Selden Smith has been a part of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting community for his whole life, bringing care, humor, and dedication to his work among Friends. Selden shared his reflections on his journey with Quakerism, his unexpected call to serve as Rising Clerk, and his hopes for the future of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. He highlights the importance of recognizing the gifts and talents within our community—both in ourselves and in others—and how these contributions sustain and strengthen the work we share as Friends.
How did you first come to Quakerism, and what drew you to the PYM community?
“This is an easy one. I was born this way.”
“My parents joined the State College Meeting in the 1950s, attracted by Friends’ civil rights activism. They ran integrated work camps in the Jim Crow South, served as a host family for AFSC’s Southern Student Project, marched down our main street with “Ban the Bomb” signs—the whole package. My older sister is convinced they stayed up nights thinking of ways to embarrass her.
Why PYM? One unique thing about State College Meeting is that it belongs to both Baltimore and Philadelphia Yearly Meetings. This results from a merger between two Meetings—one primarily composed of farmers (Baltimore, since the 1700s) and another centered on Penn State (Philadelphia, since the 1920s). My family was definitely on the Philadelphia side. We went to the All-Quarters Conference at Cape May in the summers, I attended weekend work camps in West Philadelphia, and I went to Westtown School. After moving to Philadelphia for an internship at AFSC, I joined Chestnut Hill Meeting, and our daughter attended Plymouth Meeting Friends. So, yeah, Philadelphia.”
What was your initial reaction when you were nominated as Rising Clerk?
“It was out of the blue—an email from Melissa Rycroft. I was flabbergasted. Me? Sure, I was Clerk of my Monthly Meeting several years ago, and long before that, I was Clerk of the Board of Foxdale, our local retirement community. And yes, I wrote a Pendle Hill pamphlet about Quaker process that showed I’d done my homework in that regard. But I hadn’t been engaged with Yearly Meeting since leaving Philadelphia in the 1990s and certainly never pictured myself in a leadership role. Luckily, I have two years to watch and learn from the new Presiding Clerk, Nikki Mosgrove, and everyone on the Clerks’ Council, who have all been very welcoming and positive.”
What do you feel is most important about the role of clerkship within PYM?
“There is such an exhilarating variety of belief in the Religious Society of Friends about the nature of divinity and its relationship to humanity and the temporal world. I see our business meetings as a point where that variety leads to strong decisions with a positive impact on the world we live in—regardless of one’s views about the world beyond. I doubt that our decisions on temporal matters would be so farsighted, practical, and humane if we did not welcome such a diversity of spiritual perspectives. I forget who first called us “practical mystics,” but I’ve always liked the term. A Friend’s preference for one action over another may spring from profound spiritual openings that are beyond language, but when expressing that preference to the Meeting, Friends tend to favor down-to-earth, practical terms. This is very helpful to a Clerk, who must capture the sense of the Meeting with no tool other than words.”
What are your hopes for PYM as you prepare to step into this leadership position?
“I’m glad to see PYM embrace the two themes of racism and Earth care as targets of public witness and action, especially as we seem to be entering an era where human rights and the habitability of the planet are both under heightened threat. While many other critical social issues demand our attention—and many Friends and Meetings are indeed bearing witness to them—these two align uniquely with our values, our history, and our strengths. I look forward to being part of the search for unity as Friends discern what actions hold the most promise.
I also look forward to PYM continuing the nurturing roles it plays for Quarterly Meetings, Monthly Meetings, Friends institutions, and individual Friends. I’m sure there’s always room for improvement, but so far, I’m impressed by the dedication of the staff and volunteers to serving Friends throughout the PYM region at every level and in every way.”
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting thrives because of the many individuals, such as Selden. who share their gifts, time, and talents to support our shared work. Each person’s contributions—whether through leadership, collaboration, or service—help nurture our community and further our commitment to living out our faith.
We warmly invite other Friends to reflect on the gifts and talents of those you know who may feel called to serve our yearly meeting. If someone comes to mind who might be a good fit, we’d love to hear your suggestions for individuals to serve as an officer, a member of the Administrative Council or Quaker Life Council.
