Standing Committees address issues of importance to the PYM membership, reflecting deeply held beliefs. They are fundamentally responsible for allocating resources and overseeing Working Groups.
Read Faith and Practice excerpt on Standing Committees
“Philadelphia Yearly Meeting is empowered to appoint, fund, oversee, and require regular reports from its standing committees and these, in turn, have authority to create, oversee, and lay down services and projects in program areas assigned to them by PYM. This authority is subject to budgeting and program direction from Interim Meeting or PYM in session. In addition, each standing committee oversees representatives to those external organizations and granting groups which PYM has assigned to that specific committee.
Members for the standing committees are proposed by the Nominating Committee and approved by Interim Meeting or PYM in session. Determination of how members of a working group are selected is the responsibility of its standing committee. The standing committee may request the assistance of PYM’s Nominating Committee or delegate the responsibility to the working group itself when that seems to be suitable.
Members of groups that make monetary grants (Granting Groups) must be selected by the standing committee and their names reported to Interim Meeting.”
From Faith and Practice, PYM, 2002. (Read more about Yearly Meeting Structures in Faith and Practice)
- PYM Standing Committees
- Arch Street
- Education
- Financial Stewardship
- General Services
- Nominating Committee
- Peace and Concerns
- Support and Outreach
- Worship and Care
Click on the name of a standing committee below to learn more, or visit the full PYM Directory of Programs and Work.
Arch Street Standing Committee is responsible for ensuring that the programs operating out of the Arch Street Meeting House provide the best support possible for the Ministry of the Yearly Meeting in outreach to visitors and as a home for the activities of the Yearly Meeting community and Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia.
The following Working Groups are under our care:
Education Standing Committee provides renewal, guidance and support to the services and projects which directly concern the religious and academic education of young people and adults and those who serve them within PYM. This includes oversight of curriculum development for First Day Schools, non-violence and children’s projects, and also support for Friends Schools and Friends in public education.
Financial Stewardship Committee oversees our Yearly Meeting’s budget process. It is responsible for developing the budget in consultation with, and on the advice of the Monthly Meetings, Quarterly Meetings, and the Standing Committees. The new budget is presented for approval at a session of Yearly Meeting. Financial Stewardship Committee is also responsible for monitoring income and expenditures during the budget year and making any needed changes.
General Services Standing Committee provides oversight for the various elements of administration that enable PYM to pursue its ministry. These elements include finance, personnel and office services, coordination of granting groups, conference management, and property management.
Nominating Committee holds the responsibility for presenting names to Yearly Meeting or Interim Meeting of Friends to serve PYM in its administrative offices and committees.
Peace and Concerns Standing Committee embraces a focus on Peace, Justice and an Earth Restored and considers them integral to one another. We nurture and support the membership, work, and mission of the groups under our care. The work of our groups operates across three areas: global, local, and our faith community.
Support and Outreach oversees efforts to produce a healthy, vibrant Religious Society of Friends that naturally attracts new and existing members, creating a strong faith community. Such services include the PYM library, publications, support for monthly meetings in their outreach efforts, and support for regional coordinators.
Worship and Care Standing Committee is charged with the oversight of groups responsible for the spiritual (Worship) and temporal (Care) well-being of the Yearly Meeting. Our working and granting groups help Friends and meetings with everything from spiritual ministry to care for the aging.