Answers to frequently asked questions about...

the Wider Quaker Fellowship

a program of
Friends World Committee for Consultation
Section of the Americas

1506 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102-1498 USA
phone 215-241-7250; fax 215-241-7285
e-mail Americas@fwcc.quaker.org [Subject: WQF]

MAY THIS FELLOWSHIP GROW AND BECOME A BELOVED COMMUNITY IN MANY LANDS AND OF MANY LANGUAGES AND PEOPLES, JOINED TOGETHER IN THAT SPIRIT AND LIFE WHICH WAS BEFORE THE WORLD WAS.

- RUFUS M. JONES

What is the Wider Quaker Fellowship?

Wider Quaker Fellowship is a program of Friends World Committee for Consultation, Section of the Americas. The primary goals of FWCC are to facilitate loving understanding of diversities among Friends while we discover together, with God's help, our common spiritual ground; and to facilitate full consideration of our Quaker witness in response to our peace testimony and today's issues of social justice. Wider Quaker Fellowship works to fulfil these goals through a ministry of literature that lifts up voices of Friends of different countries, languages and Quaker traditions. The messages we publish point, in various ways, to the heart of our beliefs as Friends. Through them, we offer people of all faiths or of no faith a means to become familiar with the many expressions of living Quakerism, and join in informal fellowship with one another and with Friends.

Who are the "fellows" in the Fellowship?

They are more than three thousand people in over ninety countries who share an interest in Quakerism as a Spirit-led movement. Many are Friends active in a meeting, Friends church, or worship group. Others live far from any meeting; among these are individuals and groups holding affiliation with Friends through the International Membership List under the pastoral care of Friends World Committee for Consultation's World Office in London. Still more are friends of Friends, people drawn to Quaker life and values who are not members of the Religious Society of Friends. Many Friends meetings, churches, and worship groups receive WQF mailings as a resource for members and attenders. WQF also serves men and women in prison and Friends who visit or correspond with them.

How do I participate?

People come into the Fellowship by asking to be put on the mailing list; through referrals from friends, family members, or acquaintances; or at the request of a meeting or other Quaker group. We welcome correspondence that tells us something about your personal spiritual journey and why you are interested in Quakerism.

What does Wider Quaker Fellowship publish and send out?

• Three English-language mailings (in April-May, August-September, and November-December);
• an annual Fellowship newsletter and fund appeal in English; and
• a yearly Spanish-language mailing.

A typical packet contains short writings presenting different aspects of Quaker faith, practice, and spirituality. A letter from the clerk introduces the enclosures and may offer news of people in the Wider Quaker Fellowship, activities in the Quaker world, or personal experiences that speak to the conditions of readers. The annual newsletter includes brief stories, requests, excerpts from letters, and other items from Wider Quaker Fellows, as well as information on Friends-related resources.

How can I contact other people and organizations in the Quaker and Wider Quaker Fellowship community?

We try to connect our readers with other Quaker groups by providing specific answers to inquiries and by including material in one of the packets of readings or the Fellowship newsletter.

Someone in WQF may ask us to send her or his address to nearby Fellows, or to share a brief comment with the entire Fellowship through the annual newsletter. It is only with an individual's permission that we provide his or her name and address to other persons or organizations. Friends World Committee for Consultation, Section of the Americas, may inform Wider Quaker Fellows in a given region of the Americas about area gatherings and occasional opportunities for face-to-face fellowship. On request from a meeting or Friends church, Wider Quaker Fellowship will forward an invitation to worship to local Fellows.

How is the Fellowship funded?

We rely on contributions from readers of our mailings and other supporters. Many of our participants worldwide cannot contribute regularly; the rest of us can honor the spirit of fellowship by giving additional funds. In this way, we can continue to send our message around the world.

8/1998