Structure
Most members are appointed by Yearly Meeting, based on nominations put forward by each monthly meeting or by Meeting for Suffering's own standing committees. It may also co-opt a few members on its own initiative. Members normally serve a three-year term - the next round of appointments is in 2006. The table below shows the role of the relevant committees that provide members, as of 1999.
| Number | Origin |
|---|---|
| 170 | Monthly meetings |
| 10 | Co-opted |
| 2 | Young Friends General Meeting |
| 2 | Quaker Communications Central Committee |
| Responsible for publicity, media and government liaison, and income from grants and legacies. | |
| 2 | Quaker Finance and Property Central Committee |
| Financial management and planning. | |
| 2 | Quaker Home Service Central Committee |
| Local and national outreach, supporting pastoral work. | |
| 2 | Quaker Peace and Service Central Committee |
| Working for peace and social justice. | |
| 2 | Quaker Resources for Service Central Committee |
| Administrative support, including personnel and IT services. | |
| 2 | Quaker Social Responsibility and Education Central Committee |
| Advice and support for concerns (individual vocation to carry out some service) and social projects. | |
| 1 | Quaker Committee for Christian and Interfaith Relations |
| Relations with non-Quaker groups. | |
| 1 | Quaker World Relations Committee |
| Relations with non-British Yearly Meetings and Friends World Committee for Consultation. | |
| Total 196, plus a clerk and assistant clerk. | |
Various officers of Yearly Meeting, and staff employed by Meeting for Sufferings, also attend.
Read more about this topic: Meeting For Sufferings
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“... the structure of our public morality crashed to earth. Above its grave a tombstone read, “Be tolerant—even of evil.” Logically the next step would be to say to our commonwealth’s criminals, “I disagree that it’s all right to rob and murder, but naturally I respect your opinion.” Tolerance is only complacence when it makes no distinction between right and wrong.”
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