Meeting for Sufferings (MfS) is the standing body representing Quakers in Britain. It has a visionary and prophetic role, deciding priorities for centrally managed work and making decisions on behalf of Quakers between the annual Meetings of Britain Yearly Meeting.
History / Background
The name ‘Meeting for Sufferings’ is a historic one and refers back to when Quakers were imprisoned and tortured for following their faith. Offences included the ones you might expect, such as refusing to swear oaths nor pay tithes, teaching without a bishops license and contempt of court (by wearing hats, amongst other ways), to more intriguing ones like holding meetings ‘under pretence or colour of worship’ and for being vagabonds or common nuisances. These ‘cases of suffering’ were sent to London from Friends throughout the country and recorded in the ‘Great Book of Sufferings’. A ‘constant meeting about sufferings’ was formed in 1675. This gradually came to deal with more general matters. By 1833, Yearly Meeting defined it as a ‘standing committee … entrusted with a general care of whatever may arise during the intervals of this meeting, affecting our religious society …’.
What does MfS do today?
- Sets priorities for all centrally managed work that has been decided by BYM.
- Has responsibility for issuing any public statements on behalf of all Quakers within Britain. These are often in response to global and current affairs and events, eg statements expressing solidarity with victims of racist policies, and on climate change.
- maintains the Prison and Court Register. The practice of recording the details of any Friend imprisoned or charged with actions relating to Quaker witness was revived in the 20th century. Names and brief details are now recorded in the Prison and Court Register. In recent times these have related to Quaker witness in areas such as Nuclear Disarmament, Anti-War protests and Climate Action.
- makes decisions on how to support the spiritual life of the Society. One recent example is how best to establish a team of Local Development Workers to support Local and Area Meetings.
- Has a key role in communicating and reporting between various committees and groups within the Society. Representatives from each AM allow communication between Area Meetings and the central committees.
- Receives minutes from Area Meetings, thus any AM concerns can be reviewed and acted upon. This means that ideas from Local and Area Meetings could, after consideration, be adopted as policy by Quakers in Britain.
- Has a role in resolving any disputes at area level.
Not least, it is also a worshipping community!
Who is on the MfS committee?
Every Area Meeting throughout the UK send a representative, nominated by AM but appointed by Yearly Meeting. Each AM also has an ‘alternate’. This means that there are two Friends who can support each other and discuss items of the agenda, but only one attends each MfS. This is usually decided between the representative and the alternate.
Scottish General Meeting, Young Friends General Meeting and several others also have representatives. There may be up to 100 members at the meetings, which are usually held in Friends House, London, five or six times each year. Holding some of the meetings via video-conferencing as a regular way of meeting is currently being explored.
Recommended links / further information:
See Chapter 7 of ‘Quaker Faith and Practice’ https://qfp.quaker.org.uk/chapter/7/ for lots more information.
More details and copies of meeting minutes and other relevant documents can be found on the BYM website: https://quaker.org.uk/our-organisation/meeting-for-sufferings
Sue Horne, Shetland Local Meeting