Sunday, August 2, 2020 Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Morning Session Minutes
Jonathan Rhoads, presiding clerk, introduced elders, members of the pastoral care team and the clerks group, and welcomed visitors and first-time attenders with us this morning.
Christie Duncan-Tessmer, serving as General Secretary, reviewed the functions of our technology.
Yelena Forrester, Chester Meeting, read the epistle. A few comments were made to improve the clarity of the epistle, and with those edits incorporated, the revised epistle was approved.
Catherine Campbell shared a powerful epistle from the Young Adult Friends community, which reminded us of the importance of bringing our grief and anger into prayer.
Melinda Wenner Bradley introduced the youth programs staff and acknowledged their work this week. Crystal Hershey shared the epistle from the Children’s Program, which welcomed children from three other yearly meetings as well as some younger Friends. Emerson Simmons and William Bradley shared the epistle from the Middle School Friends, which recounted their activities from this week and asked for adult support for youth activism regarding racism and immigration justice. Emaline Brangan shared the Young Friends epistle, which reminded us that Quakers have a complicated history with racism, and that white Quakers continue to benefit from white supremacy. The Young Friends also encouraged us to vote.
We received these epistles with gratitude. These minutes were approved.
Respectfully submitted,
Kri Burkander, recording clerk