History
FGC's history can be traced back to conferences held by several Quaker organizations between 1868 and 1900, including the First Day School Conference, the Friends Union for Philanthropic Labor, the Friends Religious Conference, the Friends Educational Conference, and the Young Friends Association. These groups officially joined together as Friends General Conference at Chautauqua, New York in August 1900. FGC has held a conference either every year or every other year, usually at a different college each time, simply called Friends General Conference or FGC. In the late 1970s in order to make a distinction between FGC as an organization and the annual conference, the conference began to be called the Gathering. In recent years, the Gathering has been held several times on the west coast rather than the East or Midwest. List of all conferences and locationsStructure and governance
As of May 2022, the governing body for FGC is a Central Committee made up of 111 Friends, 54 of whom are appointed by affiliated yearly and monthly meetings. It meets once a year in the fall, usually October. There is also an Executive Committee made up of officers, clerks of sub-committees, yearly meeting representatives, and at-large members which meets three times a year. Central Committee is uniquely responsible for: *Making final policy decisions affecting the Friends General Conference organization and program *Approving the annual budget *Making changes in the corporate by-laws Executive Committee can make any decisions other than these to keep the organization functioning throughout the year. The work of FGC is carried out by staff and several hundred volunteers. It is managed by a General Secretary (similar to an Executive Director) who provides spiritually grounded leadership, adhering to the vision statement, minute of purpose, and objectives determined by Central Committee. In 2021, FGC had a budget of US$1.6 million and assets of US $6,241,856.The Gathering
A key program of FGC is the annual Gathering for all ages, traditionally held at a different college every July. Before the pandemic, the event attracted between 800 to 1,500 attenders from around the world, with most participants coming from the United States and Canada. Since the pandemic, it has been held virtually, and a hybrid Gathering is planned for the future. The event features 40–60 mostly week-long workshops and a slate of both Quaker and non-Quaker plenary speakers. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. offered a plenary presentation in 1958. In addition to workshops and plenary sessions, the Gathering features concerts for all ages. Renowned folk singerSee also
* Friends United Meeting (FUM) * Evangelical Friends Church International (EFCI) * Conservative Friends * Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) * Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC)References
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