Administration & Governance

These pages are the working pages for Yearly Meeting administration and business.

Quakers are a bottom-up democracy with the basic unit being the worship groups which are organised into automonous regional groupings known as Monthly Meetings - a name based on the frequency of their business meetings. Appointments to local roles are made at the Monthly Meeting level. 

The Monthly Meetings through out New Zealand meet and cooperate together under the umbrella of a national body known as the Yearly Meeting (YM).

There is one annual national YM gathering to discern major matters while business, arising over the year between the yearly meetings, is managed through monthly YM Clerk Letters. These letters present decisions to be made (as well as other information) and are sent out to each Monthly Meeting for consideraton and comment by members.  Minutes are passed when all Monthly Meetings are in agreement.

Appointments to national roles are made by the Yearly Meeting.

A YM Nominations Committee supports the appointment process by keeping records of national appointments and looking out for suitable candidates to nominate for appointment as terms expire and vacancies arise. 

Money and assets, such as meeting houses, belonging collectively to the Society are administered by the ANZ Religious Society of Friends Trust Board.