An Epistle articulates a collective sense of experience and how God has moved among Friends during a gathering, be it a yearly meeting session or an FWCC Section meeting, or a Young Friends gathering. It is approved by that group during a meeting for business. It is typically shared with yearly meetings so that they might read some of them out in meeting or publish some for people to read. It was historically, and continues to be, an important way for Friends and others to learn about each other in that which is eternal. They help us appreciate that we are part of a world family of Friends.
Epistles have potential to facilitate understanding among Friends, and in this light, we ask that you read Epistles with an open mind and heart.
Please note that each meeting writes its own Epistle, and we do not alter or edit them; Friends with concerns are encouraged to address those directly to the sending meeting.
If you have an epistle you would like to share with the world family of Friends that is not on this page or in the archive, please email it to Tas Cooper.
World Plenary Meeting Epistle 2016 English (19-27 January 2016)
Epístola de la Reunión Plenaria Mundial 2016 Español (19-27 de enero de 2016)
Most Recent Epistles Received (for previous epistles, please check the archive)
2023
Alaska Friends Conference (USA) (3-6 August) (.pdf, 56kb)
Aotearoa-New Zealand YM (18-22 May) (.pdf, 192kb)
Australia YM (1-9 July) (.pdf, 469kb)
Belgium & Luxembourg YM (9-11 June) (.pdf, 459kb)
Bohol Worship Group (Philippines) (1 October, World Quaker Day report) (.pdf, 885kb)
Britain YM (28 April – 1 May) (.pdf, 403kb)
- Junior Yearly Meeting (1-4 April) (.pdf, 42kb)
Canadian YM (8-13 July) (.pdf, 140kb)
Central European YM (25-28 May) (.pdf, 120kb)
Chebuyusi YM (Kenya) (23-27 August) (.pdf, 933kb)
France YM (27-30 October) (.pdf, 83kb) (English & français)
Friends Church of North Carolina Annual Sessions (USA) (11-12 August) (.pdf, 122kb)
Friends United Meeting / United Society of Friends Women International / Quaker Men International Joint Triennial Meeting (2-8 July) (.pdf, 1MB)
FWCC Asia-West Pacific Section Meeting (19-23 October) (.pdf, 1MB)
FWCC Europe & Middle East Section Annual Meeting (4-7 May) (.pdf, 176kb)
Great Plains YM (1-3 June) (.pdf, 73kb)
Illinois YM (USA) (21-25 June) (.pdf, 296kb)
Intermountain YM (21-25 June) (.pdf, 482kb)
Ireland YM (13-16 April) (.pdf, 224kb)
Italian Friends’ Gathering (3-5 November) English (.pdf, 60kb) / italiano (.pdf, 32kb)
Lake Erie YM (USA) (15-18 June) (.pdf, 34kb)
Monteverde Monthly Meeting (Costa Rica) (June) English (.pdf, 227kb) / español (.pdf, 202kb)
Netherlands YM (12-14 May) (.pdf, 81kb)
New England YM (USA) (5-9 August) (.pdf, 253kb)
Northern YM (USA) (26-29 May) (.pdf, 76kb)
North Pacific YM (USA) (8-11 July) (.pdf, 68kb)
Ohio YM (USA) (1-5 August) (.pdf, 142kb)
Ohio Valley YM (USA) (14-18 June) (.pdf, 212kb)
- Children’s Program (.pdf, 233kb)
- Youth Program (.pdf, 275kb)
Pendle Hill Study Center Spring Term Cohort (USA) (1 March – 10 May) (.pdf, 299kb)
Piedmont Friends YM & Fellowship (USA) (3 June) (.pdf, 70kb)
Philadelphia YM (26-30 July) (.pdf, 114kb)
- Children and Youth Epistle (.pdf, 73kb)
- Young Adult Friends’ Epistle (.pdf, 97kb)
Quaker Council for European Affairs (31 March – 1 April) (.pdf, 226kb)
South Central YM (USA) (2-9 April) (.pdf, 71kb)
Southeastern YM (USA) (5-9 April) (.pdf, 61kb)
USFW Northeast Region (USA) (6-7 May) (.pdf, 359kb)
Western YM (USA) (27-30 July) (.pdf, 97kb)
2022
Cuba YM (19 February) (bilingual/bilingüe English/español) (.pdf, 62kb)
German YM (13-16 October) Deutsch (.pdf, 73kb) / English (.pdf, 60kb)
Intermountain YM (USA) (13-19 June) (.pdf, 70kb)
Japan YM (19-20 November) (.pdf, 76kb)
Lugari YM (Kenya) (17-21 August) (.pdf, 161kb)
Nordic Gathering (30 June – 3 July ) (.pdf, 87kb)
Pacific YM (USA) (22-27 July) (.pdf, 289kb)
Poland – All-Poland Gathering (15-16 October) (.pdf, 89kb)
Sierra-Cascades YM (USA) (17-19 June) (.pdf, 40kb)
Switzerland YM (3-6 June) Deutsch (.pdf, 48kb) / English (.pdf, 63kb)
2021
Europe and Middle East Young Friends’ Summer Gathering (.pdf, 1119 kb)
Hong Kong MM – State of the Meeting Report (3 April) (.pdf, 121kb)
Iowa YM (Conservative) (USA) (22-25 July) (.pdf, 81kb)
Ireland YM (8-11 April) (.pdf, 90kb)
- Junior Yearly Meeting (1-3 January, postponed from April 2020) (.pdf, 94kb)
Mexico General Meeting (21-23 May) (.pdf, 616kb, in Spanish and English)
Northwest YM (USA) (.pdf, 68kb)
Norway YM (26-27 June) English (.pdf, 16kb) Norwegian (.pdf, 78kb)
Southern Africa YM (24-25 July, 31 July – 1 August) (.pdf, 80kb)
Sweden YM (14-16 May) (.pdf, 62kb)
Switzerland YM (21-24 May) (.pdf, 140kb)
Uganda USFW (1-5 December) (.pdf, 1,007kb)
Wilmington YM (USA) (29 July – 1 August) (.pdf, 91kb)
Epistle from the Heads of Quaker Agencies (8 December) (.pdf, 19kb)
2020
Baltimore YM (USA) (27 July – 3 August) (.pdf, 206kb)
Belgium & Luxembourg YM (10-11 October) (.pdf, 89kb)
FWCC Central Executive Committee (11-15 June) (.pdf, 93kb)
Indiana YM (USA) (23-25 July) (.pdf, 124kb)
New York YM (USA) (19-31 July) (.pdf, 100kb)
North Carolina YM (Conservative) (USA) (8-12 July) (.pdf, 589kb)
2019
Evangelical Friends of Kitale, Kenya (12-16 December) (.pdf, 23kb)
Jamaica YM (9-11 August) (.pdf, 276kb)
New Association of Friends (USA) (27 October) (.pdf, 85kb)
North Carolina Fellowship of Friends (USA) (10 August) (.pdf, 143kb)
Quaker Religious Education Collaborative, East Africa (16-19 January) (.pdf, 188kb)
Quakers Uniting in Publications (QUIP) (international) (28-31 March) (.pdf, 99kb)
Southern Appalachian YM and Association (USA) (13-16 June) (.pdf, 122kb)
2018
FLGBTQC (Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Concerns) (summer) (.pdf, 4MB)
Friends Association for Higher Education (14-17 June) (.pdf, 208kb)
Pacific Northwest Quaker Women’s Theology Conference (USA) (6-10 June) (.pdf, 258kb)
Soy YM (Kenya) (22-26 August) (.pdf, 190kb)
2017
Chavakali YM (Kenya) (16-20 August) (.pdf, 102kb)
Nairobi YM (Kenya) (30 August-3 September) (.pdf, 558kb)
North Carolina YM (FUM) (USA) (4-6 August) (.pdf, 404kb)
Ramallah MM (Palestine) (February) (.pdf, 493kb)
Sierra-Cascades YM (USA) (.pdf, 129kb)
Epistle of the “What Canst Thou Say?” Ministers & Elders Colloquium (6-9 October) (.pdf, 184kb)
2016
Baltimore YM (USA) (1-7 August) (.pdf, 176kb)
Denmark YM (2-3 April) (.pdf, 102kb)
Europe & Middle East Young Friends All-Age Gathering (30 July-6 August) (.pdf, 275kb)
Fellowship of Friends of African Descent Annual Gathering (12-14 August) (.pdf, 137kb)
Tanzania YM (24-28 August) (.pdf, 64kb)
2015
Tanzania USFW (December) (.pdf, 64kb)
2014
Bhopal YM (India) (9 February) (.pdf, 53kb)
Quaker Youth Pilgrimage (22 July – 21 August) (.pdf, 255kb)
2013
Alaska YM (.pdf, 77kb)
2012
East Africa YM (4 September) (.png, 494kb)