Meeting for Sufferings: GRYYM Stage Three report
'One Friend sought clarification on the tenth item in the list, namely that longer YMGs should only be held when needed.'
Discernment of the Stage Three report was noticeably shorter, due to many of the recommendations having been dealt with as part of the Review of Meetings for Sufferings portion of the session.
Friends were directed to their papers to see a table summarising the key remaining recommendations regarding the planning and delivery of Yearly Meeting (YM), Yearly Meeting Gathering (YMG), and Meeting for Sufferings.
Friends ministered that they thought the recommendations were ‘brilliant… [and] ought to be done now’. Although they thought there might be need for more Friends to serve, or a working group set up, to help YM Agenda Committee to implement them.
One Friend sought clarification on the tenth item in the list, namely that longer YMGs should only be held when needed. They wondered what this meant and how it would be decided.
Ann Kerr, one of the co-convenors of GRYYM, replied that when there are items coming before YM that will require a lot of time to discern they can, sometimes, be anticipated and therefore a YMG can be arranged. For example, when revisions to the Book of Discipline come to YM for final discernment. But, she added, there was a feeling that a YMG shouldn’t be arranged if ‘nothing major’ is coming up.
Another Friend commented that they hoped some of the YM in continuation sessions might be held online-only: ‘I know that Quakers love to meet physically. They love to chat in the corridors and exchange views. And it’s a very positive experience. But I think we should not forget the advantages in terms of our commitment to be a low-carbon community. And the low costs and the low strain possibly on our staff of holding some of these only online.’
The final minute acknowledged that some of the recommendations had already been adopted within the review of MfS. It agreed to forward those recommendations which could be taken forward immediately to ‘Agenda Committee, Trustees and Church Government advisory group’.
Minutes are available at www.quaker.org.uk/mfspapers.
