About Lake Erie Yearly Meeting

Lake Erie Yearly Meeting (LEYM) began in 1939 as an association of Friends meetings in Ohio, Michigan, Western Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. It is currently made up of 19 local congregations, called monthly meetings and 8 additional worship groups. It is affiliated with Friends General Conference (FGC), a Quaker service organization for unprogrammed Friends in the U.S. Today, LEYM’s member meetings and worship groups are located in Ohio, Michigan, and western Pennsylvania.

LEYM currently publishes a newsletter, the LEYM Bulletin, three times a year.

LEYM holds an annual meeting – typically in June – over four days for inspiration and fellowship, with business meetings for consideration of basic policies, committee reports, and responses to concerns brought by committees, and the naming of officers, representatives to Friends’ organizations, and committees.

LEYM seeks to appoint representatives to the following Quaker organizations: American Friends Service Committee; Friends Committee on National Legislation; Quaker Earthcare Witness; Friends General Conference; Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns; Friends World Committee on Consultation; Olney Friends School; Wilmington Yearly Meeting; Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative); Canadian Yearly Meeting.

A Representative Meeting is held on a weekend in the spring for committee meetings and to prepare the work of the annual meeting.

At present, the following standing committees are active: Advancement & Outreach, Arrangements & Site, Finance & Budget, High School Youth Program, Ministry & Nurture, Nominating,  Adult and Family Program, Peace and Justice, Publications & Archives, and Youth & Children. A part-time Digital Communications Facilitator and a part-time Database Manager help to maintain the services provided to participants.

Laid down in 2026, LEYM used to host a Quarterly Meeting. Eight monthly meetings and four worship groups in lower Michigan had formed a regional organization within LEYM called Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting. GPQM had oversight of the Michigan Friends Center in Chelsea, Michigan, and financial and interactive relationships with the Michigan Area office of the American Friends Service Committee in Ann Arbor.

LEYM History

A short narrative history and description of Lake Erie Yearly Meeting is available:

LEYM Description and History (PDF excerpt of 2025 Annual Record)

LEYM Chronology

A more detailed chronology of our annual meetings over the years is available: LEYM Chronology 1939 through 2025 (PDF)