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55-884: The Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain , also known as Britain Yearly Meeting (and, until 1995, London Yearly Meeting ), is a Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends ( Quakers ) in England, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It is the national organisation of Quakers living in Britain . Britain Yearly Meeting refers to both

110-483: A Yearly Meeting usually includes the words "of the Religious Society of Friends" (e.g., New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends ) although some do not (e.g., Northern Yearly Meeting ). Junior Yearly Meeting ( JYM ) is a gathering for young Quakers . There are various JYM groups worldwide, which cover the same geographical boundaries as their respective Yearly Meeting. Most countries have one Yearly Meeting which corresponds to national borders, but in

165-475: A change of name to "The Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain" in 1994, with the short form being "Britain Yearly Meeting". This name change came into effect at the start of 1995. Britain Yearly Meeting is the name used to refer to both the Yearly Meeting of Quakers and the central organisation of Quakers in Britain, based in Friends House , London. Britain Yearly Meeting

220-734: A few other countries the three main groups of Friends are Friends General Conference , Friends United Meeting , and Evangelical Friends International . A broader group that crosses theological, organizational, and national lines and encourages communication and cooperation of the different groups is Friends World Committee for Consultation . See also Quakers in Latin America See also Quakers in Europe Pink Dandelion, B. (2007). An Introduction to Quakerism . Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. John Bellers John Bellers (1654 – 8 February 1725)

275-1090: A few years, before emigrating to Saskatchewan in Canada. The separation was healed in 1968 with Fritchley Meeting rejoining London Yearly Meeting. Fritchley Quaker Meeting is now a full member of Britain Yearly Meeting, with a variety of theological outlooks amongst its membership. In the twentieth century, Yearly Meetings started to be held outside London, namely in Leeds in 1905; in Birmingham in 1908; in Manchester in 1912; in Llandrindrod Wells in 1924; in Scarborough in 1925; in Manchester in 1926; in Bristol in 1937; In York in 1941 and in 1942. in Edinburgh in 1948. In 1945, London Yearly Meeting produced

330-556: A higher rate of literacy for Quaker women than for women in Britain at large during the eighteenth century. Employment and civil rights were a major Quaker concern during this period. John Bellers , a Fellow of the Royal Society and educational theorist called for "the rich to take care of the poor and their education" and in his 1714 text, About the Improvement of Physick advocated for a national system of hospitals to treat

385-631: A large portion of the Quaker United Nations Office budget, through Quaker Peace and Social Witness . Communications between Yearly Meetings take the form of epistles . Formerly these would be individually addressed to other Yearly Meetings, but now epistles are posted online by the Friends World Committee for Consultation. Quakers are a highly decentralized denomination with a great degree of diversity in beliefs and practices. Britain Yearly Meeting worships in

440-823: A minute stating that the Yearly Meeting should be held in Eighth Month (August) outside London every four years. These four-yearly meetings, which have become known as "Residential Yearly Meetings" have been held in Exeter in 1986; in Aberdeen in 1989; in Coventry in 1993; in Aberystwyth in 1997; in Exeter in 2001; in York in 2005; in York again in 2009; and in Canterbury in 2011. London Yearly Meeting in 1994 decided on

495-525: A monthly meeting. Several monthly meetings form a Quartely Meeting. Quartely meetings form a Yearly Meeting. Some yearly meetings in Kenya scrapped off Quartely Meetings. Like many aspects of Quakerism, the organization into Yearly Meetings arose gradually. English Friends began to meet shortly after their beginning in a large group starting in the 1650s. The oldest Yearly Meeting in Britain, Britain Yearly Meeting (originally London Yearly Meeting), considers

550-608: A national level on behalf of Friends in Britain. Each have representative committees of Friends appointed by Meeting for Sufferings , and accountable to British Yearly Meeting trustees, to oversee the work, as well as a paid secretariat who carry out the day-to-day work of each department: Britain Yearly Meeting assembles and publishes a book of discipline , which since 1995 has been known as Quaker faith & practice . In 2018, Britain Yearly Meeting decided to revise Quaker faith & practice. Before 2009, three out of four yearly meetings of BYM were held at Friends House over one of

605-497: A practice of "peculiarity" to protect Quaker communities. This often meant that the business of monthly meetings was taken up with incidents of "outside marriage" and Friends who had chosen a path upon which to "walk disorderly". Women were entitled to remain single or choose to defer marriage and according to James Jenkins' records of the time, Quakers recognised the presence of a "call" or "service in all" that existed "beyond their function in family". This parity of roles may have led to

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660-560: A way that is most similar to Ireland , Canada , Australia and US meetings affiliated with the Friends General Conference characterized by unprogrammed worship and liberal to universalist theology. 54°11′11″N 3°06′07″W  /  54.1864°N 3.1019°W  / 54.1864; -3.1019 Yearly Meeting There are also parallel Yearly Meetings for young Quakers, Junior Yearly Meetings. Yearly Meeting gatherings are times for Friends from

715-438: A wide geographical area to come together to worship and to seek God's guidance on decisions and on issues facing Friends in that region. Yearly Meetings publish guiding principles, organizational processes, and collected expressions of faith of the constituent Friends. These publications are called Faith and Practice , and/or Books of Discipline. In Kenya, local meetings are called Village Meetings. Several village meetings form

770-520: A wide range of topical workshops. In the United States, JYM gatherings take place either alongside the annual Yearly Meeting gathering, as a separate annual gathering, as in Britain, or as more frequent gatherings. Baltimore Yearly Meeting , also has a JYM that composed of Young Friends (YF), who are 14–18, and Junior Young Friends (JYF) who are 11–13. BYM YFs are self-governed, choosing two clerks annually, and they conduct conferences throughout

825-412: A yearly meeting, Friends write an epistle to communicate to other Friends world-wide. It is the custom to read out selections from epistles the Yearly Meeting has received from other Quaker bodies during yearly meeting sessions. All Friends who are members of a constituent Meeting are members of the corresponding Yearly Meeting and may attend and participate on an equal basis—there is no hierarchy within

880-571: Is a national representative committee which deals with decisions which need to be made on a national basis for the Yearly Meeting during the year whilst Yearly Meeting is not in session. It has two representatives from each Area Meeting in England, Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The General Meeting for Scotland is a member of the ecumenical organisation Action of Churches Together in Scotland . Britain Yearly Meeting currently has four standing committees who carry out work at

935-406: Is attended by young Quakers aged 0 to 19, with appropriate age grouping (i.e. 0–3,...,15–18). The programme aims to provide young Friends with an insight to Quaker beliefs and values, as well as providing a safe environment for relationship building within the society. Junior Yearly Meeting, commonly known as "JYM", is an event for young Quakers aged 14 to 18. The annual event is normally held around

990-400: Is clear that there is agreement, the sense of the meeting is recorded in the minute. Some Friends at the meeting may have reservations about the matter but choose to defer to the others. Friends believe and hope that the minute is God's will on the matter. However, nothing is considered a permanent and inviolable law among Friends and every matter is open to future change. Before the close of

1045-578: Is marked as an "inward" era – more commonly known as the Quietist period (a reference to early Christian Quietists ). Influenced by Quietists such as Jeanne-Marie Bouvier de la Motte-Guyon , Francois Fenelon , and Miguel de Molinos , the spiritual practices of nonviolence and inward nourishment resonated with Quaker testimony and significant numbers of Friends adopted plain dress and a "concern against ostentation". Participation in Yearly Meeting

1100-556: Is so much better known than the letter itself) or Skipton the same year, or the general meeting for the whole nation held at Beckerings Park, the Bedfordshire home of John Crook, for three days in May 1658, and attended by several thousand Friends. This in some ways might be considered the first Yearly Meeting were it not for the fact that the 1660s, through persecution and pestilence, saw breaks in annual continuity. The meeting in May 1668

1155-635: Is the national organisation of Quakers in Britain. Its membership consists of the members of all Area Meetings in England, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands. Any member of Britain Yearly Meeting is entitled to attend the Yearly Meeting gathering. The national work of Quakers in Britain is undertaken by Meeting for Sufferings and four central standing committees. The committees are composed of representatives from Meetings throughout Britain. This correspondence and representation means that Quakers in Britain can have unified response on major issues. The central work of Meeting for Sufferings and

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1210-546: The Toleration Act was passed. It allowed for freedom of conscience and prevented persecution by making it illegal to disturb anybody else from worship. Thus British Quakerism became tolerated though still not widely understood or accepted and were instead identified in English and Welsh law as a dissenting group. From almost the very beginning of the movement in the middle seventeenth century, Quakers became notable in

1265-719: The "General Meeting of Friends for the Nation" in 1672, it was decided that there would be a: Generall Meeting of friends held in London once a yeare in the week called Whisun week to consist of six friends for the Citty of London, three for the Citty of Bristoll, two for the Towne of Cochester and one or two from each and every of the Counties of England and Wales respectively (sic) Minutes are preserved from 1672 which record that this meeting

1320-781: The Easter holidays at the Pioneer Centre in Kidderminster, and coincides biennially with Yearly Meeting Gathering in late July. It acts as a stepping stone for the transition from the Under 19s Programme into the Society of Friends. Britain Yearly Meeting participates in the international Religious Society of Friends through the Friends World Committee for Consultation . Britain Yearly Meeting also contributes

1375-474: The Friends Schools in Britain (but not Northern Ireland) Quaker School also nominates two young people as representatives. The event is organised, clerked and facilitated by 16- to 18-year-olds in partnership with staff and adult volunteers (Over 20s). Participants reflect on the theme through a variety of activities, including main speaker sessions, base groups and small group sessions. There are also

1430-559: The Friends who are gathered wait in silence, listening to the leading of God's spirit within them. Those who feel led to do so share their insights, while the others listen. Eventually a "sense of the meeting" begins to emerge. The clerk of the meeting (a type of facilitator) or the Recording Clerk (a person who writes the minutes) tries to formulate a minute that reflects the sense of the meeting. More input may follow. When it

1485-504: The May bank holiday weekends, and once every four years a week-long Residential Meeting was held in the summer. In a change to this practice, the first Yearly Meeting Gathering (YMG) was held in York in 2009, with the 2010 Yearly Meeting being held at Friends House in London on May. The second YMG was held in Canterbury in 2011. A new three-year rotation has been established with Yearly Meetings being held two years running at Friends House, and

1540-617: The Quaker community as a whole, purchasing 10,000 acres (40 km ) of land in Pennsylvania in 1685 for Huguenot refugees and for many other purposes . William Penn was a close friend. He married a fellow Quaker, Frances Fettiplace, in 1686, and they had six children between the years 1687 and 1695, although one died shortly after birth. From 1695 to his death in 1725, he was continually involved in writing innovative articles on social issues, including education, health sector, care for

1595-469: The Religious Society of Friends grew and spread around the world, new Yearly Meetings were established. While often influenced by the activities of other Yearly Meetings, each of the Yearly Meetings is autonomous. A session of a Yearly Meeting, as with all Quaker business sessions, is considered a time of worship in dealing with matters of business. When a matter has been presented and explained,

1650-429: The Religious Society of Friends. Many specific issues of concern to Quakers are dealt with by committees appointed by Yearly Meetings. Yearly Meetings are named for where they meet: a nation (e.g., Canadian Yearly Meeting ), a region within a nation (e.g., New England Yearly Meeting ), a state (e.g. Indiana Yearly Meeting ), or a large city that serves as a hub (e.g., Philadelphia Yearly Meeting ). The entire name of

1705-686: The United States there are Yearly Meetings on regional, state and city level, and this is reflected in their JYMs. The frequency and age range of gatherings varies between JYMs. In Britain , JYM is a residential annual gathering, held at a different time to the Britain Yearly Meeting all-age gathering, of about 140 16- to 18-year-olds from around the country and a few Friends from European Yearly Meetings. Each Monthly meeting within Britain Yearly Meeting nominates two young people to attend as representatives, and each of

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1760-525: The book; "Labour is as proper for the body's health as eating is for its living [...] Labour adds oil to the lamp of life when thinking inflames it". Robert Owen read the proposals in 1817, and in a letter to The Times acknowledged their resemblance to the community he himself had created at New Lanark . He had 1,000 copies reprinted that year. Eduard Bernstein saw Bellers as a precursor of socialism, if not communism, highlighting his argument for valuing goods according to labour, not money. In About

1815-481: The education of children at the college were ahead of their time. Practice and experience were to be valued over learning through dictation. Bellers created the combination of learning and work as a way of preventing idleness. Karl Marx mentions Bellers in Chapter 25 of Das Kapital , quoting Bellers' argument that "the labour of the poor is the mines of the rich". Bellers is also quoted in a footnote in Chapter 23 of

1870-488: The nineteenth century was a central base for political activity, allowing individual Quakers to "distribute doctrine and ideas" supported by the centrally managed Yearly Meeting based at Devonshire House . A significant number of Quakers began to take seats in Parliament during the nineteenth century. Amongst them, Joseph Pease , John Bright , Fowell Buxton , John Ellis , Edmund Backhouse , and Charles Gilpin . Bright

1925-513: The poor and their education. Bellers dedicated the first edition to his fellow Quakers, although the college was to be a civil fellowship rather than a religious one. The first edition of the tract ends with an appeal for funding – "An Epistle to Friends Concerning the education of Children" – in favour of the college, signed by about forty-five leading Quakers. They included William Penn , Robert Barclay , Thomas Ellwood , John Hodgskin, Leonard Fell and Charles Marshall . The second edition (1696)

1980-655: The poor and train doctors, a precursor to the National Health Service . Throughout the century there were a significant number of Quakers who travelled as missionaries to Europe, the Americas, and Africa. Quaker missionaries from England were supported spiritually, financially, and logistically by London Yearly Meeting. The Yearly Meeting "routinely funded" transatlantic crossings for Quaker ministers to Pennsylvania. However, within British society this period

2035-569: The poor, support for refugees , a plan for a European state, and an argument for the abolition of capital punishment, which means punishment due to slavery, making him "the first European advocate of the abolition of capital punishment". He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in February 1719. On his death in London in 1725 he was buried in the Quaker Burying Ground , Bunhill Fields. His son Fettiplace Bellers (1687–1750)

2090-496: The popular imagination not merely for their radical religious ideas and seemingly peculiar social habits but also for their legendary willingness to be jailed or punished for their beliefs. During the first full century of Quakerism, Quakers underwent a transformation from enemies of the Church of England to quiet pursuit of inward faith. Responding to the struggles and persecution of the seventeenth century, Friends insisted on pursuing

2145-796: The president of the Peace Society for twelve years alongside the Quaker scientist and philanthropist William Allen . In 1818 on capital punishment Yearly Meeting was not merely preoccupied with introspective consideration of the state of the Society: it sought to awaken the public conscience. A statement in 1856 on liberty of conscience was translated into half a dozen languages and taken by deputations of concerned Friends to ecclesiastics and statesmen from Madrid to St Petersburg. Fritchley Meeting in Derbyshire split off from London Yearly Meeting in 1868 because they felt that London Yearly Meeting

2200-524: The religious gathering and the organisation. "Yearly Meeting", or "Yearly Meeting Gathering" are usually the names given to the annual gathering of British Quakers. Quakers in Britain is the name the organisation is commonly known by. Britain Yearly Meeting, which until 1995 was known as London Yearly Meeting, grew out of various national and regional meetings of Friends in the 1650s and 1660s and has met annually in some form since 1668. The first meeting of Friends from different parts of Britain to be organised

2255-460: The standing committees is supported by the staff of Britain Yearly Meeting who work from Friends House (Euston), Edinburgh , Swarthmoor Hall and Vibrancy teams whose work covers large areas of Britain. There are committees set up to deal with particular issues, including long running committees consisting of representatives from all over Britain: Meeting for Sufferings , Quaker Life and Quaker Peace and Social Witness . Meeting for Sufferings

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2310-499: The third year as a residential YMG. All types of issues are discussed in the standard fashion of Quaker decision making . Among several lectures over the gathering, one of the highlights is known as the Swarthmore Lecture , relating to issues concerning Quakers. There is also an under 19's programme , with activities tailored to each age group. The Under 19s Programme is held during the annual Britain Yearly Meeting and

2365-470: The year 1668 its official founding. New England Yearly Meeting dates its founding from 1661. In the early days the business of the meeting was to receive answers to the Yearly Meeting's queries to the Quarterly Meetings, to read epistles from traveling Friends, and to seek God's guidance on actions. They also proposed and planned the establishment of Quaker institutions, such as schools. As

2420-527: The year in addition to meeting at the BYM Annual Session. JYFs are not self-governing, but still conduct business meetings and hold conferences throughout the year. Most conferences are themed, and all include adult volunteers whose responsibilities usually consist of ensuring the YFs and JYFs safety rather than directing them. Many Yearly Meetings are members of larger groups. In the United States and

2475-416: Was a dramatist and philosophical writer . Bellers' essay Proposals for Raising a College of Industry of All Useful Trades and Husbandry , published in 1695, advocates the establishment of a "College of Industry", a self-sufficient co-operative settlement for the poor – those who depend on their work or on charity for their living. Bellers argued that it was in the responsibility of the rich to take care of

2530-527: Was a meeting which was attended by representatives from Friends from the whole of Britain. At this meeting it was decided that an annual "General Assembly of the Brethren" be held in London annually, the first being held in Fifth Month (May) 1661. For various reasons, this meeting was not held every year, although there has been a national annual meeting of some sort in Britain every year since 1668. At

2585-623: Was a vocal opponent to the Crimean War , the Quaker peace testimony a central part of his pacifism and campaign, beginning a thirty-year tenure as the MP for Birmingham from 1857–1885. Fowell Buxton was a prolific campaigner for the abolition of slavery, founding the Anti-Slavery Society with Joseph Pease (younger) in 1823 and becoming leader of the abolition movement following William Wilberforce in 1825. Joseph Pease served as

2640-487: Was an English educational theorist and Quaker , author of Proposals for Raising a College of Industry of All Useful Trades and Husbandry (1695). Bellers was born in London , the son of the Quaker Francis Bellers and Mary Read. Unable to attend a university or join a profession as a result of his religion, John was educated as an apprentice cloth merchant. He rapidly became active in meetings and in

2695-592: Was at Balby in Yorkshire in 1656. This consisted of representatives from meetings in Yorkshire , Lincolnshire , Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire "to consider of such things as might (in the Truth's behalf) be propounded unto them; and to enquire into the cause and matter of disorder, if any be." The Quaker book of discipline , Quaker Faith and Practice : We may think of that at Swannington in 1654 or Balby in 1656 (the postscript to whose lengthy letter of counsel

2750-543: Was becoming too evangelical in its outlook. They also objected to Friends in London Yearly Meeting stopping the practices of plain speech and plain dress . They therefore established Fritchley General Meeting as a self-proclaimed Yearly Meeting for Conservative Friends in Britain, which existed as a separate Yearly Meeting entirely independent of London Yearly Meeting, until 1968. Friends from Bournbrook in Birmingham also joined with Fritchley Friends for

2805-400: Was dedicated to Parliament. The Quaker Workhouse at Clerkenwell was established in 1702 as a result of his efforts. The combination of agriculture and manufacture would enable self-sufficiency and even profit. Bellers argued that if all "the present idle hands of the poor of this nation" were put to work, it would bring England "as much treasure as the mines give to Spain". The plans for

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2860-414: Was followed by one at Christmastime, which lasted into 1669, since when the series has been unbroken. It is 1668, therefore, that we have traditionally chosen as the date of establishment of London Yearly Meeting. But many (though not all) of the meetings up to 1677 were select, that is, confined to "publick" (or ministering) Friends: from 1678 they were representative rather than select in character. In 1660

2915-424: Was held in 1673, and from 1674 to 1677 consisted only of recorded ministers. The Yearly Meeting with representatives from each area as described above was restored in 1678, and has met on an annual basis every year since then. Under James II of England persecution practically ceased. James issued a Declaration of Indulgence in 1687 and 1688, and it was widely held that William Penn had been its author. In 1689

2970-433: Was laid down in 1907. The actions of British Quakers in the nineteenth century can be characterised by political activism (political and philanthropic), social reform, and industry . The society underwent a number of changes and series of revisions to the Quietist method which ultimately led to the breakaway denominations of Hicksite , Gurneys, White Quakers, Waterites, and Fritchley General Meeting. London Yearly Meeting in

3025-639: Was originally limited to men but in 1784, the Yearly Meeting for Women was established, which corresponded with equivalent Yearly Meetings for Women abroad, and corresponded with the Monthly Meetings for Women and Quarterly Meetings for Women in Britain. In 1898, London Yearly Meeting produced a minute stating that: in future, women Friends are to be recognized as forming a constituent part of all our Meetings for Church Affairs equally with their brethren and since then women have had an equal right to attend London Yearly Meeting. The Yearly Meeting for Women

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