MfS 5 July 2025
Meeting for Sufferings is a national meeting of representatives of area meetings and some other Quaker communities and committees. It does some of the important work of the yearly meeting in between Yearly Meeting sessions. Meeting for Sufferings will be laid down in May 2026 and replaced by continuing Yearly Meeting sessions that will still include representatives but will also be open to all.
This time Meeting for Sufferings:
- Appointed Friends to roles
- Registered and re-registered some Quaker Recognised Bodies
- Recorded the details of Friends who have appeared in court or been imprisoned as a result of their faith and acting under concern
- Engaged in a workshop led by staff from the Faith in Action team looking at nonviolent direct action
- Received an area meeting minute expressing concern about the impact of a recent legal judgment on trans and non-binary people, leading to an affirmation of our commitment to continue to offer and advocate for trans-inclusive spaces, as we seek to offer safe spaces to everyone
- Heard a report from BYM Trustees with updates on their recent work
- Heard a report from the New Ways of Belonging Group of Quaker Life Central Committee, suggesting possible ways forward for non-geographical Quaker membership
- Approved planned changes to Quaker governance in Scotland through the creation of Quakers in Scotland
- Looked at how the functions currently held by Meeting for Sufferings might be done differently once Sufferings is laid down
You can read the full minutes of the meeting and the written reports.