A Conversation with Kenyan Friend Moses Murenga Simiyu
The Monday after Thanksgiving (November 28th, 2017), we were pleased to host Moses Murenga Simiyu, a Quaker pastor from Kenya, who joined us for evening tea, cookies, and conversation as part of a two-day visit to the Friends House. In a wide-ranging discussion with about eight Housies and community members, we covered many topics – including the challenges and joys of intentional community, and differences in organization, leadership, and theology between and among Quakers in Kenya and in the U.S.
One piece of food for thought that struck many of us was Moses’s contention that the “unprogrammed” Meeting for Worship common among many New England Friends – when considered in the context of introductions, announcements, refreshments, and other customs following the hour of silent worship – is not as different from “programmed” Quaker traditions as some might think.
