Michael Corbett, a member of Brisbane Local Meeting (Queensland Regional Meeting), has followed a spiritual Leading that has grown into a podcast series presented in collaboration with Silver Wattle Quaker Centre.
In October 2023, Michael attended a course at Silver Wattle exploring the first generation of Quakers. The course was facilitated by Quaker scholar David Johnson, and it opened a deep well of inspiration. Rather than simply write about the material, Michael felt led to teach and bring the voices of early Friends into worshipful space.
It began as a local initiative in Brisbane of sharing monthly profiles of early Quakers in a Third Sunday discussion group. But it quickly revealed a strong hunger for more.
“The results for me were electrifying. On average there were about 15 people present, and I listened to at least 14 people say what the most important point was for them. And 14 people would say something different.”
– Michael Corbett (reflecting on the in-person discussions held in Brisbane)
“Whatever I have written I regard as Written Ministry,” Michael says. “I trusted my Leading to guide me.”
Michael wondered what other avenues this material might be able to take. The ministry of writing about early Quakers is now in the form of a new podcast: Introducing Early Quakers, and is being presented by Silver Wattle Quaker Centre.
Each of the nine episodes focuses on one early Friend, and the episodes pair historical storytelling with excerpts from the subject’s own writings. The words are spoken by Michael himself, and each episode begins with a short introduction read by Ann Zubrick, a member of the Silver Wattle board.
The podcast launches on World Quaker Day, 5 October 2025, with new episodes released monthly.
Michael Corbett
Brisbane Local Meeting
🎧 Listen and Explore
To hear the trailer and subscribe to future episodes:
