Andy Stanton Henry interview

Quaker author Andy Stanton-Henry’s article, “All the Way Back to George Fox,” appears in the October 2023 issue of Friends Journal.

Andy Stanton Henry discusses the connections between the Vineyard movement founded by John Wimber and early Quakerism. Wimber was influenced by his time at a Quaker church in California before starting the Vineyard. While some of Wimber’s charismatic experiences went too far for Quakers, he saw similarities to George Fox’s ministry of healings and miracles. The Vineyard has experienced periods of more and less structured manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Stanton Henry thinks Quakers could learn from openly welcoming the Spirit similar to early Friends and the Vineyard. He suggests experimenting with worship arts, healing prayer, and waiting silently to see how the Spirit might move among Friends today. The video explores how looking to our spiritual forebears in Fox and movements like the Vineyard could inspire reviving early Quaker enthusiasm in a grounded manner consistent with Quaker testings.

Andy Stanton-Henry is a writer, Quaker minister, and chicken-keeper. He holds degrees from Barclay College and Earlham School of Religion. He carries a special concern for rural leaders, leading to his recently published book, Recovering Abundance: Twelve Practices for Small-Town Leaders. A native Buckeye, Andy now lives in East Tennessee with his spouse, Ashlyn, blue heeler Cassie, and 11 laying hens.