Britain Yearly Meeting
Encyclopedia
The Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain, also known as Britain Yearly Meeting (and until 1995, known as London Yearly Meeting), is a religious organisation in England, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, often defined as a denomination
of Christianity
.
It is a part of the international religious movement, the Religious Society of Friends
, sharing some similarities with some other yearly meeting
s, and taking part in the international federation of Friends' organisations, Friends World Committee for Consultation
. However, it is independent from other yearly meeting
s, and has some beliefs and practices distinct from other branches of the Religious Society of Friends
.
The first meeting of Friends from different parts of Britain to be organised was at Balby
in Yorkshire
in 1656. This consisted of representatives from each Church in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire "to consider of such things as might (in the Truth's behalf) be propounded unto them; and to enquire into the cause and matter of disorder, if any be"
In 1660 was a meeting which was attended by representatives from Friends from the whole of Britain. At this meeting it was decided that an annual General Assembly of the Brethren be held in London annually, the first being held in Fifth Month (May) 1661. For various reasons, this meeting was not held every year, although there has been a national annual meeting of some sort in Britain every year since 1668.
At the General Meeting of Friends for the Nation in 1672, it was decided that there would be a
This meeting was held in 1673, but from 1674-1677 consisted only of recorded ministers. The Yearly Meeting with representatives from each area as described above was restored in 1678, and has met on an annual basis every year since then.
Participation in this Yearly Meeting was originally only men. In 1784, a Yearly Meeting for Women was set up, which corresponded with equivalent Yearly Meetings for Women in other countries, and corresponded with the Monthly Meetings for Women and Quarterly Meetings for Women in Britain. In 1898, London Yearly Meeting produced a minute stating that
and since then women have had an equal right to attend London Yearly Meeting. The Yearly Meeting for Women was laid down in 1907.
In the twentieth century, Yearly Meetings started to be held outside of London, namely in Leeds in 1905; in Birmingham in 1908; in Manchester in 1912; in Llandrindrod Wells in 1924; in Scarborough in 1925; in Manchester in 1926; in Bristol in 1937; In York in 1941 and in 1942. in Edinburgh in 1948. In 1945, London Yearly Meeting produced a minute stating that the Yearly Meeting should be held in Eighth Month (August) outside of London every four years. These four-yearly meetings, which have become known as Residential Yearly Meetings have been held in Exeter in 1986; in Aberdeen in 1989; in Coventry in 1993; in Aberystwyth in 1997; in Exeter in 2001; in York in 2005; in York again in 2009; and due to be held in Canterbury in 2011.
London Yearly Meeting in 1994 decided on a change of name to The Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain in 1994, with the short form being Britain Yearly Meeting. This name change came into effect at the start of 1995.
Meeting in Derbyshire split off from London Yearly Meeting in 1868 because they felt that London Yearly Meeting was becoming too evangelical
in its outlook. They also objected to Friends in London Yearly Meeting stopping the practices of plain speech and plain dress. They therefore established Fritchley General Meeting as a Yearly Meeting for Conservative Friends
in Britain, which existed as a separate Yearly Meeting
entirely independent of London Yearly Meeting, until 1968. Friends from Bournbrook
in Birmingham also joined with Fritchley Friends for a few years, before emigrating to Saskatchewan
in Canada. The separation was healed in 1968 with Fritchley Meeting rejoining London Yearly Meeting. Fritchley Quaker Meeting is now a full member of Britain Yearly Meeting, with a variety of theological outlooks amongst its membership.
in England, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands. Any member of Britain Yearly Meeting is entitled to attend the Yearly Meeting. Between the annual sittings of Yearly Meeting as a whole, the national work of Quakers in Britain is carried out by Meeting for Sufferings
and the various standing committees which are in existence at that time, each of which are made up of representatives and corresponds with each Area Quaker Meetings
in Britain, and each Area Quaker Meeting likewise is made up of representatives and corresponds with Local Quaker Meetings (that cover a small area). This correspondence and representation means that Quakers in Britain can have unified response on major issues.
The organisation has been recently re-structured, under proposals called RECAST (Representation, Communication and Accountability in our Structures), which were brought to Yearly Meeting in 2005.
There are committees set up to deal with particular issues, long running committees consisting of representatives from all over Britain include Meeting for Sufferings
, Quaker Life
and Quaker Peace and Social Witness
. There is also a permanent paid secretariat who work at Friends House in London, carrying out the work decided upon by the Yearly Meeting and its standing committees.
Meeting for Sufferings
is a national representative committee which deals with decisions which need to be made on a national basis for the Yearly Meeting during the year whilst Yearly Meeting is not in session. It has two representatives from each Area Quaker Meeting
in England, Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.
Britain Yearly Meeting currently has four national committees who carry out work at a national level on behalf of Friends in Britain. Each have both representative committees of Friends appointed by Yearly Meeting to oversee the work, and a paid secretariat who carry out the day-to-day work of each department:
Britain Yearly Meeting assembles and publishes British Friends' Book of Discipline, which since 1995 has been known as Quaker Faith and Practice
.
, over a May Bank Holiday
weekend, and a week-long residential YMG in the summer, usually late July, on a university campus.
All types of issues are discussed in the standard fashion of Quaker decision making. Among several lectures over the gathering, one of the highlights is known as the Swarthmore Lecture
, relating to issues concerning Quakers. There is also an under 19's programme, with activities tailored to each age group.
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
.
It is a part of the international religious movement, the Religious Society of Friends
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
, sharing some similarities with some other yearly meeting
Yearly Meeting
Yearly Meeting is a term used by members of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, to refer to an organization composed of a collection of smaller, more frequent constituent meetings within a geographical area. These constituent meetings go by various names such as Quarterly Meetings, which...
s, and taking part in the international federation of Friends' organisations, Friends World Committee for Consultation
Friends World Committee for Consultation
The Friends World Committee for Consultation is a Quaker organization that works to communicate between all parts of Quakerism. FWCC's world headquarters is based in London. It has Consultative NGO status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations...
. However, it is independent from other yearly meeting
Yearly Meeting
Yearly Meeting is a term used by members of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, to refer to an organization composed of a collection of smaller, more frequent constituent meetings within a geographical area. These constituent meetings go by various names such as Quarterly Meetings, which...
s, and has some beliefs and practices distinct from other branches of the Religious Society of Friends
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
.
History
Britain Yearly Meeting, which until 1995 was known as London Yearly Meeting, grew out of various national and regional meetings of Friends in the 1650s and 1660s and has met annually in some form since 1668.The first meeting of Friends from different parts of Britain to be organised was at Balby
Balby
Balby is a suburb of Doncaster located to the south-west of the borough in the north of England. It is home to the former secondary school, now sports college Balby Carr...
in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
in 1656. This consisted of representatives from each Church in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire "to consider of such things as might (in the Truth's behalf) be propounded unto them; and to enquire into the cause and matter of disorder, if any be"
In 1660 was a meeting which was attended by representatives from Friends from the whole of Britain. At this meeting it was decided that an annual General Assembly of the Brethren be held in London annually, the first being held in Fifth Month (May) 1661. For various reasons, this meeting was not held every year, although there has been a national annual meeting of some sort in Britain every year since 1668.
At the General Meeting of Friends for the Nation in 1672, it was decided that there would be a
Generall Meeting of friends held in London once a yeare in the week called Whisun week to consist of six friends for the Citty of London, three for the Citty of Bristoll, two for the Towne of Cochester and one or two from each and every of the Counties of England and Wales respectively (sic)
This meeting was held in 1673, but from 1674-1677 consisted only of recorded ministers. The Yearly Meeting with representatives from each area as described above was restored in 1678, and has met on an annual basis every year since then.
Participation in this Yearly Meeting was originally only men. In 1784, a Yearly Meeting for Women was set up, which corresponded with equivalent Yearly Meetings for Women in other countries, and corresponded with the Monthly Meetings for Women and Quarterly Meetings for Women in Britain. In 1898, London Yearly Meeting produced a minute stating that
in future, women Friends are to be recognized as forming a constituent part of all our Meetings for Church Affairs equally with their brethren
and since then women have had an equal right to attend London Yearly Meeting. The Yearly Meeting for Women was laid down in 1907.
In the twentieth century, Yearly Meetings started to be held outside of London, namely in Leeds in 1905; in Birmingham in 1908; in Manchester in 1912; in Llandrindrod Wells in 1924; in Scarborough in 1925; in Manchester in 1926; in Bristol in 1937; In York in 1941 and in 1942. in Edinburgh in 1948. In 1945, London Yearly Meeting produced a minute stating that the Yearly Meeting should be held in Eighth Month (August) outside of London every four years. These four-yearly meetings, which have become known as Residential Yearly Meetings have been held in Exeter in 1986; in Aberdeen in 1989; in Coventry in 1993; in Aberystwyth in 1997; in Exeter in 2001; in York in 2005; in York again in 2009; and due to be held in Canterbury in 2011.
London Yearly Meeting in 1994 decided on a change of name to The Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain in 1994, with the short form being Britain Yearly Meeting. This name change came into effect at the start of 1995.
Fritchley General Meeting
FritchleyFritchley
Fritchley is a small village in Derbyshire south of Crich and north of Ambergate. To the west of the village is the ruin of a windmill. Fritchley has no church, although there is a pub, the Red Lion....
Meeting in Derbyshire split off from London Yearly Meeting in 1868 because they felt that London Yearly Meeting was becoming too evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
in its outlook. They also objected to Friends in London Yearly Meeting stopping the practices of plain speech and plain dress. They therefore established Fritchley General Meeting as a Yearly Meeting for Conservative Friends
Conservative Friends
Conservative Friends refers to members of a certain branch of the Religious Society of Friends . In the United States of America Conservative Friends belong to three Yearly Meetings—Iowa Yearly Meeting , North Carolina Yearly Meeting , and Ohio Yearly Meeting...
in Britain, which existed as a separate Yearly Meeting
Yearly Meeting
Yearly Meeting is a term used by members of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, to refer to an organization composed of a collection of smaller, more frequent constituent meetings within a geographical area. These constituent meetings go by various names such as Quarterly Meetings, which...
entirely independent of London Yearly Meeting, until 1968. Friends from Bournbrook
Bournbrook
Bournbrook is a residential suburban district in south-west Birmingham, England. The suburb of Bournbrook is bordered by Selly Oak to the west and south, Selly Park to the east, and Edgbaston to the north. The Worcester and Birmingham Canal and the Birmingham Cross-City Railway Line run along the...
in Birmingham also joined with Fritchley Friends for a few years, before emigrating to Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
in Canada. The separation was healed in 1968 with Fritchley Meeting rejoining London Yearly Meeting. Fritchley Quaker Meeting is now a full member of Britain Yearly Meeting, with a variety of theological outlooks amongst its membership.
Britain Yearly Meeting as an organisation
Britain Yearly Meeting is the national organisation of Quakers in Britain. Its membership consists of the members of all Area Quaker MeetingsMonthly meeting
Monthly Meetings are, traditionally, the basic unit of administration in the Religious Society of Friends .For some Friends a Monthly Meeting is a single Meeting , while for others it is a grouping of Meetings which come together for administrative purposes. Membership in the Religious Society of...
in England, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands. Any member of Britain Yearly Meeting is entitled to attend the Yearly Meeting. Between the annual sittings of Yearly Meeting as a whole, the national work of Quakers in Britain is carried out by Meeting for Sufferings
Meeting for Sufferings
Meeting for Sufferings is an executive committee of Britain Yearly Meeting, the body which acts on behalf of members of the Religious Society of Friends in Great Britain and the Crown Dependencies...
and the various standing committees which are in existence at that time, each of which are made up of representatives and corresponds with each Area Quaker Meetings
Monthly meeting
Monthly Meetings are, traditionally, the basic unit of administration in the Religious Society of Friends .For some Friends a Monthly Meeting is a single Meeting , while for others it is a grouping of Meetings which come together for administrative purposes. Membership in the Religious Society of...
in Britain, and each Area Quaker Meeting likewise is made up of representatives and corresponds with Local Quaker Meetings (that cover a small area). This correspondence and representation means that Quakers in Britain can have unified response on major issues.
The organisation has been recently re-structured, under proposals called RECAST (Representation, Communication and Accountability in our Structures), which were brought to Yearly Meeting in 2005.
There are committees set up to deal with particular issues, long running committees consisting of representatives from all over Britain include Meeting for Sufferings
Meeting for Sufferings
Meeting for Sufferings is an executive committee of Britain Yearly Meeting, the body which acts on behalf of members of the Religious Society of Friends in Great Britain and the Crown Dependencies...
, Quaker Life
Quaker Life
Quaker is a central department of the Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in Britain, the national organisation of Quakers in England, Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Its work is to develop the spiritual life of Quakers in Britain, and the running of...
and Quaker Peace and Social Witness
Quaker Peace and Social Witness
Quaker Peace & Social Witness , previously known as the Friends Service Council, and then as Quaker Peace and Service, is one of the central committees of Britain Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends - the national organisation of Quakers in Britain. It works to promote British...
. There is also a permanent paid secretariat who work at Friends House in London, carrying out the work decided upon by the Yearly Meeting and its standing committees.
Meeting for Sufferings
Meeting for Sufferings
Meeting for Sufferings is an executive committee of Britain Yearly Meeting, the body which acts on behalf of members of the Religious Society of Friends in Great Britain and the Crown Dependencies...
is a national representative committee which deals with decisions which need to be made on a national basis for the Yearly Meeting during the year whilst Yearly Meeting is not in session. It has two representatives from each Area Quaker Meeting
Monthly meeting
Monthly Meetings are, traditionally, the basic unit of administration in the Religious Society of Friends .For some Friends a Monthly Meeting is a single Meeting , while for others it is a grouping of Meetings which come together for administrative purposes. Membership in the Religious Society of...
in England, Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.
Britain Yearly Meeting currently has four national committees who carry out work at a national level on behalf of Friends in Britain. Each have both representative committees of Friends appointed by Yearly Meeting to oversee the work, and a paid secretariat who carry out the day-to-day work of each department:
- Quaker LifeQuaker LifeQuaker is a central department of the Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in Britain, the national organisation of Quakers in England, Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Its work is to develop the spiritual life of Quakers in Britain, and the running of...
deals with the running of Quaker meetings within Britain, including outreach work within Britain, education and development for Quakers in Britain, activities for children and young people - Quaker Peace and Social WitnessQuaker Peace and Social WitnessQuaker Peace & Social Witness , previously known as the Friends Service Council, and then as Quaker Peace and Service, is one of the central committees of Britain Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends - the national organisation of Quakers in Britain. It works to promote British...
deals with Quakers' peace and development work, both in Britain and overseas - Quaker Communications deals with the production of leaflets, posters, pamphlets, books and a website
- Quaker Committee on Christian and Interfaith Relations deals with relationships between Quakers and other Christian and faith groups.
Britain Yearly Meeting assembles and publishes British Friends' Book of Discipline, which since 1995 has been known as Quaker Faith and Practice
Quaker Faith and Practice
A Book of Discipline may refer to one of the various books issued by a Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, setting out what it means to be a Quaker in that Yearly Meeting...
.
Britain Yearly Meeting as an event
Before 2009, three out of four yearly meetings of BYM were held at Friends House over one of the May bank holiday weekends, and once every four years a week-long Residential Meeting was held in the summer. The first Yearly Meeting Gathering (YMG) held in York in 2009 marked the beginning of the new YM cycles, in which Yearly Meetings alternate annually between being held at Friends House in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, over a May Bank Holiday
Bank Holiday
A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom or a colloquialism for public holiday in Ireland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, although the majority of the population is granted time off work or extra pay for working on these days, depending on their contract...
weekend, and a week-long residential YMG in the summer, usually late July, on a university campus.
All types of issues are discussed in the standard fashion of Quaker decision making. Among several lectures over the gathering, one of the highlights is known as the Swarthmore Lecture
Swarthmore Lecture
Swarthmore Lecture is one of a series of lectures, started in 1908, addressed to Britain Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends .The preface to the very first lecture explains the purpose of the series....
, relating to issues concerning Quakers. There is also an under 19's programme, with activities tailored to each age group.
| Year | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 30 July - 6 August | A residential Yearly Meeting held at the University of York University of York The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects... . |
| 2006 | 26–29 May | YM 2006 took place at Friends House in London over the second May Bank Holiday Bank Holiday A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom or a colloquialism for public holiday in Ireland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, although the majority of the population is granted time off work or extra pay for working on these days, depending on their contract... in the UK |
| 2007 | 4–7 May | YM 2007 took place at Friends House in London over the first May Bank Holiday Bank Holiday A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom or a colloquialism for public holiday in Ireland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, although the majority of the population is granted time off work or extra pay for working on these days, depending on their contract... in the UK |
| 2008 | 23–26 May | YM 2008 took place at Friends House in London over the second May Bank Holiday Bank Holiday A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom or a colloquialism for public holiday in Ireland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, although the majority of the population is granted time off work or extra pay for working on these days, depending on their contract... in the UK |
| Alternating biennial YMG/YM cycle implemented | ||
| 2009 | 25 July - 1 August | A residential Yearly Meeting Gathering was held at the University of York University of York The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects... . For the first time this encompassed Junior Yearly Meeting (JYM) and merged both Yearly Meeting and the scheduled Summer Gathering into Yearly Meeting Gathering, a new biennially event. |
| 2010 | 28–31 May | YM 2010 took place at Friends House in London over the second May Bank Holiday Bank Holiday A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom or a colloquialism for public holiday in Ireland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, although the majority of the population is granted time off work or extra pay for working on these days, depending on their contract... in the UK |
| 2011 | 30 July - 6 August | YMG 2011 took place in Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour.... . |
| 2012 | 25–28 May | YM 2012 will be at Friends House in London. |
| 2013 | 24–27 May | YM 2013 will be at Friends House in London over the second May Bank Holiday Bank Holiday A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom or a colloquialism for public holiday in Ireland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, although the majority of the population is granted time off work or extra pay for working on these days, depending on their contract... in the UK |