Epistle from SAYM Yearly Meeting 2025

Epistle from Southern Africa Yearly Meeting – St Augustine’s Heritage Guest Farm Conference Centre

4-8 January 2025

We send warm Greetings to Friends all over the world.

Many spiritual journeys take us through difficult and winding ways to a place of beauty and joy. As 2025 dawned, Friends began travelling, by ‘plane, by bus and by car meeting decayed roads, faded road signs, missed turnings, difficult border crossings and very hot temperatures, all deemed well worth the effort to reach the warm welcome and fellowship of Friends at St Augustine’s at Modderpoort on the border of the Kingdom of Lesotho. Friends hailed from Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Western and Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Kwazulu-Natal, Lesotho, with visitors from Britain, Kenya, and Sweden. Lesotho Friends played an important role in helping with pre-meeting arrangements, in welcoming Friends, and arranging an excursion across the border into Lesotho.

 Our theme for the meeting was “What binds us together, what pulls us apart.” The “us” in the theme relates not only to our Quaker community but to the broader society in which Southern African Quakers live and breathe. Each morning began with a Meeting for Worship, followed after breakfast with Worship Sharing in small groups which provided an opportunity to explore mindfully how the ‘still small voice within’ guides us in our daily practice of Quakerism. 

Yearly Meeting was a hybrid one to cater for those who could not join in person. Our theme was truly tested by the difficulties the technical team faced as they battled with intermittent electricity, stormy weather, poor and fluctuating connectivity. Intended to bind us together, technology seemed determined to pull us apart, but the technical team were equally determined to bind us together with those online.

Sipho Nsimbi from the Bulawayo Meeting gave the Richard Gush Memorial lecture this year. Born of Salvation Army parents she and her seven siblings were given names of personal traits that they were supposed to live up to as a collective group, making them an interdependent collective group. Sipho began training as a nurse but within nine months was offered a scholarship to study sociology in Britain where she worked as a social worker for two years after graduation. She married there and returned to Zimbabwe with her small son. She has served on the Board of Hlekweni and has been a SAYM Co-clerk. Currently she is an SAYM Elder and a Co-clerk and Treasurer of Bulawayo Meeting.

With her inspirational theme, “Love in Action – Bringing Hope for Healing a Wounded World,” Sipho reminded us of who we are, the journey that Quakers have been on in Southern Africa and the powerful work that Friends have done and could do, not only in Southern Africa but in the world. Her words took us into the heart of division but brought hope. At the core of Quaker unity – what binds us together and connects us – is our willingness to “constantly seek,” to seek the path to “righteousness and service to others” and ultimately to be the “ocean of light and love” to dispel the “ocean of darkness and death.” We have a mandate not to separate ourselves but to connect with the world. 

Reports from the ten local SAYM meetings were received. While the increased participation and energy of Young Friends in the SAYM community is stimulating a sense of optimism, it was evident from the local meeting reports that many meetings are experiencing a reduction in numbers. This raises the on-going need for making ourselves known. It was also clear from concerns raised that, as a Quaker family, we need to address and resolve on-going differences – the issues that divide us. However, as Sipho pointed out to us, “Our differences can be our strengths,” and on difficult issues, we endeavoured to speak truth to each other with kindness.

Since 2021 the Finance Oversight Committee has carried out extensive work to clarify and restructure the finances of SAYM and was able to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date explanation of the SAYM financial architecture, together with the income and expenditure. Given that financial competence has become imperative in the modern world, SAYM, together with the local meetings, must focus on mainstreaming financial competence and building financial institutional memory throughout the organisation. 

In 2024 SAYM was privileged to host the World Plenary Meeting of the Friends World Consultative Committee. Planning for this event began in 2019 and SAYM Friends, together with Friends from Africa and other International Friends, shouldered the challenge, persevered through the COVID pandemic, and delivered a successful WPM in August 2024 which was attended by Friends from 59 countries and 95 yearly meetings. This meeting piloted a hybrid format which was so successful that the decision has been taken to hold the 2027 WPM fully online. Friends present who had also attended the WPCC meeting enjoyed sharing their reminiscences. Young Friends also presented a vibrant and enthusiastic account of their intervisitations with Young Friends in African countries outside of Southern Africa and of their participation in the World Plenary Meeting. 

Each evening, we were treated for five- and ten-minute talks on a variety of topics reflecting the varied personal interests of Friends. Special Interest groups were also offered, giving Friends the opportunity to share some of their concerns and community involvements. 

Friends offered a variety of early morning wellness sessions which included breath work, aquaponics, hiking – all opportunities to offset the long hours of sitting in Meeting for Worship for Business. The Children’s programme provided powerful ministries in nurturing and caring. Among other activities, the children practised meditation and – using the Quaker testimonies as a guide – learned about peace, equality, truth and integrity, and homelessness. 

The Young Friends carried out their own programme in parallel with the general meeting, and provided the following account:

Beloved Friends – we, the Young Quaker Friends gathered with joy, gratitude, and open hearts. Our time together was a testament to the power of community, love, and spiritual growth.

We were grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with old friends and welcome new ones. Our shared experiences, from worship sharing to the Death Café, fostered a sense of belonging and support. We appreciated the warmth and wisdom of our elder Friends, who shared their insights and guidance with us.

Our gathering was a celebration of life, love, and spirituality. We grew together, learned from each other, and deepened our understanding of Quaker values and practices. The World Plenary Meeting reflections, special interest groups, and the main programme offered us a rich tapestry of experiences, inspiring us to continue on our spiritual journeys.

As we part ways, we will carry with us a renewed sense of hope, connection, and purpose. We recognized that our roots in the Quaker tradition run deep, and we are committed to nurturing and growing our faith community.

To our fellow Young Friends, we offer these words of encouragement: may you continue to seek, learn, and grow in the Light. May you find joy, comfort, and guidance in our Quaker community. And may you remain open to the transformative power of love and spirituality. 

We have been bound together in love, friendship, and fellowship. Now we pull apart as we return to follow our mandate to connect with the world. 

Gregory Mthembu-Salter and Benonia Nyakuwanikwa
Co-clerks, Southern Africa Yearly Meeting

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SAQN 255, October 2024, now available

Please view or download the latest edition of SAQN below or from the Publications page.

SAQN 255, October 2024

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SA Quaker News — March 2024 — Issue 254

The new edition of SA Quaker News is now available for download. Is is available below and via the “Publications & Resources” page.

SA Quaker News — March 2024 — Issue 254

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Statement by Southern Africa Yearly Meeting of Quakers on Israel and Palestine

14 December 2023

As Quakers it is both our experience and belief that there is a Divine Light (or “That of God”) within each person, regardless of their faith, creed or race.  From this, stems our commitment to stand against violence in all its forms, and to nurture the seeds of change and the respect for human life to fundamentally transform our societies and institutions through peaceful means.

We are horrified, pained, and saddened by the ongoing war between the Israeli army and Hamas, ordered by the political leadership of both, and inflicting death, unspeakable injury, suffering, and pain on innocent civilians in Israel and in Palestine. This has intensified to hellish levels since October 7, first in Israel and then – and now – in Gaza and, increasingly, the West Bank. 

The stirring up of hatred is both cause and effect of the violence. We are mindful of how we, as humans, habitually ‘other’ groups of people in a multitude of ways, based on language, belief, social status, complexion and more. This ‘othering’ dehumanizes them and their humanness then ceases to exist for ‘us’, so that we visit all manner of violence against them because we no longer see them as human.  The process of rehumanisation means valuing all human lives as equally sacred and resisting all ideologies and mechanisms that subject one group of people to the violence and oppression of another.

We acknowledge the history of violence perpetrated from many “sides” and we do not think that an exercise of accounting all the atrocities committed over the years will be helpful. We do, however, believe that acknowledging the impact that this ongoing violence has had on individual and communal psyches is a crucial step on the path towards peace. The first-hand individual and group experiences of trauma, as well as the intergenerational and epigenetic patterns of trauma that are present in all groups living in the “Holy Land”, are the seeds of the current violence, which promises, in turn, to sow its own seeds to continue the vicious, VICIOUS cycle. Only through the acknowledgment of, and the large-scale communal healing from, this trauma can true, deep peace be realistically hoped for.

War is a choice. It is clear to us as Quakers, that there are always other ways to resolve conflict, that are not reliant on violence and warfare, and we are convinced that the time for truly exploring these alternatives is NOW. We can attest from lived experience that in South Africa’s darkest hour, with civil war imminent, it was possible for negotiations to start, which led eventually to the first democratic elections. We know that there is another way. 

There are many permutations of political solutions that have been proposed. We believe that any number of these could work provided that the leadership on both sides commit and bring their supporters to commit to the peace process. We know that this will not be easy, perhaps may even feel impossible, but it is the only way. Taking this path requires a deep commitment to “stay at the table” even when things get tough. With this commitment, binding agreements that secure the rights, security, and freedom of Israelis and Palestinians alike and the self-determination of both people may be reached.

Amidst the ongoing violence over the last 75 years there have been numerous examples of close friendship and neighbourly living with those on the “other side”, and recognition by Israelis and Palestinians of how much they have in common with each other, how much they need each other. We are also aware of many organisations who have worked over the years to encourage dialogue and to gain a deep understanding of the healing and reconciliation that is needed, and have begun that peace-making together. It is apparent that the seeds of reconciliation are there, and that healing of the divide is possible. We encourage the political and spiritual leaders of both Israel and Palestine, as well as the international community, to draw on the insight and experience of these groups in the proposed peace process.

We believe and we are confident that, if an appropriate path is followed towards reconciliation and healing, a vision for the future which will benefit both Israelis and Palestinians alike will become possible.

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SA Quaker News — September 2023

The latest edition of the SA Quaker News is available on the Publications page, or it can be downloaded here: https://www.quakers.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SAQN-253-web.pdf

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Namibia Quaker Community Statement on Same-Sex Marriages

Media statement

No embargo 

Enquiries: email justin@nawa.co.na

We, the Namibian Quaker Community, feel it is important to raise our stance on the rights of the LGBT+ community, in the wake of recent Supreme Court decisions, and statements in Parliament and on social media.

The Quakers, also known as the Society of Friends, is a spiritual group rooted in Christianity. We are devoted to the principles of peace and justice. 

Some of our concerns are:

  • As a religious society we support the human rights and inherent dignity of everyone, including LGBT+ people, as it is our belief that there is ‘that of God in everyone’. We believe this is also in line with the principles of Ubuntu.
  • The Quakers have often viewed the Bible as a document to be interpreted anew by each generation bearing in mind its deeper meaning and the social context in which it was written and the different translations available. We acknowledge that respect for heterosexual marriage is important and do not wish to devalue marriages between men and women. We merely would invite faith leaders to consider a more open-minded interpretation of the Christian Scriptures than is often quoted in judgment against those in same-sex relationships.
  • In any secular state, a decision by government to recognize civil marriages does not compel any religious institution to bless same sex marriages among its members, and we accept that each church and faith community will have to make its own decisions in this regard, should same-sex marriage ever be legalized in Namibia.
  • We are saddened by the hate speech that has been uttered at some recent public gatherings and protests in Namibia, on social media, and in Parliament, and would urge our leaders to reconsider these statements. 
  • The language that has been used by some politicians and public figures, for example comparing human homosexual relations to those of animals, or falsely accusing LGBT+ Namibians of spreading HIV or ‘grooming’ children, is especially concerning to us.
  • We do not support the criminalizing of homosexual behavior, and we do not agree with so-called ‘conversion therapy’, which has been shown to be harmful.

Going forward, we acknowledge that communities of faith will have difficult discussions on same sex relationships. Such discussions are a process, similar to those around mixed-race relationships in Namibia’s not too distant past. Hence, these discussions should be conducted with regard for the dignity and safety of everyone, especially of LGBT+ people, and while listening to LGBT+ people within our congregations, families and communities with the intention to genuinely understand and seek ways forward together.

Justin Ellis, Clerk of the Namibia Quaker Community, 10 August 2023

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Quakers urge government to implement a universal basic income or face ‘dire consequences’

This article by the YM Co-Clerks, Gregory Mthembu-Salter and Benonia Nyakuwanikwa, was published in the Daily Maverick at the following link: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-05-03-quakers-urge-government-to-implement-universal-basic-income/

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SA Quaker News, April 2023, is out

Download the latest edition of SAQN (Issue 252) from the Publications page.

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Discussion documents on a Universal Basic Income Grant

Below are two PDF files on UBIG. They can be viewed either by scrolling in the block where you see the text, or they can be downloaded by clicking the “Download” button beneath each. If you struggle to access them, please contact Heath and she will email you the PDF files directly.

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SA Quaker News, November 2022, now available

The latest SA Quaker News, Number 251, published in October 2022 is now available from the link below.

SA Quaker News — November 2022

The issue starts with a focus on World Quaker Day 2022 celebrations at the Meetings in SAYM.


The contents are as follows:

Editorial — by the new editor, Bronwen Ellis

WORLD QUAKER DAY
Bulawayo celebrations — Sipho Nsimbi
Eastern Cape Quakers — John Blair
Quaker Community of the Western Cape — Photos by Bronwen Ellis and Graham Thomas
Namibia and Blue Idol meeting — Helen Vale and Enid Ellis

QUAKERS THINKING – ABOUT THE FUTURE
Creating a stairway to Heaven – Jennifer Bowler
The Circle of Life – Doreen Bekker Natural money – Rory Short
The Anonymity of Money – Rory Short

QUAKERS IN ACTION
The FAU in South Africa, Part 3 — Anthony Barlow

NON-QUAKERS IN ACTION
Leafline is Life Line — Bronwen Ellis

BOOK REVIEWS
Countdown — Alan Weisman — by Helen Holleman, Eastern Cape Quakers
The Battle for God — Karen Armstrong — by Wouter Holleman, Eastern Cape Quakers
How the World really works — Vaclav Smil — by George Ellis, Quaker Community of the Western Cape

TAILPIECE
Afterword – Closing the Gap — Wouter Holleman

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