Talk and tea at historic Adderbury Quaker Meeting House

Local Quakers host their annual public event at the Adderbury Meeting House on Sunday 16 June at 3pm, with this year’s talk given by Elaine Green on the subject of “Receptive Ecumenism: learning from other people’s experience of the Light”. The talk is followed by refreshments.

Elaine Green is Clerk to the Quaker Committee for Christian and Interfaith Relations (QCCIR). She is the Quaker representative for Churches Together in England and a member of Ipswich and Diss Quaker Area Meeting.

Drawing on her work on interfaith relations, Elaine will explore the concept of ‘Receptive Ecumenism’, a religious practice concept originally developed by the Centre for Catholic Studies at Durham University. Churches Together in England defines the concept in this way*: ‘Receptive Ecumenism is both a way of thinking and a process that enables unity to be built by receiving gifts from others. It challenges us to not think of what others might benefit from receiving from us, but instead invites us to recognise our needs and to put ourselves in the place of being a recipient.’

Elaine is able to speak from experience of navigating the sometimes difficult terrain of inter-church and inter-faith relations. She will describe how Quakers in Britain, and QCCIR in particular, are adapting their ways of working so as to continue to respond to the turbulence in pursuit of their peace mission.

Everyone is assured of a warm welcome at this fascinating public talk organised by Banbury and Evesham Quakers. The event, which is free of charge, is also a great opportunity to see the meeting house, which is only open a few times a year, and the talk will be followed by afternoon tea and conversation.

Adderbury Quaker Meeting House is one of the oldest in the country, having been built in 1675, and is a very special place, little changed by the passing of time. The Meeting House is situated off Horn Hill Road in West Adderbury (OX17 3EW) – on the path to the parish cemetery.

More information can be found online at www.banburyeveshamquakers.org.uk/events/

*Quotation from Churches Together in England website: cte.org.uk/about/ecumenism-explained/receptive-ecumenism/