I was in the room when Central Committee decided to lay itself down and make way for a new governance structure. That happened over several days in hybrid meetings at the Mother Boniface Spirituality Center in northeast Philadelphia this past October.

My Journey to the Quaker Way

In the mid-2000s, I was on a spiritual journey to name the tradition God had placed in my heart. Justice was central to my spiritual beliefs, but I knew little else. My internet searches kept leading me to the Religious Society of Friends, though it took years for that to settle.

The Quakers seemed complicated for a denomination that valued simplicity. Why did “monthly meetings” meet weekly? Why was my “yearly meeting” named after a city, not a region? Why say “First Day” instead of “Sunday”?

These questions revealed barriers to membership. What was called simple was, in practice, quite complex—and it didn’t have to be.

Eventually, I realized that to be part of this community, I had to stop studying it from a distance. I needed to attend a local meeting and experience it myself. Seven years after calling myself a Quaker, I finally walked into a meetinghouse.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Finding Simplicity in Complex Governance

That slow and careful journey mirrored the process through which Friends General Conference found its own simplicity. I watched, with some skepticism, as working groups, committees, and staff prayed and wrestled with how to simplify FGC’s work.

I doubted it would succeed. Yet there are many other hills to die on before this one.

As I sat in the seats at Mother Boniface last month, my perspective began to change. The new two-tier system made sense. Instead of thinking globally, I thought locally—just as I had done when I started attending meeting. How would this new structure affect someone like me: a newcomer?

Seeing Change with New Eyes

The first thing I noticed was transparency. It was clear who was involved and what the Nominating Committee sought in volunteers. There was no mystery. FGC wants good people of all backgrounds to discern whether their gifts align with the organization’s needs.

The next thing I noticed was freedom. Governance members no longer have to join committees that don’t fit their time or talents. Committee members don’t need to manage governance if it’s not their calling. Yearly Meetings now send fewer representatives, easing the burden on volunteers already stretched thin.

Finally, the new structure offers greater clarity. It’s easier to explain what FGC is, how it functions, and how people can take part.

Gratitude for the Past; Hope for the Future

I left that final Central Committee meeting feeling grateful. That gratitude was for everyone who worked so hard to make this transformation real. There was also deep gratitude for the founders of Friends General Conference, who in 1900 united several Quaker groups into one organization. They could not have known what their decision would mean to us in 2025. Likewise, we cannot know how our choices today will serve Friends in 2150. Still, gratitude for the unknown feels essential.

Now, I am excited to help share FGC’s new way of being. Whether you have been connected to FGC for years or just a few days, this is a new era. There are fresh opportunities to lead, serve, and grow.

I hope you’ll find this same excitement and walk forward with us.