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Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

of the Religious Society of Friends

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Friends Meetings

Friends meetings are spiritual communities of people who gather for worship, business and friendship. These meetings are the center of Quaker community life and also the foundation of the structure of the Religious Society of Friends. The Friends meeting holds meetings for worship weekly or more often and supports the spiritual, social, educational and material needs of its members. Through active engagement in their meeting, Friends find both a caring and safe environment and the challenge of spiritual growth. A Friends meeting offers members a place to test leadings and convictions based on a shared appreciation of individual and corporate spiritual direction. A commitment to undertake action, often expressed in a “minute of concern,” can result when Friends labor together to discern God’s way toward witness in the world.

The Friends meeting may own and manage property, engage in significant social action, and operate schools or other institutions. It has sole authority to enroll or release members and to oversee marriages. The meeting may undertake any action or assume any function consistent with the principles and practices of the Religious Society of Friends.

At monthly meetings for business, the meeting attends to its entire range of activities and committee work. On occasion, and with reasonable notice, the clerk may schedule an extra “called” meeting for business. Meetings for business provide opportunities for members to share information and worship together as well as make decisions. Such decisions could involve the conduct of worship, the care of members, religious education, the management of property and financial assets, membership applications, or a commitment to undertake social action or public witness. While day-to-day functions of the meeting may be delegated to committees or designated officers, the members of the meeting as a body, acting through the meeting for business, are responsible for all activities undertaken by the monthly meeting or on its behalf. The meeting may authorize the clerk or a group of appointed Friends to implement a decision, in which case they would report back to the meeting for business. When good order requires, delegated responsibilities or functions may be recalled and exercised directly by the meeting.

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Faith & Practice

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Editions
First adopted in 1955, Faith & Practice was revised in 1972. After 25 years and numerous reprintings, it was revised in 1997, 2002 and again in 2017, with updates in the section on Yearly Meeting structures and a new section of biographical notes.

Ongoing Discernment
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting appoints a Faith and Practice Revision Group to periodically review and revise Faith and Practice.  We revise Faith and Practice from time to time in order to reflect continuing spiritual discernment, incorporate new governance structure and practices and generally bring the book “up to date.”

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Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
1515 Cherry St
Philadelphia, PA 19102
info@pym.org
215-241-7203
215-241-7045 (FAX)
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