Would this be the largest AM in Britain?
Yes, it would be the largest by membership (1042 members at the end of 2023) though more compact than most geographically. The next largest is currently Central England, with 417 members. But AM merger processes in other parts of BYM may result in large AMs too – the 7 Yorkshire AMs (currently working on merger) have a total of 1204 members. By area, some AMs (e.g. in Scotland) are far larger than London and will be even larger if the merger process underway there includes all current AMs in Scotland.
Where would the new AM meet?
We are already experimenting with venues (for the Joint Area Meetings). Friends House and Westminster Meeting House are options, but so too are many non-Quaker venues.
Might future London AM meetings be very long?
Not necessarily. Delegation to committees and subgroups, and good agenda planning, can help make business manageable. (see Qf&p 4.03)
How frequently would the new AM need to meet?
We are suggesting five or six times a year, but the AM can change this over time. (see Qf&p 4.07)
What would be in the Governing Document of the new Area Meeting?
We think the best charitable form would be a Charitable Company with all Friends
in membership forming the membership of the charity (we plan to take legal advice on this). The standard governing document used by most AMs would provide the basis for the new document. (see Qf&p 15.15 – 15.16)
How would a single large Area Meeting maintain relationships with other groups (e.g. Quaker Life Representative Council, Meeting for Sufferings)?
Meeting for Sufferings is to be laid down after Yearly Meeting in May 2026. Representation on the new Continuing Yearly Meeting has yet to be defined, but it will be open to any Friend to attend. We would need to have discussions with Quaker Life about how many Reps we can send to Representative Council.
Would London AM be blended (held on Zoom as well as in person?)
Probably – but this is for the AM to experiment with and decide.