Tim Gee’s 2025 Backhouse Lecture: The Seed Is in All
VIDEO: Tim Gee, General Secretary of the Friends World Committee for Consultation, gave this year’s Backhouse Lecture, The Seed Is in All: A Journey Through the Quaker World. In the lecture, Tim shared his personal experience of growing up in a Quaker family in Britain and how that shaped his understanding of peace, justice, and faith.
Tim Gee delivers the Backhouse Lecture 2025
He spoke about a turning point in his spiritual life during a meeting for worship in Philadelphia, where he felt the presence of God as love and light. That experience led him to explore the Bible more seriously, especially the Epistle of James, which he sees as a strong foundation for Quaker values such as peace, equality, and integrity.
Tim described the diversity of Quaker worship around the world, from singing and sermons in East Africa to silent meetings in Britain and Australia. He said that despite differences in style, he felt the same spirit present in all these places. He encouraged Friends to be curious about one another’s practices and to find ways to learn from each other.
He also spoke about challenges. Friends hold different views on issues like sexuality and the authority of scripture. Tim did not offer easy answers but said that respectful conversation and shared study might help. He believes the Epistle of James could be a useful tool for building understanding across traditions.
Looking to the future, Tim said Quakerism is growing in many parts of the world, especially in East Africa and Latin America. He sees the center of Quaker life shifting to the global south. He encouraged Friends in other regions to be open to learning from those places.
Tim ended with several queries for reflection, including:
- What does it mean to be part of a world family of Friends?
- How do you welcome newcomers in your meeting? Could anything be improved?
- Do you think the Epistle of James could help facilitate understanding across different forms of Quakerism?
- Are there insights or practices from Quakers in other parts of the world that you would like to be part of your faith life?
- How is your life better for being a Quaker?
You can watch the full lecture on YouTube here:
Watch the 2025 Backhouse Lecture – Tim Gee
