For the first time since 1868, Quakers are not meeting for worship on Devonshire Street in Sydney.
The increasing financial pressure of owning heritage-listed property in the City of Sydney, including regulatory changes and steeply increasing insurance costs, made it untenable for us to keep the property.
Many of us are sad to leave behind the history that happened in that building, to no longer continue meeting between the walls that housed so much community.
Many of us are looking forward to shedding the burden the property was putting on the meeting, financially and in the energy and effort that was needed to manage it.
We are now meeting in a light, pleasant room in Pilgrim House on Pitt street.
We have downsized.
A church can be anywhere two or more are gathered together.
Yearly Meeting is the annual gathering of all Australian Quakers.
This was my first time at an in-person Yearly Meeting, having only started to attend Quaker meetings in late 2019. And I was so glad that I decided to come!
I deeply appreciated experiencing the formal sessions and seeing how the Society conducts its business.
This, on paper, was something that had attracted me to Quakerism as I was just learning about it.
But being in a large room full of Friends patiently expressing themselves and building up in the spirit of unity really helped me understand it deeply.
Even though I was only able to attend the final Thursday, Friday and Saturday, I was overwhelmed in the best possible way.
The chance to meet Friends from other cities and states was a blessing.
Our community may be small, but its vitality and vivaciousness were evident!
I got the sense that many others were relieved to be meeting in person again after years of online Meetings.
I am very much looking forward to the next time we can do so.
