Meeting for Sufferings: Central reviews
‘Our proposal, after lots of consultations, is that MfS and YM are merged in what might be called a continuing YM.’
Friends also heard from the group appointed to review Yearly Meeting (YM), Yearly Meeting Gathering (YMG) and Meeting for Sufferings (MfS). Keith Walton, a member of the review group, spoke to its proposals following the criteria laid out at July’s YM.
‘Our proposal, after lots of consultations, is that MfS and YM are merged in what might be called a continuing YM.’ This could, he suggested, take the form of one long weekend with single Meetings and days throughout the year, with attendance open to all.
‘We are suggesting we keep [MfS representatives] for the time being but we might review that later. In addition some of the work might be given to a small committee,’ he said. ‘There are still a lot of details to work out, but in practice these aren’t going to be hugely different from [MfS] today.’
Friends offered heartfelt ministry. ‘If I were to report to my AM in tabloid terms, I would say “exciting times” – we have abolished membership and Meeting for Sufferings!’ One Friend sounded a note of caution, however. ‘We are moving to a very open community where an attender of three months can turn up online and influence direction without full knowledge of Quakerism. That might be inclusive but it sure makes for a very turbulent few years because you’re going to have switches.’
Another Quaker urged MfS to be brave and to ‘find a way for listening to the discernment to those who have been appointed by our [nominations] process, which is at the heart of our beautiful Society’.
Other Friends ministered on the call to ‘trust the Spirit’ with one Quaker noting that ‘we keep drawing from the same group of people who, by the way, are getting older, and we have to try something bold to break that open’.
Another Quaker said that MfS was ‘a solution to its own problems 400 years ago when there were lots of Friends in prisons… The world has changed.’ Friends also spoke about the need to encourage young Friends who see their identity in the national community, while one Quaker said that the Woodbrooke closure was ‘a huge loss but I think we all know it was the right decision. We need to hold onto what is precious but let go of things that may no longer serve us.’
The minute said that these proposals were the right way forward, and asked the group to work towards them, and to bring a detailed proposal to YM 2024.
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