Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

of the Religious Society of Friends

Governance & Stewardship

Interview with Zachary Dutton: Love is What Allows Us to Let God Lead Us

Written on:

Zachary Dutton has been PYM’s Associate Secretary for Program and Religious Life since September 1, 2014. In these seven years he has been a leader on PYM staff. He also stewarded implementation of our seven strategic directions, and grappled with how best to meet a complex set of community needs with smaller staffing footprints. Overall, Zachary has been a facilitator of change and has focused attention on new issues.

[Read more…] about Interview with Zachary Dutton: Love is What Allows Us to Let God Lead Us

Cherice Bock on Building Hubs of Climate Resilience

Written on:

In her July 31st Annual Sessions keynote, Cherice Bock explored the question “Will friends act in radical faithfulness?” with 78 Friends. She lifted up a range of ideas and possibilities for advocacy, emphasizing community-focused work that builds hubs of climate resilience.

[Read more…] about Cherice Bock on Building Hubs of Climate Resilience

Quakerism and Constructive Conflict Addressed by Dr. Sa’ed Atshan

Written on:

Dr. Sa’ed Atshan offered the closing keynote to 106 Friends at Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s 341st Annual Sessions with a talk on managing conflict within the Religious Society of Friends. He spoke of the powerful healing force of a humble, empathetic approach to difficult conversations. In his personal work across the Palestinian-Israeli divide, he has forwarded a shared understanding of the facts, avoidance of social media, and an approach that recognizes the humanity of each person even when disagreeing.  Dr. Atshan began the talk by sketching his Quaker schooling at Ramallah Friends School and credited Quakerism with shaping his thinking on constructive conflict.

[Read more…] about Quakerism and Constructive Conflict Addressed by Dr. Sa’ed Atshan

Mai Spann-Wilson: A Powerful Question Is More Important Than The Answers

Written on:

Sankofa

Drawing more than 100 friends, Mai Spann-Wilson’s keynote presentation and poetry reading began with Sankofa, a piece he wrote as a teenager. It closed with an impromptu recollection by his aunt, Diane Spann, of Mai at 18 as he shared Sankofa in a spontaneous performance on the side of the road. [Read more…] about Mai Spann-Wilson: A Powerful Question Is More Important Than The Answers

Meeting For Business – Minutes of Sunday August 1

Written on:

With almost 100 Friends in attendance, Meeting for Business in Worship was held virtually from just before 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM on the morning of August 1st.  This was followed by Worship until noon. The agenda offered the following items of business: Proposed Minute from the Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI), General Secretary’s Report, and two Minutes of Service. Minutes follow with thanks to the PYM recording clerk, Kri Burkander.
[Read more…] about Meeting For Business – Minutes of Sunday August 1

Meeting For Business – Minutes of Friday July 30

Written on:

With 102 Friends in attendance,  Meeting for Business in Worship was held virtually from just before 1:00 to about 4:15 PM during the afternoon of July 30th. The agenda offered the following items of business: Introductions, Quaker Life Council Report, Nominating  Council Report, Ujima Friends Meeting Declaration, and the Membership and Belonging Sprint Report.  Minutes follow with thanks to the PYM recording clerk, Jim Herr. [Read more…] about Meeting For Business – Minutes of Friday July 30

Update your contact & Meeting information at pym.org/updates

© 2025 Philadelphia Yearly Meeting · Privacy Policy