Yearly Meeting
Encyclopedia
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 meet four times a year, Monthly Meetings
, Area Meetings or Regional Meetings. Quarterly meetings, in Yearly Meetings where they exist, are organizations usually composed of a group of Monthly Meetings.
Yearly Meetings derive their name from annual gatherings of members and attendees of the Religious Society of Friends—from constituent meetings—in order to transact the business of the Yearly Meeting.
books, or are known by other titles.
Friends began to meet as a large group starting in the 1650s. However, the oldest Yearly Meeting in Britain, Britain Yearly Meeting
(originally the London Yearly Meeting), considers the year 1668 its official founding. New England Yearly Meeting
dates its founding from 1661. In the early days the business of the meeting was to receive answers to the Yearly Meeting's queries to the Quarterly Meetings, to read epistles
from traveling Friends, and to discuss current events and issues. They also proposed and planned the establishment of Quaker institutions, such as schools.
As the Religious Society of Friends grew and spread around the world, new Yearly Meetings were established. While often influenced by the activities of other Yearly Meetings, each of the Yearly Meetings is autonomous.
of the meeting—a type of facilitator—tries to formulate a minute that reflects the sense of the meeting, and then more discussion follows. When it is clear that there is agreement, the sense of the meeting is recorded in the minute developed by the clerk. Some Friends at the meeting may have reservations about the matter but choose to defer to the others. Friends believe and hope that the minute is God's will on the matter. However, nothing is considered a permanent and inviolable law among Friends and every matter is open to future changes.
Before the close of a yearly meeting, Friends will agree on an epistle
that will summarise the workings of the gathering. Yearly meetings publish the epistles that they receive from other yearly meetings, before their annual gathering. It is the custom to read out selections from these epistles during yearly meeting sessions.
All Friends who are members of a constituent Meeting are members of the corresponding Yearly Meeting and may attend and participate on an equal basis—there is no hierarchy within the Religious Society of Friends. Many specific issues of concern to Quakers are dealt with by committees selected by Yearly Meetings.
), a region within a nation (e. g., New England Yearly Meeting
), a state (e. g. Illinois Yearly Meeting), or a large city that serves as a hub (e. g., Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
). The entire name of a Yearly Meeting usually includes the words 'of the Religious Society of Friends' (e. g., New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
) although some do not (e.g. Evangelical Friends Church-Mid America Yearly Meeting).
, the Friends United Meeting
, and Evangelical Friends International
. A broader group that crosses theological, organizational and national lines is the Friends World Committee for Consultation
.
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...
, 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 meet four times a year, Monthly 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...
, Area Meetings or Regional Meetings. Quarterly meetings, in Yearly Meetings where they exist, are organizations usually composed of a group of Monthly Meetings.
Yearly Meetings derive their name from annual gatherings of members and attendees of the Religious Society of Friends—from constituent meetings—in order to transact the business of the Yearly Meeting.
General description
Yearly Meeting gatherings are times for Friends from a wide geographical area to come together to worship, to discuss their concerns, and to seek God's guidance on issues facing Friends in that region. Yearly Meetings also oversee the constituent meetings, and publish the guiding principles, organizational processes and collected expressions of faith of Friends in that geographical area. These publications are often called (Quaker) Faith and PracticeQuaker 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...
books, or are known by other titles.
Origin
Like many aspects of Quakerism the concept of the Yearly Meeting arose gradually. EnglishEnglish people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
Friends began to meet as a large group starting in the 1650s. However, the oldest Yearly Meeting in Britain, Britain Yearly Meeting
Britain Yearly Meeting
The Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in Britain, also known as Britain 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...
(originally the London Yearly Meeting), considers the year 1668 its official founding. New England Yearly Meeting
New England Yearly Meeting
New England Yearly Meeting is a body of the Religious Society of Friends headquartered in Worcester, Massachusetts that includes Friends from the New England region of the United States....
dates its founding from 1661. In the early days the business of the meeting was to receive answers to the Yearly Meeting's queries to the Quarterly Meetings, to read epistles
Epistle (Quaker)
Quaker epistle: in the 17th Century, the Quaker movement revived the Gospel use of the word "epistle" to mean an advisory or admonitory letter, sent to a group of people, sometimes termed a "general epistle"...
from traveling Friends, and to discuss current events and issues. They also proposed and planned the establishment of Quaker institutions, such as schools.
As the Religious Society of Friends grew and spread around the world, new Yearly Meetings were established. While often influenced by the activities of other Yearly Meetings, each of the Yearly Meetings is autonomous.
Procedure
A Yearly Meeting, as with all Quaker meetings, is considered a time of worship and contemplation, even when dealing with matters of business. The Friends who are gathered wait in silence, listening to the leading of God's spirit within them. Those who feel led to do so share their insights, while the others listen. Ideally a member takes time to listen to the Friend who spoke previously, before sharing his or her thoughts. Eventually a 'sense of the meeting' begins to emerge. The clerkClerk (Quaker)
Within the Religious Society of Friends, a clerk is someone responsible for various administrative functions within a meeting for worship for church affairs or meeting for worship for business...
of the meeting—a type of facilitator—tries to formulate a minute that reflects the sense of the meeting, and then more discussion follows. When it is clear that there is agreement, the sense of the meeting is recorded in the minute developed by the clerk. Some Friends at the meeting may have reservations about the matter but choose to defer to the others. Friends believe and hope that the minute is God's will on the matter. However, nothing is considered a permanent and inviolable law among Friends and every matter is open to future changes.
Before the close of a yearly meeting, Friends will agree on an epistle
Epistle (Quaker)
Quaker epistle: in the 17th Century, the Quaker movement revived the Gospel use of the word "epistle" to mean an advisory or admonitory letter, sent to a group of people, sometimes termed a "general epistle"...
that will summarise the workings of the gathering. Yearly meetings publish the epistles that they receive from other yearly meetings, before their annual gathering. It is the custom to read out selections from these epistles during yearly meeting sessions.
All Friends who are members of a constituent Meeting are members of the corresponding Yearly Meeting and may attend and participate on an equal basis—there is no hierarchy within the Religious Society of Friends. Many specific issues of concern to Quakers are dealt with by committees selected by Yearly Meetings.
Names
Yearly Meetings are named for a nation (e. g., Canadian Yearly MeetingCanadian Yearly Meeting
Canadian Yearly Meeting is a body of the Religious Society of Friends , with approximately 1200 members in Canada and border areas of the United States. Its offices are located in Ottawa...
), a region within a nation (e. g., New England Yearly Meeting
New England Yearly Meeting
New England Yearly Meeting is a body of the Religious Society of Friends headquartered in Worcester, Massachusetts that includes Friends from the New England region of the United States....
), a state (e. g. Illinois Yearly Meeting), or a large city that serves as a hub (e. g., Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, or simply Philadelphia Yearly Meeting or PYM, is the central organizing body for Quaker meetings in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, area....
). The entire name of a Yearly Meeting usually includes the words 'of the Religious Society of Friends' (e. g., New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
New York Yearly Meeting
New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, or simply New York Yearly Meeting or NYYM, is the central organizing body for Quaker meetings and worship groups in New York State, northern and central New Jersey, and southwestern Connecticut....
) although some do not (e.g. Evangelical Friends Church-Mid America Yearly Meeting).
Larger groups
Many Yearly Meetings are part of larger groups. In the United States and a few other countries the three main groups of Friends are the Friends General ConferenceFriends General Conference
Friends General Conference is a North American Quaker organization primarily serving the Quaker yearly and monthly meetings in the United States and Canada that choose to be members...
, the Friends United Meeting
Friends United Meeting
Friends United Meeting is an association of twenty-six yearly meetings of the Religious Society of Friends in North America, Africa, and the Caribbean. In addition there are several individual Monthly meetings and organizations that are members of FUM...
, and Evangelical Friends International
Evangelical Friends International
Evangelical Friends Church International is a branch of Quaker yearly meetings around the world that profess evangelical Christian beliefs.- History :...
. A broader group that crosses theological, organizational and national lines is the 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...
.
Africa
See also Quakers in KenyaQuakers in Kenya
There are about 157,000 members of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, in Africa. African Friends make up around 46% of Friends internationally, the largest proportion in any one continent...
- KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
- Bware Yearly Meeting, based in Suna
- Central Yearly Meeting, based in KakamegaKakamegaKakamega is a town in western Kenya lying about 30 km north of the Equator. It is the headquarters of . The town has a population of 73,607 ....
- Chavakali Yearly Meeting
- East Africa Yearly Meeting (Kaimosi), based in Tiriki
- East Africa Yearly Meeting (North), based in KitaleKitaleKitale is an agricultural town in western Kenya situated between Mount Elgon and the Cherengani Hills at an elevation of around . Its urban population was estimated at 220,000 in 2007....
- Elgon East Yearly Meeting, based in Kitale
- Elgon Religious Society of Friends (West), based in Lugulu Via WebuyeWebuyeWebuye is an industrial town in Bungoma District in the Western Province of Kenya. Located on the main road to Uganda, the town is home to the Pan African Paper Mills, the largest paper factory in the region, as well as a number of heavy-chemical and sugar manufacturers. It has a tropical climate,...
- Kakamega Yearly Meeting
- Lugari Yearly Meeting, based in Turbo
- Malava Yearly Meeting
- Nairobi Yearly Meeting
- Tuoli Yearly Meeting, based in KapsabetKapsabetKapsabet is a town in the Rift Valley Province, Kenya. It is the capital of Nandi Central District. Kapsabet hosts a municipal council and divisional headquarters of Kapsabet administrative division...
- Vihiga Yearly Meeting
- Vokoli Yearly Meeting, based in Wodanga
- Outside of Kenya
- Burundi Yearly Meeting
- Central and Southern Africa Yearly Meeting
- Congo Yearly Meeting
- East Africa Yearly Meeting
- Tanzania Yearly Meeting
- Uganda Yearly Meeting
Americas
See also Quakers in Latin AmericaQuakers in Latin America
Latin America contains approximately 17.5% of the world's Quakers. Latin American members of the Religious Society of Friends are concentrated in Bolivia and Guatemala. Most of these Friends are Evangelical and are affiliated with Evangelical Friends International.- Bolivia :There are about 30,000...
- BoliviaBoliviaBolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
- Iglesia Evangélica Amigos Central (Central Evangelical Friends Church)
- Iglesia Evangélica Unión Boliviana "Amigos" (Bolivian Union Evangelical Friends Church)
- Iglesia Nacional Evangélica Los Amigos de Bolivia (National Evangelical Friends Church of Bolivia)
- Iglesia Evangélica Misión Boliviana de Santidad Amigos (Bolivian Evangelical Mission Church of Holiness Friends )
- CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
- Canadian Yearly MeetingCanadian Yearly MeetingCanadian Yearly Meeting is a body of the Religious Society of Friends , with approximately 1200 members in Canada and border areas of the United States. Its offices are located in Ottawa...
- Canadian Yearly Meeting
- CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
- Cuba Yearly Meeting
- GuatemalaGuatemalaGuatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
- Iglesia Evangélica Embajadores Amigos (Evangelical Ambassadors Friends Church)
- Iglesia Evangélica Nacional Amigos de Guatemala (National Evangelical Friends Church of Guatemala)
- Junta Anual Amigos de Santidad (Friends of Holiness Yearly Meeting)
- El SalvadorEl SalvadorEl Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
- Iglesias Evangélicas de los Amigos en El Salvador (Evangelical Friends Churches in El Salvador)
- HondurasHondurasHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
- Junta Annual Amigos de Santidad (Friends of Holiness Yearly Meeting)
- JamaicaJamaicaJamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
- Jamaica Yearly Meeting
- MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
- Asociación Religiosa de las Iglesias Evangélicas de los Amigos (Religious Association of the Evangelical Churches of Friends)
- Reunion General de los Amigos en México (General Meeting of Friends in Mexico)
- PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
- Iglesia Nacional Evangélica Los Amigos del Perú (National Evangelical Friends Church of Peru)
- United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
- ConservativeConservative FriendsConservative 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...
- Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative)
- North Carolina Yearly Meeting (Conservative)
- Ohio Yearly Meeting
- Evangelical Friends InternationalEvangelical Friends InternationalEvangelical Friends Church International is a branch of Quaker yearly meetings around the world that profess evangelical Christian beliefs.- History :...
- Alaska Yearly Meeting
- Evangelical Friends Church—Eastern Region
- Evangelical Friends Church—Mid-America
- Evangelical Friends Church—Southwest
- Northwest Yearly Meeting
- Rocky Mountain Yearly Meeting
- Friends General ConferenceFriends General ConferenceFriends General Conference is a North American Quaker organization primarily serving the Quaker yearly and monthly meetings in the United States and Canada that choose to be members...
- Alaska Friends Conference
- Illinois Yearly Meeting
- Intermountain Yearly Meeting
- Lake Erie Yearly Meeting http://leym.org/
- Ohio Valley Yearly MeetingOhio Valley Yearly MeetingOhio Valley Yearly Meeting is a Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends affiliated with Friends General Conference. It encompasses 18 monthly meetings and two worship groups in Southwest Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky....
- Philadelphia Yearly MeetingPhiladelphia Yearly MeetingPhiladelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, or simply Philadelphia Yearly Meeting or PYM, is the central organizing body for Quaker meetings in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, area....
- Piedmont Friends Fellowship (PFF is not a yearly meeting, but a fellowship of monthly meetings)
- South Central Yearly Meeting (www.scym.org)
- Southern Appalachian Yearly Meeting Association
- Friends General ConferenceFriends General ConferenceFriends General Conference is a North American Quaker organization primarily serving the Quaker yearly and monthly meetings in the United States and Canada that choose to be members...
and Friends United MeetingFriends United MeetingFriends United Meeting is an association of twenty-six yearly meetings of the Religious Society of Friends in North America, Africa, and the Caribbean. In addition there are several individual Monthly meetings and organizations that are members of FUM...
- Baltimore Yearly MeetingBaltimore Yearly MeetingBaltimore Yearly Meeting is a body of the Religious Society of Friends headquartered in Sandy Spring, Maryland that includes Friends from Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. It was the first Yearly Meeting founded in North America, meeting in May 1672...
- New England Yearly MeetingNew England Yearly MeetingNew England Yearly Meeting is a body of the Religious Society of Friends headquartered in Worcester, Massachusetts that includes Friends from the New England region of the United States....
- New York Yearly MeetingNew York Yearly MeetingNew York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, or simply New York Yearly Meeting or NYYM, is the central organizing body for Quaker meetings and worship groups in New York State, northern and central New Jersey, and southwestern Connecticut....
- Northern Yearly MeetingNorthern Yearly MeetingNorthern Yearly Meeting is a Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends . It is affiliated with the Friends General Conference...
- Southeastern Yearly Meeting
- Baltimore Yearly Meeting
- Friends United MeetingFriends United MeetingFriends United Meeting is an association of twenty-six yearly meetings of the Religious Society of Friends in North America, Africa, and the Caribbean. In addition there are several individual Monthly meetings and organizations that are members of FUM...
- Great Plains Yearly Meeting
- Indiana Yearly MeetingIndiana Yearly MeetingIndiana Yearly Meeting is a Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers. Indiana Yearly Meeting was established in 1821 and originally included all Friends west of the Scioto River, in Ohio, and Friends in Indiana and Illinois. The Yearly Meeting met for most of its history in...
- Iowa Yearly Meeting (FUM)
- North Carolina Yearly Meeting (FUM)
- Western Association
- Western Yearly Meeting
- Wilmington Yearly Meeting
- Independent
- Central Yearly MeetingCentral yearly meeting of friendsCentral Yearly Meeting of Friends is a yearly meeting of a small group of Friends churches, located in Indiana, Arkansas and Ohio. Central Yearly Meeting of Friends is part of the Conservative Holiness Movement, and subscribes to the Orthodox branch of Quakerism...
- Missouri Valley Friends Conference
- North Pacific Yearly Meeting
- Pacific Yearly Meeting
- Central Yearly Meeting
- Conservative
Asia
- IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
- General Conference of Friends in India
- Bundelkhand Yearly MeetingBundelkhand Yearly MeetingBundelkhand Yearly Meeting is a yearly meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh state in mid-India. It was formed from Friends Churches set up by missionaries from Ohio Yearly Meeting in 1896, and the first independent yearly meeting was held in...
(Bundelkhand Masihi Mitr Samaj) - Mid-India Yearly MeetingMid-India Yearly MeetingMid-India Yearly Meeting is a yearly meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in Madhya Pradesh state in mid-India. Quakerism came to mid-India as a result of missionaries from London Yearly Meeting who were members of the Friends Foreign Mission Association. Missions were established in...
- Bhopal Yearly Meeting
- Outside of India
- Cambodia Yearly Meeting
- Indonesia Yearly Meeting
- Japan Yearly Meeting
- Middle East Yearly Meeting
- (Nepal) Evangelical Friends Church
- Philippine Evangelical Friends Church
- Taiwan Yearly Meeting
Australia and Oceania
- Australia Yearly MeetingAustralia Yearly MeetingAustralia Yearly Meeting is the body of members of the Religious Society of Friends in Australia. Quakers within Australia Yearly Meeting generally follow the unprogrammed style of worship....
- Aotearoa/New Zealand Yearly Meeting (Te Hāhi Tūhauwiri)Te Hahi TuhauwiriThe Yearly Meeting of Aotearoa/New Zealand is the umbrella body and Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in New Zealand....
Europe
See also Quakers in EuropeQuakers in Europe
The Quaker movement began in England in the Seventeenth Century. Small Quaker groups were planted in various places across Europe during this early period...
- Britain Yearly MeetingBritain Yearly MeetingThe Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in Britain, also known as Britain 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...
- Denmark Yearly Meeting
- (Hungary) Evangelical Friends Church
- Finland Yearly Meeting
- France Yearly Meeting
- German Yearly Meeting
- Ireland Yearly MeetingIreland Yearly MeetingThe Ireland Yearly Meeting is the umbrella body for the Religious Society of Friends in Ireland. It is one of many Yearly meetings of Friends around the world....
- Netherlands Yearly Meeting
- Norway Yearly Meeting
- Sweden Yearly Meeting
- Switzerland Yearly Meeting