Yearly Meeting 2025
The Yearly Meeting of the Southern Africa Yearly Meeting took place from 4-8 January 2024 at St Augustine’s Heritage Guest Farm in Modderpoort, Free State. It was a blended meeting as Friends from around the world joined proceedings via Zoom. The theme of this Yearly Meeting was What Binds Us Together, What Pulls Us Apart. The Epistle and other documents relating to this YM can be downloaded below.
EPISTLE from Southern Africa Yearly Meeting 4 to 8 Jan 2025
Further documents from YM 2025 will be posted here shortly.
RM September 2024
The Representative Meeting was held on 22 September 2024. The Minutes and Document Pack relating to the RM can be accessed here:
RM 2024 09 — Minutes and Document Pack
Please note that the page is password protected.
RM March 2024
The Representative Meeting was held on 17 March 2024. The Minutes and Document Pack relating to the RM can be accessed here:
RM 2024 03 — Minutes and Document Pack
Please note that the page is password protected.
RM November 2023
The Representative Meeting was held on 12 November 2023. The Minutes and Document Pack relating to the RM can be accessed here:
RM 2023 11 — Minutes and Document Pack
Please note that the page is password protected.
RM August 2023
The Representative Meeting was held on 13 August 2023. The Minutes and other documents relating to the RM can be accessed here:
RM 2023 08 — Minutes, Notes, Document Pack and Addendum
Please note that the page is password protected.
RM April 2023
Based on the African concept of Ubuntu, Southern African Quakers have been deepening their understanding of human oneness, and as hosts of the 2024 FWCC World Plenary Meeting invite Friends worldwide to join in that experience.
See the YouTube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG-EHqKS87s
Minutes of the RM can be accessed here:
Please note that the page is password protected.
Yearly Meeting 2023
The first in-person Yearly Meeting of the Southern Africa Yearly Meeting since 2019 took place from 3-8 January 2023 at Good Shepherd Retreat Centre in Hartbeespoort. It was, in fact, a blended meeting as Friends from around the world joined proceedings via Zoom. This Yearly Meeting focused on Ubuntu. The Epistle and other documents relating to this YM can be downloaded below.
EPISTLE from Southern Africa Yearly Meeting 3 to 8 Jan 2023
A short video on Ubuntu, the theme of both YM 2023 and the upcoming World Plenary Meeting to be held in South Africa in August 2024, is how available on YouTube.
The Richard Gush Lecture by David Niyonzima is also on YouTube. Both these and other SAYM videos can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOJGuZVZnN7jbktPLyDByKQ
To access the YM 2023 Handout Document and Minutes, please click here. You will be required to enter the password before being taken to the download page. Should you not have it, please contact your Clerk.
- YM 2023 Map of Yearly Meeting Programme — version of 29 August 2022.
- YM 2023 Objectives and Agenda YM 2023 — version of 29 August 2022.
RM July 2022
Click the link below and enter the password to download the RM 2207 Meeting Document for the Reps Meeting to be held online over the weekend of 23/24 July 2022.
Meeting RM July 2022 – Document and Minutes
You can also access the report online as web pages by clicking the link above.
RM March 2022
Click the link below and enter the password to download the RM 2203 Meeting Document pack from the Reps Meeting held online over the weekend of 26/27 March 2022. You can also download the Minutes of the Meeting from that page.
Meeting RM March 2022 – Document and Minutes
You can also access the reports online as web pages by clicking the link above.
New ECTF application form
If you wish to make an application to the ECTF, please download and use the form at this link: ECTF 2022-02-28 Application form for ECTF grant
RM November 2021
Click the links below and enter the password to download the Meeting Document and the minutes from Reps Meeting held online over the weekend of 27/28 November 2021.
Meeting Document RM November 2021
The Evaluation of YM 2021 was presented at the November 2021 Reps Meeting. The full Evaluation document can be downloaded from the RM November 2021 page. Click the link below and enter the password.
Yearly Meeting 2021
The 2021 Yearly Meeting was held via Zoom over two consecutive weekends in July/August 2021. Two statements came out of the gathering:
- Statement on the Failed Insurrection and Civil Unrest in South Africa
- Quaker Community in Southern Africa endorses SACC statement
The EPISTLE from the Meeting may be read here: Epistle of the Quaker Community in Southern Africa Yearly Meeting 2021
The 2021 Richard Gush Memorial Lecture, delivered by Marie Odendaal of the KwaZulu-Natal Monthly Meeting, was delivered on 16 June 2021. It is titled Creating our world in love’s image — journeying beyond apartheid, and can be viewed on the Quaker Community in Southern Africa YouTube channel.
The YM Document, which includes the Agenda, can be downloaded here. Please note, access is protected by the password. Kindly contact your Clerk for the password.
Richard Gush Memorial Lecture 2021
The 2021 Richard Gush Memorial Lecture was delivered by Marie Odendaal of the KwaZulu-Natal Monthly Meeting. It can be viewed on the Quaker Community in Southern Africa YouTube channel.
Minutes from the Yearly Meeting 2019
The minutes of the 2019 Yearly Meeting are now available for download. Please click the following link and enter the password to get to the download page. The password can be obtained from your Clerk or from Heath. The file is available in both MS Word and PDF format.
Epistle from the Yearly Meeting 2019
Click here to download the Epistle from the 2019 Yearly Meeting held at eMseni in Gauteng: SAQC Yearly Meeting 2019 Epistle
Richard Gush Memorial Lecture 2019
The Richard Gush Lecture for the 2019 YM was given by Helen Vale of the Namibia Quaker Community. Download it here: Helen Vale – Richard Gush Lecture April 21 2019
Alternatively, you can listen to the lecture here: Helen Vale – Richard Gush Lecture mp4
Yearly Meeting 2019
The Pack that will be distributed to Yearly Meeting attendees has gone to the printer. For those Friends who wish to read the contents in advance, please download the PDF file by clicking the link below. You will be taken to a password protected page and will need to enter the password. Please get the password from your Clerk if you do not have it. Click the link on that page, and the PDF will download.
For a list of SIGs scheduled for presentation at YM 2019, please visit the announcement post.
Minutes: MYRM 2018
Click the link below and enter the password to download the minutes from Mid-Year Reps Meeting 2018 held at Koinonia in August 2018.
Minutes: Yearly Meeting 2018
The Minutes for the YM held from 2-8 January 2018 can be accessed by clicking the link below and entering the password. Please note that the site-wide password has now been set and your Clerk will be able to give it to you.
The Minutes are available in PDF files in three forms:
- a standalone file containing only the Minutes (135 kb)
- integrated into the Agenda handout document (10.9 MB)
- integrated into the Agenda handout document that has been zipped (10.1 MB)
Epistle: Yearly Meeting 2018
Click the link below to read the Epistle from SAYM 2018.
Yearly Meeting 2018
The Pack that will be distributed to Yearly Meeting attendees has gone to the printer. For those Friends who wish to read the contents in advance, please download the PDF file by clicking the link below. You will be taken to a password protected page and will need to enter the password. Click the link on that page, and the PDF will download.
2017 MYRM
The Mid-Year Reps Meeting, which took place from 27 April to 1 May at Koinonia in Johannesburg, generated many good ideas, so much exciting energy, and so much thinking about issues that tend to get pushed to one side in daily life. The minutes are now available and can be downloaded by clicking the link below. Please note that the minutes are on a password protected page, so you will need to contact your Clerk for the SAYM password to access it. An updated passwords list has been sent out to Clerks.
Ethical investment was among the issues raised. Rob Thomson prepared a report titled “Environmental and Social Criteria for Investments of the Quaker funds” which was presented at the meeting. It can also be downloaded from the Minutes page (see link below).
Helen Holleman is in the process of preparing a ‘Report’ which is not an official document, but tries to capture the background to many of the decisions we minuted. It will be made available on the Minutes page once it is complete.
2016 Yearly Meeting
The most recent Yearly Meeting was held at Modderpoort in the Free State from 27 April-3 May 2016. Some 63 Quakers attended, and this year’s Richard Gush Lecture was given by Jennifer Kavanagh who has written a number of books of spiritual guidance.
Download this year’s Richard Gush by clicking here.
C&SAYM 2016 report carried in The Friend
C&SAYM 2016 Minutes — Public Edition
C&SAYM 2016 Minutes — Minutes and Reports not in Handout Pack only
Full minutes of the Yearly Meeting can be downloaded, but they are password protected. Please contact your Clerk for the password, and then click the link below.
Full Minutes of the Yearly Meeting 2016 held at Modderpoort from 27 April-3 May 2016
The Peace, Justice & Development Fund (PJDF) and Compassion Fund of C&SAYM
The 2015 Yearly Meeting approved the establishment of the PJDF, as a subset of ECTF, to encourage peace, justice and development work within C&SAYM.
The forms downloadable from the links below have been confirmed as current in February 2020:
Clerks should download the document below for guidelines on making applications to the funds:
2015 MYRM Minutes and Report
Please click the link below for the minutes and more detailed report of the MYRM held at Koinonia in Johannesburg from 13-16 August 2015.
2015 Yearly Meeting Minutes
Please click the link below for the minutes of the Yearly Meeting for worship for business held at the Good Shepherd Retreat Centre, Hartebeespoort, from 2-8 January 2015. The theme for the meeting was Reverence for Life, Silence, Transformation and Action.
Southern Africa Yearly Meeting
Clerks: Sipho Nsimbi and Justin Ellis
Handbook
The Quaker Handbook is a guide to the structures that support the individual’s search for personal and social truth. The PDF of the Quaker Handbook 2018 can be downloaded here.
Young Friends
A short paragraph about the Young Friends with a link to any extra information.
Next gathering
The next gathering of the SAYM with be the MYRM from 1-4 May 2020 at Lumko Retreat Centre near Johannesburg.
Next Yearly Meeting
The upcoming Yearly Meeting of the SAYM will take place at Good Shepherd Retreat Centre, Hartebeestpoort, North West Provice, in South Africa in January 2021.
Richard Gush Lectures
At each Yearly Meeting a keynote address is given by a “weighty” Quaker. These lectures tend to focus on issues relating to [whatever is important at the time] and serve the purpose of [something]. The full text of the lectures since 2009 can be seen on this site, and there are links to PDF files of older lectures.
Epistle
Some information about the Epistle and why it is important. Link to the most recent Epistle’s full text, with links on that page to the PDFs of other Epistles.