Friends Meeting in Cambridge (FMC) is part of a larger organization, New England Yearly Meeting
which consists of a loose confederation of a number of monthly meetings in the New England area. Some of these meeting are unprogrammed like FMC, others are programmed (have a more formal program with a pastor presiding).
The New England Yearly Meeting is affiliated with two national organizations (Friends General Conference and Friends United Meeting) which are confederations of Yearly Meetings:
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Friends General Conference is a "Quaker organization in the unprogrammed tradition of the Religious Society of Friends which primarily serves affiliated yearly and monthly meetings. It is our experience that:
Friends United Meeting "commits
itself to energize and equip Friends through the power of the
Holy Spirit to gather people into fellowships where Jesus Christ is known, loved and obeyed as Teacher and Lord."
A national web site for Quakers provides links to many different web sites, some of which are of considerable interest. It is worthwhile to browse this site.
It is impossible to describe the Quaker beliefs in a way that
would satisfy all individuals and meetings who call themselves Quakers. A web site that provides an introduction and history of the Religious Society of Friends is a
comprehensive review that would be relevant to many members of FMC.
The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Quaker organization which includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace, and humanitarian service.
Its work is based on the Quaker belief in the worth of every person, and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice.
Friends Journal is a monthly magazine
of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Its mission is
to reflect Quaker thought and life today, to promote concerns
of the Religious Society of Friends, and to inform and educate Friends and others.
The Friends Committee on National Legislation FCNL is a nation-wide network of thousands of Quakers and like-minded people who work together to bring Friends' values to bear on public policy in our nation's capital. Since 1943, FCNL has worked toward a non-military world order so firmly based on justice and voluntary cooperation that there would be no place for war. FCNL has brought the concerns, experience, and testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) to the attention of policy makers in the nation's capital.
Quaker Earthcare Witness is
a spiritually-centered movement of Quakers and like-minded people seeking ways
to integrate concern for the environment with Friends' long-standing testimonies
for simplicity, integrity, peace, and equality.
Pendle Hill is a Quaker center for study and contemplation in Wallingford, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia.
Pendle Hill offers weekend conferences and retreats, five day short courses and a resident study program consisting of three 10 week terms each year. Pendle Hill Publications publishes books and pamphlets of spiritual import.
There are several bookstores which can provide a wide variety of publications that would be useful to those wanting to know more about Friends, their history, and their writings.