Meeting for Sufferings: Reflecting on Yearly Meeting Gathering
Friends considered their experience of Yearly Meeting Gathering
At Meeting for Sufferings representatives were asked to reflect on their experience of the Yearly Meeting Gathering (YMG) held at the University of Warwick in August, whether they had attended or not.
One Friend described the Gathering as ‘lively, friendly, nurturing [and] well organised’. Other Friends described some of their personal highlights, such as: a packed Quaker Committee for Christian and Interfaith Relations (QCCIR) session with a Muslim speaker, an ‘inspiring’ Swarthmore Lecture, and the Children and Young People’s Programme.
Another Friend reflected on the combination of Yearly Meeting and the Gathering, saying that they were ‘not sure that they mix well’, and expressing concern that the cost could exclude some people.
One Friend, who had not attended YMG, found the preparatory sessions locally helpful and felt ‘completely included’ in the main event. He spoke of how being able to watch the lectures online and see social media comments made ‘a great difference’ for young people.
