John may be useful: ‘Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they come from God.’ [1 Jn. 4:1]

It may seem unconvincing to argue that widespread mystical experience could be sufficiently widespread to be the foundations of religion, but it seems to have been common in the early history of Quakerism. Perhaps this indicates a way forward for Religion in the West?

Those preparing to enter Quakerism should be advised to read something about our mysticism. Douglas Steere`s Quaker Spirituality would be a good place to start and has an excellent introduction. We might mention that Steere made a notable contribution to world mysticism when he organised a conference of Catholic and Buddhist monks in Japan in the 1960s. 

Book Review

By Wilma Davidson

Speaking in Quaker Meeting for Worship: what, when, how, and why Rhiannon Grant, Christian Alternative Books 2025

The arrival of information about this book came in my inbox just after we, at Ministry Meeting, were thinking about ministry and expectant waiting. I was informed:

Quaker meeting for worship is often described with a focus on silence, but the practice of speaking into the silence, known as giving vocal or spoken ministry, is equally important to a full understanding of how this kind of worship works. It is also often a focus of anxiety for Quaker communities – is there enough ministry or too much, how do we judge the content of ministry, and how can ministry be improved? This book addresses the many questions about speaking in meetings for worship, providing a practical guide for individuals and communities who want to deepen their meetings for worship with a better understanding of spoken ministry.

I find Rhiannon Grant’s writing generally clear and helpful and have read a few in the Quaker Quicks series so felt this information was sent to me for a reason and bought the book!

Grant explains what is meant by all of the following: Meeting for Worship and its purpose, vocal ministry, discernment and leadings. With all this she takes us on a journey through the possible processes and happenings of a Meeting for Worship.

She looks at ministry when it works well and when it doesn’t work well, reminding us that what may not  work well for one may work well for others.  The challenges she categorises thus:

Too much ministry

Ministry that is too predictable.

Absent ministry, where there isn’t enough; and

Messages with inappropriate content.

She suggests we be open minded and curious, supporting Friends in testing and discernment:

Ministry is a gift given to the community, from the Spirit to the people. We should never assume that we can tell what is a real Spirit-led gift and what is someone outrunning their guide (going beyond what the are being called to do) or acting without a true leading.

She also reminds us that the unpredictability of ministry in an unprogrammed MFW is part of the complex gift of community.

She also goes on to look at how we use our bodies in ministering and how we might test the ministry before sharing. She suggests that we need individual discernment in this process.

She then touched on the difference between ministry in an on-line or hybrid meeting and also describes what can happen after ministry.

This is a very personal book. It is indeed ideal reading for a new Quaker. However, as a long time Quaker, I found it deepened and strengthened my understanding  of the gift of worship.