Friends General Conference
Friends General Conference (FGC) is an association of Quakers in the United States and Canada made up of 16 yearly meetings and 12 autonomous monthly meetings. "Monthly meetings" are what Quakers call congregations; "yearly meetings" are organizations of monthly meetings within a geographic region. FGC was founded in 1900.
| Abbreviation | FGC |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1900 |
| Type | Religious organization |
| Purpose | Enrich the spiritual life of the Religious Society of Friends, provide resources and services to Friends, Friends meetings, and people interested in the Quaker way in the United States and Canada |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Location |
|
Membership | Approximately 32,000 |
General Secretary | Barry Crossno |
Budget | US$1.6 million (2021) |
Staff | 18 |
| Website | www |
FGC-affiliated meetings are typically in the "unprogrammed" Quaker tradition, though there are some Friends churches with pastors. "Unprogrammed" means that worship is based on silent waiting for the Spirit's inspiration, without a pastor or a prepared order of worship. As of 2022, there are approximately 32,000 members in over 650 congregations (called meetings or churches).
Friends (Quakers) affiliated with FGC tend to be theologically liberal and more socially progressive than Friends in other branches of Quakerism in North America, though FGC welcomes Friends with diverse experiences and points of view.
FGC's programs include an annual week-long conference called "The Gathering," on-line retreats and worship opportunities, resources for meetings in becoming anti-racist spiritual communities, spiritual mentorship for youth and young adults, book publishing and sales, religious education materials, interfaith relations, and websites for meetings.
The main offices for FGC are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.