Meeting for Sufferings: Britain Yearly Meeting budgeting process
The Church Government Advisory Group responded to a query
Meeting for Sufferings was informed of a minute from the Church Government Advisory Group (CGAG) held on 14 October 2015 on budgeting and updates to Quaker faith & practice (Qf&p) and their response to a concern over ‘lack of clarity about accountability’.
In 2014 Northumbria Area Meeting had asked for clarification regarding Yearly Meeting budget setting as expressed in Quaker faith & practice. A minute from Newcastle Local Meeting, brought to Northumbria Area Meeting in 2014, asked that ‘Church Government should state clearly and exactly, in the interests of transparency, who sets the budget, both revenue and capital.’
The minute expressed the concern that: ‘the description of budget issues, both current and capital expenditure, in Qf&p is not as clear and helpful as it could be. It asked Meeting for Sufferings to pass the issue on to Church Government Advisory Group for their discernment.’
Friends were reminded that the text in Qf&p states that Sufferings can set priorities for centrally managed work, which needs to take account of the advice of Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) trustees and funds available. BYM trustees approve the budget each year. They can employ staff to carry out BYM’s work effectively. This could include preparing budgets.
Sufferings was told that CGAG advises that it is neither desirable nor necessary to include additional detail in Qf&p at this time.
