Our Faith Community is comprised of over one hundred local Meeting communities in Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, all of Delaware and Eastern Maryland. We practice “unprogrammed” Quaker worship, gathered together in silent worship to wait on the word of God. Monthly Meetings are organized regionally into thirteen Quarterly Meetings. By virtue of membership in a monthly meeting, Friends also become members of a their regional Quarterly Meeting and the Yearly Meeting. This structure is not a hierarchy, rather, discernment occurs in Spirit -led Meetings for Business. Committees and Working Groups support the structure of our organization, carry out the work, and promote our testimonies of Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality and Stewardship.
Meeting Community
Our faith community gathers:
- As Monthly Meetings on First Days (Sundays) and more, in local meetinghouses throughout our area.
- In Quarterly Meetings, regional gatherings of Monthly Meetings that meet several times each year.
- In Yearly Meeting, annually and as called.
Governance
Our governance structures include:
- Yearly Meeting in Sessions– Business is discerned during annual gatherings as a whole community.
- Administrative Council – maintains the health and integrity of the finances, property, personnel and long-term vision of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.
- Quaker Life Council – maintains the health and integrity of the community, spiritual depth and relationships within Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.
Employment
The Yearly Meeting employs staff to:
- support Meetings, committees and working groups;
- coordinate programs;
- organize and provide resources;
- facilitate the business of our organization.
Annual Sessions
Friends of all ages from throughout PYM gather to:
- worship
- conduct Spirit-led business
- learn from and with one another
- enjoy fellowship
Groups
- Granting Groups, guided by Spirit, come to unity on the best stewardship of grant funds.
- Collaboratives – make us a dynamic, “community organized” yearly meeting, by providing a vessel to hold Friends with similar ideas and leadings, and help launch projects and activities which grow out of those shared callings.
- Sprints – allow our community to respond to leadings at the moment. They provide agility in addressing a specific need as soon as it arises and helps to get the job done quickly.
Volunteering
The work of PYM would not be possible without the contributions of time and energy of many Friends who volunteer their time on committees, for programs, projects and ongoing work.