After more than two decades of service to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, including ten years as General Secretary, Christie Duncan-Tessmer has stepped down from her role. Please join us and other Friends across our community in pausing to reflect with deep gratitude for her leadership, creativity, and commitment to the health and vitality of our yearly meeting.
Rooted in Creativity and Spirit
During Christie’s early years as PYM’s Children’s Religious Education Coordinator, she consistently supported creating creative spaces to bring God into the present and make heaven on Earth. Whether at family overnights, during art activities, or through any of the other countless ways her team engaged young Friends, she gave the youth and adults alike permission to engage the whole yearly meeting in imaginative playfulness. You can see the enduring impact of these multigenerational connections today with traditions like the children’s epistle at Annual Sessions.
However, for Christie, creative play was never frivolous or something extra. Instead, it was a necessary doorway into the Spirit for Friends of all ages. She often asked, “How do we bring out the creativity of children and tie it to their spiritual lives?” and made sure any plans with youth went beyond cotton-ball lamb crafts or simple games. Instead, they offered deep opportunities to delight in the experience of God. In fact, Christie recently led staff in a workshop on organizing impactful multigenerational events to ensure that her legacy of authentic and powerful connections across generations continues after her parting.
Perseverance Through Challenge and Transition
Throughout her years of service, she faithfully led our yearly meeting through unprecedented challenges, uncertainty, change, health crises, and social reckonings. By leaning on the insights and expertise of those around her, she guided our community to listen inwardly and discern how best to act outwardly, helping Friends emerge from a financial crisis, persevere through a global pandemic, further climate change initiatives, and lay the groundwork for our meeting-wide witness of addressing racism.
One of the first challenges that Christie faced during her time as General Secretary was navigating the governance restructuring of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Thanks to her leadership, the five strategic directions of Connecting, Belonging, Witnessing, Communicating, and Functioning that were established through this transition are still in place ten years later, continuing to contribute to thriving and impactful work around the yearly meeting. Whereas the directions used to be vague concepts even to the most connected of Friends, now, they are core parts of every joint council and staff meeting.
Joyful Connections
Christie’s service was also marked by joyfully made connections. Many Friends fondly recall her inaugural “potato tour,” when, during the first few months in her role as General Secretary, she visited meetings carrying baskets of baked potatoes awaiting toppings as a simple invitation to conversation and connection over a shared meal. Colleagues also describe thorough, empathetic, and Light-led check-ins and even “show-and-tell” meetings, where one could learn everything from theology to bike maintenance. These moments reflect Christie’s gift for creating spaces of authenticity and deep listening through humble and playful leadership.
Looking Forward
As General Secretary, Christie has embodied the Quaker testimonies of integrity, equality, and community while carrying the weight of leadership with humility. Friends now wish her rest and joy in her next adventures, trusting that whatever she sets her mind and heart to will lead to new insights and connections with the Spirit. Thank you, Christie, for your faithful, creative, and loving ministry that has been a blessing to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and beyond!
