This morning at Christchurch, Hitchin, Philip (Christchurch’s minister) shared a story that gives me great hope for what our denomination could achieve. As he discussed prophecy, he began to talk about some Victorian prophets. These prophets would probably not have seen themselves as prophets: they were businessman, doing only what they thought was right. They started well-known banks like Barclays and Lloyds, shoemakers like Clarks, and detergent makers like Rickitt. And they became purveyors of chocolate like Frys, Terrys, Rowntrees and Cadburys.
They were Quakers, and through these companies, they seemed to exercise an enormous influence, not just in the business world but in the whole country. Their desire was not just to provide a good product, but to do things in a good way. They lifted their workers from Victorian slums and put them in new communities with new facilities – from football pitches to night schools. Company profits weren’t used to line pockets, but to fight slavery, alcohol addiction, child labour, animal cruelty and appalling prison conditions.
But what is most striking is not what they achieved, but how few of them there were that made this extraordinary difference. One might be forgiven for thinking that the Quakers were this huge movement, a massive Victorian denomination that people went in droves to worship at. Yet in 1851, Quakers were just 0.1% of the population.
Yes, 0.1% of the population!
To put that in context, the Quakers were a smaller part of the population than the United Reformed Church is today.
Just imagine then what the URC could achieve… and that’s even before we consider the potential impact of our ecumenical brothers and sisters.
Perhaps it’s time we regained our confidence? Perhaps it’s time we started asking God what he is calling us to do…