Our Mission
Answering God’s call to universal love, FWCC brings Friends of varying traditions and cultural experiences together in worship, communications, and consultation, to express our common heritage and our Quaker message to the world. (approved 2006)
How We Work
The purpose of FWCC is to encourage fellowship and understanding among all the branches of the Religious Society of Friends. FW
CC brings Friends together in multiple ways to celebrate God in our lives, to gather the Quaker voice and build networks to address issues of our time, and to unite us within our diversity. The Quaker community circles the globe, spanning a rich diversity of regional cultures, beliefs and styles of worship. FWCC organizes its work through its four section offices and the World Office, collaborating and encouraging the work of each section and work across sections. Each section embodies rich cultural and theological diversity, and they organize opportunities and programmes to bring Friends together and to learn from each other. The World Office uniquely represents all Friends at the global level through our participation with the Quaker United National Offices, offering Quakers the chance to contribute to world affairs. Our consultation extends to those of other faiths through work with the World Council of Churches, the Conference of Secretaries of the Christian World Communions, and participation in global ecumenical and interfaith work. History
In 1937, after years of concerted work to reconnect a fragmented Quaker world, the Second World Conference of Friends created FWCC “to act in a consultative capacity to promote better understanding among Friends the world over.” This was influenced by active young Friends organizing gatherings and expressing the need to work together. Today, Friends from yearly meetings and groups in at least 87 countries continue the work of coming together. Around the world there are four cooperating, autonomous FWCC Sections serving Africa, the Americas, Asia & the West Pacific, and Europe & the Middle East. Since its beginnings to the present day, FWCC has organized world meetings where representatives from yearly meetings and sections, along with other Friends, have come together. This brings a depth of experience when Friends share in the variety of worship and learning, and when Friends share that eternal love that draws us toward each other through the living Christ. Since 1948, FWCC has had “consultative” status with the United Nations and is responsible for the two Quaker UN Offices in Geneva and New York. FWCC continues to address regional and world issues by connecting and illuminating the work Friends do at all levels. FWCC World Office
The world office is based at Friends House in London, England. It provides the connective tissue in several ways:
Bring Friends together in multiple ways using technology and organise world gatherings and consultations of Quakers world-wide. Support the work of the four FWCC sections and strengthen connections across sections. Promote understanding of the world-wide character of the Society of Friends, through staff travel, conferences, correspondence and publications, and through ecumenical and interfaith work on behalf of Friends. Represent Friends at the world level, both among Friends and to the world community. Coordinate the International Membership programme, which joins isolated Friends and worship groups to the wider Quaker community. Amplify the Quaker voice through strengthened networks and encouraging Quaker work at all levels.
