Britain Yearly Meeting decided that Quaker faith & practice, our Book of discipline, needs updating. This is not just a revision of the current text. We are creating a completely new publication.

Find out more

    Professional editor needed for completion of first draft

    We are in the final stage of our process to complete a first draft of a new Book of Discipline for Quakers in Britain. To support the Book of Discipline Revision Committee's work, we now seek to commission a reader/editor with substantial Quaker knowledge to review the draft text and provide expert feedback to help finalise it as a cohesive and integrated whole before it is shared with Quakers widely at the end of 2026.

    This stage of the work will need to be completed intensively between October 2025 and March 2026. If you have professional editing and/or writing experience, as well as in-depth Quaker knowledge, and would like to find out more, please email bdrc@quaker.org.uk.

    The deadline to receive expressions of interest and estimated fee is 8am on Tuesday 2 September. Those expressing an interest may need to be available for an online meeting with the Head of Communications in the w/c 1 September and an online meeting with the committee clerks in the afternoon or evening of 15 September.

    Ready to read, reflect and respond

    The draft of Britain Yearly Meeting's new book of discipline, is almost ready to read. Between January and July 2027 the Revision Committee will be asking Quaker communities to read the draft, reflect and respond. It will then come to Yearly Meeting in session in July 2027. The Revision Committee have been working since Britain Yearly Meeting's 2018 decision to revise our book of discipline to produce a completely new book which goes beyond updating Quaker faith & practice, our current book, to speak to the needs of today and the future.

    Our book of discipline outlines beliefs, standards, constitution and practices. It has been described as “expressing the 'soul' of the Quakers". It offers spiritual insights as well as practical advice and help on a wide range of subjects. So Quakers might refer to it when facing a personal issue, during worship, or while running a church meeting.

    Draft

    A plain version of the full draft text, along with some samples of audio versions and examples of what a final version might look like, will appear here as soon as they are ready.

    Reflection and response opportunities

    Details of events and ways to respond will be listed here as soon as possible.

    [QUOTE-START]

    We encourage the revision committee to be prayerful, joyful, creative and bold.
    - Yearly Meeting 2018

    [QUOTE-END]

    Timeline and process

    January 2027: Draft released

    January to July 2027: Individuals, meetings, and other communities read the draft, reflect, and respond. There will be resources for study groups as well as opportunities to meet and share reflections around Britain and online. The Revision Committee will receive feedback during this time in order to give a report to the Yearly Meeting on important points emerging from the reflection.

    July 2027: The draft is considered by Britain Yearly Meeting which gives the committee clear guidance on the voice of the book, its accessibility, the balance between core and supplementary material, any gaps needing to be filled or unnecessary material to be removed.

    After July 2027: the Book of Discipline Revision Committee continues further consultation and revision of the book, and with the Publications Team work on any changes, proofreading, design, and audio versions.

    This will lead up to preparation of revised text for preparatory consideration by Friends throughout Britain.

    2030: Presentation of a complete final text to YM in 2030 for adoption and publication.

    Like a minute made by the Quaker discernment process which is owned by the meeting and not just the clerk, the final version of our Book of discipline belongs to the whole yearly meeting and not just the committee.

    Ways to get involved

    • Uphold the committee in prayer
    • Make sure your Quaker community, especially Elders or others who organise learning events, are expecting the draft and plan times for reflection and discussion in the first half of 2027
    • Plan space in your own diary for reading, reflecting, and responding, as well as attending discussions about the draft and Yearly Meeting in session
    • Join the conversation on social media, especially via our Facebook page

    How do I share ideas for the new book?

    You can make your suggestions in various ways:

    Background to the revision process

    In 2018, Britain Yearly Meeting agreed that our current book of discipline, Quaker faith & practice, needed a full revision. Some parts have been edited since it was approved in 1994, but the world and our community have changed.

    Yearly Meeting's minute said, “We encourage the revision committee to be prayerful, joyful, creative and bold." The draft of the new book should reflect this.

    The Revision Committee has been working since 2019 and has considered the purpose of our book of discipline, who uses it and why, and how to make it accessible and inclusive, as well as what topics it needs to cover and how they should be approached. This process included releasing two sample texts, on Nominations and Marriage, in 2022, and receiving much useful feedback from these.

    The Story so far

    The committee has reported to Meeting for Sufferings each year, and links to those reports are below:

    Resources

    Follow us on social media

    Find out more

    Frequently Asked Questions about the revision (Word)

    Current online Quaker faith & practice (offsite link)

    Explore what we used before Quaker faith & practice (Christian faith & practice, church government) which are often available in meeting house libraries.

    Contact us

    Church Government Adviser
    020 7663 1023
    qfp@quaker.org.uk