MfS 7 March 2026
Meeting for Sufferings has been the national meeting of representatives of area meetings and some other Quaker communities and committees, taking on some of the work of the yearly meeting in between Yearly Meeting sessions.
This was the last meeting of Meeting for Sufferings and it will be laid down by Yearly Meeting in May 2026.
This time Meeting for Sufferings:
- Appointed Friends to roles.
- Re-registered some Quaker Recognised Bodies and noted that some had been laid down.
- Recorded the details of a Friend who appeared in court as a result of their faith and acting under concern.
- Recorded changes to Quaker charity governance in Wales, a name change for the national Young Friends organisation previously known as Young Friends General Meeting – now to be known as General Meeting of Young Friends in Britain, and the laying down of Quaker Life Representative Council.
- Agreed a letter of greeting to Yearly Meetings being held this year in the Europe and Middle East Section of Friends World Committee for Consultation.
- Heard about the agenda for Yearly Meeting to be held 1-4 May 2026.
- Agreed some minor changes to Quaker faith & practice.
- Heard a presentation from the Quakers in Britain Peacebuilding in Britain staff team and had time to reflect on this work.
- Heard the annual report from the Quaker Committee for Christian and Interfaith Relations.
- Received a minute on non-geographical membership from Quaker Life Central Committee (which will be taken forward by Yearly Meeting) and a minute on protest from Sussex West Area Meeting.
- Heard a report from BYM Trustees and agreed the strategic priorities for the centrally managed work.
- Worshipped together to commemorate and celebrate the work of Meeting for Sufferings over the last 350+ years.
You can read the full minutes of the meeting and the written reports here.
The work of Meeting for Sufferings will now be taken forward by Yearly Meeting. You can find a summary of the changes and some useful information here.