Summer is waning, the crickets are singing, and it’s time to get ready for the next year in religious education programs! The Fall issue of The Tote Bag: Religious Education and Family Resources is here to support getting ready for children, youth, and intergenerational programs in meetings. This includes new resources to support middle school engagement, explore Bible stories with children, and how to talk together with young people about election issues. With the upcoming election in November, staff have been thinking about how to support families and young people to feel grounded in our testimonies of integrity and peace. Two specific events for adults and children/youth are happening this fall. Read on!
[Read more…] about Religious Education Resources & Events Fall 2024
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
New Schedule for Councils Meeting Jointly
Our current governance structure was set up with a goal of simplifying our governance and administration. Some adjustments have been made, such as adding a Clerks Group which encourages the clerks of the councils and officers of the yearly meeting to all collaborate. Another change is that the three councils, Quaker Life, Administrative and Nominating, have met jointly for about an hour every month for many years now. Over the course of the past two years, the clerks and Governance Advisory Committee have been watching for new opportunities that allow the councils to be increasingly effective in meeting our community’s needs, responsive to the spirit and respectful of the council members’ commitment. [Read more…] about New Schedule for Councils Meeting Jointly
Yearly Meeting’s New Online Giving System Gets Your Donations to Your Meetings—Instantly!
For many years, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting has supported donations to monthly and quarterly meetings by setting up PYM’s online giving platform to accept contributions and then disbursing those funds to meetings four times a year. We are happy to announce that our recently upgraded online donation software, QGiv, will now allow donations to be transferred directly to meetings—instantly!
The new system looks nearly identical to the old one. However, on the back end, it is connected directly to each meeting’s bank account. When a donation is made, it is deposited into a meeting’s account, and the appropriate person for each meeting, such as the clerk, treasurer, or administrator, will receive the notification. You can contact Joey Leroux, Director of Grantmaking and Data, with any questions. PYM will continue to cover the transaction fees and the cost of the service.
We have already begun implementing this process, with 35 meetings set up to date, and we hope to get all meetings set up soon! That means you can give directly to your meeting today. Since July 1, Friends have contributed significantly through this new system, giving $9,835 directly to their monthly and quarterly meetings.
If your meeting is not on the list yet, your meeting’s clerk or treasurer can submit this form to sign up now.
We believe there are many benefits to the new system:
- Meetings receive contributions quicker.
- Reduces administrative work for meeting administrators and treasurers
- Increases clarity and transparency of who donated and how the funds are intended to be used.
We’re excited in the way only people who love spreadsheets can be! Please reach out with your thoughts and questions. If you are interested in additional ways to give to monthly meetings, please contact Joey, and he will assist you with different ways to contribute. You are also invited to reach out if you are considering other ways to support the wider yearly meeting.
For More Details on How Donations Are Managed:
When a donation is made:
- Donor and donation information, along with any comments, are shared with the monthly or quarterly meeting immediately. Only the clerks or meeting treasurers can request this information. Meetings can decide how it is stored and used in the meeting.
- Philadelphia Yearly Meeting does not share personal identifying information or donation details and information with other groups, in accordance with Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s privacy policy.
Where donation information is stored:
- Philadelphia Yearly Meeting maintains a secure digital filing cabinet where personal identifying information and donation information is stored. Philadelphia Yearly Meeting does not store bank account or credit card information.
How donations are acknowledged:
- Philadelphia Yearly Meeting acknowledges donations electronically at the time they are received. Any additional acknowledgements are sent by monthly and quarterly meetings
General Secretary Search Committee
After more than ten years of service as General Secretary and twenty years with PYM, Christie Duncan-Tessmer will be stepping down from her position at the end of July 2024. More information about this transition can be read here.
The yearly meeting is immediately beginning the process of seeking our next General Secretary. Following long tradition and good practice, a search committee will be established to manage the search and bring a finalist candidate for approval to the body. The Quaker Life, Administrative and Nominating Councils will jointly support the committee and have approved a charge to give it direction (the full charge may be read below).
The Search Committee will be responsible for identifying finalist candidates to present to the joint councils. The councils will then present their recommendation to the yearly meeting in session which is responsible for appointing the General Secretary, as directed by Faith & Practice.
The immediate next step is to identify Friends to serve on the committee and nominations are invited and welcome. They can be given to Cecilia Filauro, Executive Administrator, at cfilauro@pym.org.
The committee will include 6-9 people who will be approved jointly by the three councils. Together, the people serving on the committee will have the experiences, perspectives, and the skills to support their responsibility for identifying qualified candidates. Specific needs for the committee are described in the charge; they include:
- Quaker process – the ways in which Friends worship, listen, discern and move forward.
- Non-profit administration – the requirements and responsibilities for running a small to mid-size non-profit organization.
- Non-profit governance – the roles and responsibilities of a governance structure in relation to the organization and to the chief executive officer.
- Monthly and quarterly meetings – the needs of Quaker meetings for healthy functioning and being in relationship with one another.
- Larger Quaker landscape – the range of Quaker organizations and yearly meetings with which PYM is in constant relationship.
- Governance members – at least one member of the committee will be a member of Quaker Life or Administrative Council. The treasurer is ex officio.
- Diversity
- Age – Because we want to see a Quaker community that includes Friends of all ages, we’ll see age diversity on the committee: half the committee will be under 65. At least two members will be under 35.
- Race – Because of our commitments to belonging and to addressing racism we’ll see racial diversity on the committee: at least a third of the committee will be BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color) Friends.
- Experience – Because we want to nurture leadership and because Friends in the yearly meeting have a wide range of experience with Quakerism, at least one Friend who is newer to Quakerism or to service in a high-impact governance group will be included.
- Committee members will be spiritually grounded Friends who are familiar with Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. They do not need to be members.
- Nominations for membership on the committee will be solicited from the councils and from the body.
- The clerk will be appointed by the Joint Council. The committee may appoint an assistant clerk, recording clerk, or any other role.
- A staff member will not provide logistical support for the work of the committee. Initial meeting logistics can be set up by staff but ongoing work will need to be supported by the committee and the search firm.
The committee will be appointed by the councils jointly and will report directly to the councils and in writing to the PYM body on a quarterly basis. On an ongoing basis, the committee will be responsible to the Clerks Group which includes the clerks of the three councils, the presiding clerk, rising clerk and treasurer. The General Secretary is also a member of the Clerks Group but will not be involved in the administration of the search process.
The committee will identify a search firm to assist and support it in its work. A search firm is necessary as it can provide a large-scale search, has extensive experience in the unique needs of a search for a senior leadership staff role and can provide logistical support that the committee will need and that can’t be provided by PYM staff. The search firm will be one that has experience working with Quakers and Quaker organizations.
Friends will hear updates of the process throughout the next year as we prepare for a new chapter in the way our extended family is supported by the gifts and administration of staff. Until a committee is appointed, questions can be directed to Nikki Mosgrove, clerk, at NMosgrove@pym.org
General Secretary Search Committee
Charge:
With Divine assistance the committee will support the process of seeking unity on identifying the next General Secretary by shepherding the search process and bringing finalists forward for decision.
Background:
In July 2025 the current General Secretary’s service will be complete. The Administrative Council holds authority for the process of seeking the successor and is sharing that authority with Quaker Life Council and Nominating Council. Together they will set up the committee charged with managing the search process.
Composition of the Committee:
The Committee will include 6-9 people. Together, the people serving on the committee will have the experiences, perspectives, and the skills to support their responsibility for identifying qualified candidates. These include:
- Non-profit administration – the requirements and responsibilities for running a small to mid-size non-profit organization.
- Non-profit governance – the roles and responsibilities of a governance structure in relation to the organization and to the chief executive officer.
- Quaker process – the ways in which Friends worship, listen, discern and move forward.
- Monthly and quarterly meetings – the needs of Quaker meetings for healthy functioning and being in relationship with one another.
- Governance members – at least one member of the committee will be a member of Quaker Life or Administrative Council. The treasurer is ex officio.
- Larger Quaker landscape – the range of Quaker organizations and yearly meetings with which PYM is in constant relationship.
- Diversity
- Age – Because we want to see a Quaker community that includes Friends of all ages, we’ll see age diversity on the committee: half the committee will be under 65. At least two members will be under 35.
- Race – Because of our commitments to belonging and to addressing racism we’ll see racial diversity on the committee: at least a third of the committee will be BIPOC Friends.
- Experience – Because we want to nurture leadership and because Friends in the yearly meeting have a wide range of experience with Quakerism, at least one Friend who is newer to Quakerism or to service in a high-impact governance group will be included.
- Committee members will be spiritually grounded Friends who are familiar with Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. They do not need to be members.
- Nominations for membership on the committee will be solicited from the councils and from the body.
- The clerk will be appointed by the Joint Council. The committee may appoint an assistant clerk, recording clerk, or any other role.
- A staff member will not provide logistical support for the work of the committee. Initial meeting logistics can be set up by staff but ongoing work will need to be supported by the committee and the search firm.
Accountability:
The charge for the Search Committee and its members will be approved by jointly by the councils.
The Clerks Group will be responsible for bringing nominations for the committee membership to the Joint Council.
The committee will report in person (or by zoom) to the Joint Council quarterly. At each significant stage in the search the committee will report in writing to the Joint Council. The committee will always be available for responding to the questions or needs of the councils, through the clerks of the councils.
The committee will be held accountable on an on-going basis by the Clerks Group which will ensure that it maintains momentum and the work is completed. In the event the committee requires assistance, whether the need is perceived by the committee itself or by others, the Clerks Group is responsible for providing the assistance.
The committee will report in writing to the PYM body on a quarterly basis.
Responsibilities (what the committee will do):
1. Hold the meetings and the work of the committee in the manner of Friends, grounded in Spirit.
2. Identify a search firm that has experience working with Quakers and Quaker organizations. The search firm will support the logistics of the search and will assist the committee in meeting its responsibilities.
3. Collaborate with the PYM Finance office regarding resources and contracts.
4. Develop a timeline for the search including candidate identification, and consultations and communications with governance, staff and the body.
5. With input from the Personnel Committee, review the job description of the General Secretary. Recommend changes to the Joint Council for approval.
6. Identify a potential interim General Secretary to serve on a short term basis if needed. This will allow maximum flexibility in the timeline.
7. Identify a committee member who will be in regular two-way contact with staff, including:
- a. Organize an initial hearing by the committee from staff on their needs and hopes regarding the General Secretary.
- b. Organize a mid-point meeting with the committee and the staff.
- c. Report to the staff on a quarterly basis at a minimum.
- d. Receive and report back to the committee questions, thoughts and concerns from staff throughout the process.
8. Ensure the General Secretary position is posted and well publicized.
9. Carefully review all application materials.
10. Conduct interviews.
11. Members attend at least 80% of the meetings; come to meetings having read all advance material.
12. Recommend two to three finalist candidates to Joint Council and arrange for interviews of the candidates by councils and by staff.
13. Maintain confidentiality.
Outcomes:
1. The job description will be updated as needed.
2. Two to three finalist candidates will be identified. PYM Friends and staff will be informed of the process all along the way.
Next Steps:
1. The Joint Council will bring a single finalist candidate forward for consideration of approval by the yearly meeting in session.
2. A Transition Plan will be set up by the councils and leadership staff to facilitate the incoming General Secretary’s orientation and success.
FWCC World Plenary Events: August 5-12
Living the spirit of Ubuntu:
Responding with hope to God’s call to cherish creation – and one another
In the works for many years, the next Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) World Plenary Meeting is August 8-12. This is a time to worship and connect with Friends from around the world and to help set the direction for where FWCC goes next. The theme for the 2024 World Plenary is, “Living the Spirit of Ubuntu: Responding with hope to God’s call to cherish creation and one another” and Friends from all over the world will gather both in South Africa and online.
The World Plenary Meeting is a meeting for representatives from all four FWCC Sections — Africa Section, Asia West Pacific Section, Section of the Americas, and Europe and Middle East Section — to tend to FWCC business, surrounded by worship and fellowship with Friends from around the world. All Yearly Meetings and other bodies that are affiliated with FWCC are invited to send delegates to the World Plenary Meeting. There will also be a gathering of Young Adult Friends in the days before the World Plenary, August 1-5. PYM representatives to FWCC will be attending both in South Africa and online: Amy Duckett-Wagner (Fallsington Meeting) and Peterson Toscano (Millville Meeting).
The world office has shared resources to connect with the theme and prepare to engage with the program. These include a World Plenary Meeting Study Guide and a World Quaker Songbook. Amy Duckett Wagner has recorded a playlist of songs from the songbook, which can be watched (and joined in song!) on YouTube.
August 5 First Monday Lecture at Pendle Hill: Robin Mohr
On Monday, August 5, Pendle Hill’s First Monday Lecture series (7:30-9:00 PM ET) will welcome Friends into the spirit of the FWCC gathering. Robin Mohr (Green Street Meeting), who is completing her time as Executive Secretary for FWCC Section of the Americas this summer, will share stories of where she has seen ubuntu in action, as she concludes thirteen years in her position. Information about how to join online or on campus at Pendle Hill is on the Pendle Hill website.
Over fifty hubs to join the World Plenary Meeting online — including Pendle Hill!
Pendle Hill will host one of the online “hybrid hubs” across the globe, joining the World Plenary online. More information about the Pendle Hill hybrid hub is shared here. and a flyer to share is also available.
Using technology available to us today, the opportunity for people in Congo Yearly Meeting, Lake Forest Friends Meeting, Japan Friends, Canberra Quakers Hub, Belgium & Luxembourg Yearly Meeting, Dublin Meeting and a Russian-speaking hub to join Friends gathered in South Africa is deeply aligned with the mission of FWCC.
FWCC was formed in 1937 to bring Quakers together across theological and cultural diversity. The primary task of FWCC today is to help Friends appreciate and develop unity within the diversity of the Quaker family. This includes differences of language, culture, and tradition, and in the emphasis placed on different aspects of our common Christian and Quaker heritage and witness. From the FWCC World Office website: “Friends worship in a variety of ways, and by increasing understanding of these differences, FWCC helps Friends both deepen and enlarge their own understanding of their faith and life as Quakers.”
FWCC opens doors to friendship and learning
FWCC has been a transformative influence on my journey as a Friend. In 1987, I participated in the FWCC Quaker Youth Pilgrimage as a rising senior from Westtown School, along with two classmates. Youth from around the US and across parts of Europe participated in a three-week travel and learning experience that took us to Pendle Hill and Swarthmoor Hall in 1652 country, and also to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany. It was the first time my home meeting (Millville Meeting) wrote a minute of travel for me. It was my first experience of community with Quakers from parts of the US who belonged to programmed, pastoral congregations, and also with Friends from other parts of the world. It opened new possibilities for me as a young Friend, including spiritual growth. I made friends who I am still connected with today living in other parts of the globe, and it put my feet on a path that has included travel in all the FWCC Sections. I would not have imagined as a sixteen-year-old the idea of being in public ministry among Friends, but FWCC opened doors that included traveling to the last World Plenary in Peru in 2016, where I was invited to bring the message in worship on a morning the Section of the Americas had care of worship. Most recently, FWCC connections led to the invitation by The Yearly Meeting of Aotearoa/New Zealand (Te Hāhi Tūhauwiri) to travel in the ministry there in August 2023.
The worship during the days together at the World Plenary in Peru illustrates the spirit of FWCC and our global Quaker family. Each morning was unique and grounded in the practices of the people from that Section – we sang, danced, were led in a guided meditation, and heard sermons. Throughout, the sense of the Light among us was strong, and we were listening together for God through these different ways. Our Quaker faith connected and uplifted us.
Let’s hold in the Light those Friends gathering and participating in the 2024 World Plenary!
A version of this story first appeared in the July 2024 Concord Quarterly Meeting newsletter. Shared with permission.
Supporting Children and Teens After Violence in the News
How do we talk to children and adolescents about gun violence and senseless tragedy? Parents and caregivers are helping their children process their feelings alongside their own, and signs of anxiety are different in children and adolescents when compared with adults. Pastoral care for children begins with pastoral care for their caregivers, and the resources below are offered to support parents and caregivers, educators, and Friends who care for and work with youth. A concern about election violence led to the creation of this event in October for families — Peace Begins with You: A Gathering for Children & Families — and we hope you will share this community gathering and the resources below with your meeting.
Processing in Developmentally Appropriate Ways
Children and teens will have different exposure to and understanding of violent incidents, and may feel anxiety, confusion, fear, sadness, or anger, and have questions about what they see and hear in the media and from friends. Children cannot always articulate their feelings, and they may show us how they are feeling through play or behaviors. Their anxiety may show up as: anger, negativity, difficulty sleeping (particularly falling asleep), defiance, and lack of focus. For adolescent youth, symptoms of anxiety may include recurring fears and worries about routine parts of everyday life, irritability, trouble concentrating, withdrawal, and complaints about stomachaches or headaches.
* Some practical advice for parents and caregivers
- Parents and adults need to first deal with and assess their own responses to crisis and stress.
- In PYM, adults seeking support can reach out to the Friends Counseling Service.
- Try and keep routines as normal as possible. Children gain security from the predictability of routine, including attending school.
- Be present. Listen to your children’s fears and concerns.
- Depending on their age, limit exposure to television and the news but be honest with kids and share with them as much information as they are developmentally able to handle with simple, honest answers.
- Reassure kids that the world is a good place to be (individuals are responsible for violent actions).
- Reaffirm attachments and relationships.
Resources for Adults Supporting Children and Teens
- Spiritual Practices for Use During a Traumatic News Event from Traci Smith
- Talking to Children About Gun Violence from Everytown for Gun Safety
- Talking to young children about community violence from Sesame Workshop
- Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Families and Educators from the National Association of School Psychologists
- Helping your children manage distress in the aftermath of a shooting from the American Psychological Association
- Isaiah and the Worry Pack — Learning to Trust God with All Our Fears by Ruth Goring
- A Kids Book About Anxiety by Ross Szabo from the “A Kids Book About” series. The inside covers suggests, ”This book is best read together, grownup and kid.”
Making Faithful Practices Available
Children need us to hear their concerns, and we can provide reassurance even if we do not have answers. Lifting up our worry and anxiety in prayer is another way to acknowledge those feelings and place them in the care of our Quaker faith. These coloring pages “Prayers For When You Feel Anxious” includes both suggested prayers and three different sets of images for mindful coloring. This lesson plan about meeting for worship suggests that our worship as Friends is a container that is strong enough to hold big feelings —even hard ones—and the lesson could be adapted to help process recent events and heavy hearts, alongside encouragement to continue finding the Light in our world.
Election Violence Prevention: Youth Programs
The guidance below for “Youth Programming” comes from Friend Emily Provance (a traveling minister from New York Yearly Meeting) and the Election Violence Prevention series she has created.
Featured strategy: Youth Programming
What the strategy means: There are three ways to approach this strategy: (1) encouraging teens and young adults to engage in the political process nonviolently, (2) empowering teens and young adults as leaders in the nonviolent movement, and (3) holding peaceful social events for teens and young adults during “flashpoint” moments, such as the day of an election or inauguration. How this strategy prevents election violence: Young adults and teens are often perpetrators of election violence, but this is often because older people have intentionally encouraged them to be violent. Empowering youth to take and even lead nonviolent actions means that they are much less likely to be convinced that violence is their best avenue for change.
Action Steps:
These are things that you can do to enact or promote election monitoring and mapping. Which one sounds like a good match for young people you know, and for you?
- For shepherd people (gifted in leading or organizing groups): Create or visit a youth forum, small or large, of teens and young adults. Support them in learning about and actively practicing nonviolent strategies for the political changes that they want to see.
- For relationship people (folks who are good at conversations and making friends): Ask some young people for their thoughts about the upcoming election cycle. Engage in conversation. What do they believe is likely to happen? How does that feel? Do they have concerns? Do they have ideas for action?
- For word people (talented writers and/or speakers): See if you can find a high school or university class or club to which you can speak about the election cycle and ways to engage in political change nonviolently.
- For prayer people (spiritual grounded intercessors): Pray for young people in particular throughout the election cycle. When the opportunity arises, invite young people you know to pray actively for nonviolence.
- For motion people (naturally physically active doers): Consider holding a sports tournament on a Saturday or several weekends in a row. During breaks and over snacks, talk about the election cycle and the influence young people can have on nonviolence in their communities.
- For learning people (research ninjas and data analyzers): Find out what, if anything, your local schools are teaching in terms of voter and civic education.
- For creative people (artists, musicians, performers, and crafters): Find an opportunity to hold a creative workshop of some sort for young people, either by organizing a group or by being a guest artist for an existing group. Use election violence prevention as your theme.
Image: Pixabay.com
Middle East Collaborative at PYM Annual Sessions
At the invitation of General Secretary, Christie Duncan-Tesmer, and Presiding Clerk, Melissa Rycroft, PYM’s Middle East Collaborative (MEC) presented during the Saturday afternoon July 6, 2024 proceedings of PYM Annual Sessions. With the challenge from a statement published in April 2024 and endorsed by eight Quaker organizations, A Different Future IS Possible, MEC asked gathered Friends to consider personally and collectively possible responses to the tragic, seemingly ongoing, and complex injustices in Israel/Palestine/Gaza.
A Different Future IS Possible, calls on Hamas, Israel, the Western world – particularly the US and UK – and Quakers to actions that will head us toward a negotiated peace with justice and equity. Monthly and Quarterly Meetings within PYM (as well as elsewhere) have passed ceasefire and/or other related minutes. Our faith calls on us to act. The list for Quakers at the end of the shared Quaker statement calls for a variety of actions.
Four MEC Friends, Sandy Rea, Jonathan Evans, Joan Broadfield and Deb Wood, guided Friends gathered for the segment of sessions to consider: [below as listed near the end of the Quaker group statement.]
“As FRIENDS, we will continue to support the global community of Quakers to:
- Urgently call and fervently work for a permanent ceasefire and amplify our voices in our communities and at the local, state, and national levels.
- Encourage decision-makers calling for a ceasefire and working for peace.
- Organize and participate in teach-ins, actions, and protests until a ceasefire and a just and lasting peace are realized.
- Actively support an end to Israel’s occupation and equal protection and rights for all people living under Israeli control and commit to actions as meetings/churches until this reality is realized.
- Divest from corporations profiting from militarism, including the occupation of Palestine.
- Support those in Israel and Palestine who are working for peace.”
With the support of items found on the Middle East Collaborative’s website Sandy, Jonathan, Joan, and Deb highlighted the Timeline of Quaker Involvement in the Middle East region and the printable list of Education and Advocacy resources. These resources include information about organizations, news sources, websites, books, films, travel possibilities, activists and journalists to follow, and more. MEC has hosted a series of programs on the book “Why Palestine Matters” to learn more about the history and circumstances of the conflict, as well as the implications for the people and countries around the world. MEC is also ready to make available for intervisitation individuals who are eager and willing to offer information and education sessions on a range of topics at monthly and quarterly meetings.
Additionally, all Friends are invited to be involved with Middle East Collaborative. The Collaborative meets on the first Sunday of the odd numbered months via Zoom at 1:30pm to about 3:00pm. The upcoming meeting is Sunday July 14, 2024 at 1:30pm. Email Sandy Rea if you wish to be included in this Sunday’s or future meetings.
344th Annual Sessions Epistle
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting held its 344th annual sessions last weekend, July 6-7. Friends gathered both on Zoom and at Haverford College for worship, business, and fellowship. Please read this story for more information about this year’s sessions, and the minutes are now posted and available.
During Sunday’s business meeting, Melissa Rycroft, our presiding clerk, made an announcement that had not been included on the advance agenda. Melissa announced that PYM’s General Secretary, Christie Duncan-Tessmer, intends to step down from her role in July 2025. Melissa also informed us that the Quaker Life, Administrative, and Nominating Councils will be working together to form a Search Committee. Further details about this transition and the next steps will be shared after the next meeting of the councils in two weeks.
The epistle – an outgoing letter about our sessions to Friends everywhere – was approved as the last order of business. Before sharing the epistle, a member of the committee shared a limerick about the writing process:
There once were five Children of Light
Who had a good summary to write.
They wrote an epistle,
Then let out a whistle,
Saying, we think that this one’s alright!
Greetings to our beloved Friends around the World,
We send you this epistle from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s 344th Annual Sessions. This year’s unusual sessions, which met June 25 (online) and July 6 and 7 (hybrid) on the Haverford College campus, were arranged to embrace the celebrations of George Fox’s 400th birthday at the historic Arch Street Meeting House in Philadelphia and Friends General Conference Gathering, also held at Haverford College.
“Called to Healing” was the theme this year. In four Bible Studies held online during June, each facilitator focused on the theme and a call to action to experience the Spirit. We need each other and, if we falter, there is a path to create listening and forgiveness. “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them” (KJV).
Empowerment was a thread that wove through all three sessions of Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business. Addressing racism is one of two corporate witnesses adopted by Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. By acting together, we are empowered to witness, notice and then change the many patterns of racism here at Annual Sessions, in our homes, at our Meetings, and in our hearts and actions. It is crucial to listen closely to Friends of color, who may spot these serious, pervasive, and divisive issues. We commit to addressing the structures and patterns of white supremacy and racism wherever they exist.
The second corporate witness Philadelphia Yearly Meeting has adopted is the call to every person, every household, and every Monthly Meeting in the Yearly Meeting to address the climate crisis. A serious yet hopeful report from the Yearly Meeting’s Climate Witness Stewards was received with gratitude. In particular, Creating a Playbook for Climate Action (a Power Point presentation and workbook available for download on our website) offers guidance on ways to counter the climate crisis. We were shown a calculator that tallied the carbon dioxide emissions from the food choices we make. We learned that if all Friends attending Annual Sessions were to adopt a plant-based diet instead of a meat lovers’ diet, our CO2 emissions would drop by tons. Temperatures nearing 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) outside our air-conditioned auditorium kept us mindful that our immediate action is needed.
Reports of the spiritual state of the Monthly Meetings provided uplift in their many approaches to worship, spiritual growth, community, and social action. This uplift had to be weighed against the dwindling participation at Annual Sessions and the many unfilled openings on Yearly Meeting committees and many committees in the wider Quaker community.
Urgent minutes from two Quarterly Meetings mourned the death and destruction from the conflict in Israel/Palestine. Reports from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s Middle East Collaborative, a committee that has for many years studied the increasing tensions there, sought to empower us with further education, multiple resources and accurate information to inspire create thoughtful action and more involvement.
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting has implemented five strategic directions, one of them includes a focus on deepening worship and discernment as empowering and foundational practices for Quakers. As we talked of connection and acting on one’s leadings, one Friend noted that “brave spaces are more important than safe spaces.”
Before both Annual Sessions and Friends General Conference Gathering, there was a joyful celebration of George Fox’s 400th birthday held at the historic Arch Street Meeting House in Philadelphia. A Spirit-ed discussion called “Fox Forward” brought together four Friends in leadership positions who explored radical solutions to continuing concerns throughout Philadelphia Yearly Meeting: envisioning the future of faith, of Friends’ witness, and of propelling justice forward in a war-torn world. An “Angel of Merging” was one novel idea introduced to help address concern for the many small meetings with declining membership. Quaker Peace Teams presented the “Power of Goodness” workshop emboldening people to act from love, hope, and conscience.
At the hot All Together Meeting for Worship Sunday morning, almost one hundred Friends were in the room and some thirty-five individuals and six Monthly Meetings were on Zoom. The Spirit of all the Friends who have ministered in the historic Haverford Meeting House surrounded us. Vocal ministry rose up about our spiritual awakenings, about non-theist Friends, about the danger we are facing in our political lives, about moving out of our “silos” and joining with others, and about being more “weird,” stepping forward into our testimonies.
In the final Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business, Friends were asked to consider what the essential aspects of Monthly Meetings were. Worship, work, meals, communications, children, diversity, cooperation, respect, friendship, recognizing gifts, and financial support are all part of a vibrant Meeting.
The General Secretary described two key tools available to Monthly Meetings and individual Friends: sprints and collaboratives. Sprints are short-term, focused committees that address a given concern and invite more people into the process. A collaborative grows out of an interest of two or more Monthly Meetings, who then join to work on that shared interest. Both sprints and collaboratives have access to resources and support from the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting staff and the larger community.
We are a strong group of committed Friends, sharing our joys and concerns, our work and worship. And we send to you, Friends around the world, this epistle sharing how the Light moved among us at our 344th Annual Sessions.
“Fox Forward” Recording of June 29 Roundtable
At the 400th Birthday Celebration for George Fox at Arch Street Meetinghouse on June 29, the “Fox Forward” roundtable discussion featured leaders in the Quaker community today speaking to how we can learn from the past as we vision the future of the faith and its witness in the world. The video recording of the panel shared below includes the voices of (left to right in photo) Dwight Dunston, host of The Seed podcast from Pendle Hill; Robin Mohr, Executive Director of FWCC Section of the Americas; Brian Blackmore, Director of Quaker Engagement for the American Friends Service Committee; and Hazele Goodridge, clerk of the Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia and trustee of the Friends Pantry & Community Fridge at Arch Street Meeting House.
Queries were shared with the speakers in preparation for the event:
- Which aspects of the Quaker tradition speak to you? How do they apply in the 21st century?
- Which aspects of the Quaker tradition are most important to pass on to the next generation and to newcomers?
- Are there aspects of the Quaker tradition that it’s time to release, for Quakerism to thrive?
- Early Friends’ actions were seen as radical and ‘cutting edge’ in their time. How can we respond to the challenges of the 21st century in a way that builds on Quaker insights?
The visionary sharing from each speaker led from their different areas of ministry; they both challenged listeners to think “forward” and grounded their vision in love for community. Watch the full conversation below!
Annual Sessions Recap: Mott Memo for July 6-7
Saturday-Sunday, July 6-7, we completed the 344th Annual Sessions of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Annual Sessions events began in June, and this year we’re combining days and sharing one Mott Memo recap — a loving tribute to the august Quaker, Lucretia Mott. Our Annual Sessions this year included experiments in scheduling that gathered Friends in online and onsite spaces, as well as hybrid community. Watch the Sessions page of the website for the Minutes and Epistle for 2024.
Friends joined Annual Sessions on Saturday afternoon, July 6, in various ways! Some “Zoomed in” online to join the first meeting for worship with attention to business, others arrived on the campus of Haverford College beforehand for lunch and fellowship, and still others were making the shift from a very full week of FGC Gathering on the campus to gathering with our PYM community. There was joy in seeing Friends and coming together in all these ways, and the energy of the FGC Gathering seemed to flow forward.
The agenda for Saturday afternoon’s business session included several reports; the time opened with five Friends sharing explorations to “set the table” for us to gather, reflecting on the practice of worship, discernment in the manner of Friends, addressing racism as we gather, and addressing climate change at Sessions. Using song, Bananagrams, slides, and Spirit-led reflections, the sharing both in the plenary space and online invited us to listen in new ways to descriptions of our practices and commitments to one another in community.
Approval of the Nominating report and 2025 Yearly Meeting budget was followed by a Spiritual State of the Meeting report from Ministry and Care Committee. Blank puzzle pieces had been handed out at the door into the plenary space, and M&C members reporting asked those present to write on their piece a word to describe their meeting. Friends online also shared in the chat, and those words — along with sharing from the children in the Youth Program happening in another building — were added to puzzle pieces. The resulting image, put all together, was shared on Sunday morning during the Quaker Life Council report. Friends heard a presentation from the Middle East Collaborative, an update on the lobbying policy, and presentation on the Yearly Meeting’s five strategic directions.
Following dinner, there were options for intergenerational gathering and Friends gathered to sing, walk the college’s Arboretum trail, hear stories, and in one hybrid space have a discussion of George Fox’s Book of Miracles. There were reports that the latter turned into a dance party!
Our youngest Friends also gathered together on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning of Annual Sessions. Considering our theme of “Called to Healing,” they discussed what healing means, and looked at it from two perspectives: feeling safe and included in our community, and taking care of our Earth. After reading the story You Will Always Belong by Matthew Paul Turner, the children created personal representations of themselves using markers, collage materials, and stickers. We considered how all of the uniquely designed people make up our beautiful community. We also read One World by Michael Foreman. The children then painted watercolors representing the parts of our natural world that they love and want to protect.
In addition to these activities, we also had time for a get-to-know-you icebreaker, group games, bubbles, and water play. Time spent on the playground at Haverford Monthly Meeting and getting to know new Friends from around the Yearly Meeting were highlights of the weekend!
Sunday morning, July 7, Friends on campus headed to Haverford Meeting for All Together Worship. Huge thanks to Haverford Meeting for hosting the fellowship beforehand and their preparations for hybrid, all-ages worship that morning. The time in worship opened with a reminder that as Friends we “listen with our whole selves” and a body prayer. Several messages lifted up the concerns and joys on hearts in this time. The children sat together on a big quilt on the floor and had spiritual practices available in the silence — finger labyrinths, pipe cleaners, coloring, and a big settling jar. They moved around between that space and beloved adults sitting in the benches, surrounded by the community in worship.
Back on campus for Youth programs and the final meeting for business session, Friends were relieved to be back in air conditioned spaces as the Philadelphia region experiences a heat wave! Regathered in the spirit of worship to complete our Annual Sessions business, we heard the report from Quaker Life Council and engaged in small group sharing. The General Secretary, Christie Duncan-Tessmer, focused her General Secretary report on how sprints and collaboratives are two ways the yearly meeting releases and supports the ministries of 10,000 Friends and 100+ local meetings. Following this report, Presiding Clerk Melissa Rycroft shared the news of Christie’s decision to step down from the General Secretary role at the end of July 2025. In the coming year, a search for the next General Secretary will be conducted with the support of clerks from all three councils — Administrative, Nominating, and Quaker Life. Melissa shared that Christie has brought gifts both of vision and strategic direction to her work, as well as a deeply generous spirit.
Alongside the pattern of acknowledgement that we were doing things in new ways this year, the theme of transition continued in the final business session as Rising Clerk Nikki Mosgrove invited us to share in gratitude for the loving servant leadership of Melissa Rycroft, as she completes her term as Presiding Clerk of the Yearly Meeting. Nikki read from 1 Corinthians 13, 4-7, and lifted up how this described the faithful service Melissa has shared. The afternoon session ended with the reading and acceptance of the Epistle, and gratitude to the Epistle Committee for their work — which included a limerick!
Our 2024 Annual Sessions included a Bible Study series and the opening business session in June, before we gathered for a busy 24 hours on the Haverford campus and online to complete the business of the yearly meeting in its summer session. Along the way, there was playfulness and a spirit of love that moved among those who gathered both in person and online. Our Sessions theme, “Called to Healing,” continues through Fall Continuing Sessions, November 8-10, at Arch Street Meeting House.
