Welcome to Baltimore Yearly Meeting!
Baltimore Yearly Meeting nurtures a vibrant Quaker community across the Mid-Atlantic. BYM unites Friends from 50 Quaker meetings and worship groups throughout Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
Together at BYM Friends we
Strengthen Local Meetings
The monthly meeting is the beating heart of everything we do. At its core, the yearly meeting is an association of Quaker monthly meetings and other local worshipping communities coming together to support one another. We share a common Faith & Practice - and we share our skills, gifts, spiritual leadings, and resources across local worshipping communities.
Grow in Spirit & Community
Quakers believe that there is “that of God” in every person—an Inner Light that is loving and honest and can lead us to truth and justice. As BYM Friends we gather for Meetings for Worship four times each year to discern the Leadings of the Spirit and to conduct our community business and three more times throughout the year for spiritual formation retreats.
Nurture Youth
BYM has a special commitment to the spiritual, social, and emotional thriving of all young people. Our camps and youth retreats are vibrant, diverse, youth-centered communities. BYM scholarships and grants provide material support to children, families, and child-serving organizations, and the Religious Education Committee connects meetings to resources for nurturing youth.
Connect & Serve as Friends
Working together is an extension of our worship into the practical life of Quakerism. Working together benefits both the wider community and those Friends who participate. We serve together on Committtes, gather for service projects and social witness, and are part of the worldwide body of Quakers - connected to 14 organizations and hundreds of thousands of Friends around the world.
Annual Session 2021
The Program Committee wants as many Friends as possible to participate in Annual Session programs this year. So we have adopted Pay as Led financing after its success at last year’s Annual Session 2020. A similar model is being used in our camping program.
By making Annual Session more financially possible for more people, we hope our community can become more inclusive and welcoming. Pay as Led financing acknowledges that while some Friends require assistance to participate, many others could pay more/give more than the rates that are set. We are aware that during the pandemic some Friends have been unemployed, living on their savings, or experiencing other financial hardships. Do not let a lack of funds keep you from participating.
The suggested Annual Session registration fee is $100 per adult (over age 18). As always, youth programming is free. This $100 fee includes the retreat, all programs during the week, and programs scheduled in the pre-session week. Donations above $100 will help other Friends participate.
Whether you attend a lot or a little of the Annual Session program, we invite you to prayerfully consider your own financial circumstances, and pay as you are led. You may be led to pay significantly more than $100, or less. It is up to each of us to individually discern what fee to pay. You will see the option to enter your fee on the registration page.
You MUST preregister to receive the technology link for any session. Registration is online only. If you need assistance, please contact the Yearly Meeting office or Barbarie Hill, the Registrar (registrar@bym-rsf.org). You may register throughout Annual Session, but must register for any specific event or session no less than 2 hours in advance to allow time to receive the connection information. We will not be posting them publicly due to security issues.
