Embracing Change: Lessons from Britain Yearly Meeting’s historic decision

Thank you to everyone who participated! The event has now concluded, and we’re pleased to share the session video, notes and Q&A document for reference. You can find them at the JanYM25 Program page here

In 2024, Britain Yearly Meeting of Quakers made a momentous decision to lay down Meeting for Sufferings, a committee dating back to 1675. This historic change followed extensive deliberation and reflection on the committee's role in today's Quaker community. It was concluded that the existing structure no longer fully served the community's needs, prompting the decision to create space for new ways of governance. The Yearly Meeting shifted from an annual to a quarterly gathering format to facilitate more frequent and responsive discussions on pressing community issues.

At the January Yearly Meeting 2025, Sarah Donaldson and Michael Booth shared insights from their involvement in these decisions. Their session, "To everything there is a season – changes to the holding of our Yearly Meetings," explored valuable lessons on navigating significant organisational change within Quaker communities.

Watch This Exciting Session

We invite you to watch the recording from this exciting and insightful session at January Yearly Meeting 2025. It took place online at 7:30 PM AEDT on Friday, 17 January 2025. Whether you are a Friend from Australia, Britain or beyond, this session promises to provide valuable reflections on how we can approach change within our own Yearly Meetings and communities.

Sarah Donaldson and Michael Booth will offer us a window into the experiences of those who have lived through and facilitated these changes, and we were eager to learn from them. ✨

Details of the Session:

• Title:To everything there is a season – changes to the holding of our Yearly Meetings so we can better meet the current needs of Friends  …OR… How to lay down a really old committee, and survive to tell the tale  
• Date: Friday, 17 January 2025
• Time: 7.30 PM AEDT
• Location: Online
• Speakers: Sarah Donaldson & Michael Booth, hosted by Robin McLean (TRM)