The 345th Annual Sessions of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting happened this past July online and at Cheyney University. This epistle records the work and witness of those sessions and is not meant to serve as minutes. Fall Continuing Sessions will be held in hybrid format at Arch Street Meeting House on Saturday, November 8, with All Together Worship on Sunday, November 9.
Greetings to Friends everywhere,
The 345th Annual Sessions of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting was convened on Wednesday, July 23, 2025 online. We moved to the historic campus of Cheney University Friday, July 25th. Cheney University was founded by Quakers in 1837 and is considered by many to be the oldest among historically black colleges and universities in the United States. Former Cheyney President, Clinton Pettus reminded us that Friends’ role in founding Cheyney was one way those Friends let their lives speak. Cheyney President Aaron A. Walton, welcomed us back into this community whose purpose continues to be to educate primarily people of African descent and prepare them for the challenges they will inevitably have to face. May we continue to speak together.
Our first keynote address was given by Ayesha Imani, member of the founding coalition of Ujima Friends Peace Center and member of Ujima Friends Meeting and Unity Meeting. The title of her message was the inquiry from the 137th Psalm: “How can we sing God’s song in a strange land?” and she put it in the context of “in such a time as this.” Ayesha led us through a journey of photographs, music and song to remind us of the witness of Friends and other civil rights marchers in the ongoing struggle for equality in America. She used the backdrop of the old testament story of Esther, pointing out how it was the collective prayer and fasting of her people that gave her the courage to go before the king despite the likelihood of death.
The theme of the Annual Sessions is “Members One of Another”, a quote from Romans 12:5 First Nations Edition: We are members of his body, and each member belongs to all the others. That quote and the passage which contains it was the subject of the Thursday morning Bible study in which participants reflected on what it means for Friends to be part of something larger than oneself. It concluded with the prayer “Spirit of Unity, bind us together in love and service. May we live as members one of another, held in Your Light.”
Amen. Ase.
Our second keynote was presented by Joyce Ajlouny, the General Secretary of the American Friends Service Committee. We were reminded in the introduction of her that the AFSC was not a sister organization, but an offspring institution born out of the concerns of a few gathered Quakers in 1917 to promote non-violence and peace.
Joyce spoke out of the depths of her life experience as someone who grew up in a world of brutal occupation. She recounted how the ongoing suffering of her people and the courage and commitment of AFSC staff are powerful and persistent motivations. AFSC has historically brought the plight and voices of the oppressed into the national and international discourse of change. She shared the example of how AFSC staff in Gaza provide food and comfort to alleviate the horrors of the Palestinian genocide, at great risk and sometimes unimaginable personal loss. Israeli staff work to provide accountability for companies profting from genocide. AFSC sings a new song in a strange land. Joyce shared that AFSC and seven other Quaker organizations would publish this weekend a statement on the genocide in Gaza. Eight Quaker Organizations Discern Genocide is Occurring in Gaza and Urge Courageous Action.
We had affinity group meetings, during which Friends could gather privately based on a shared identity. These Friends did not meet to separate from community. They shared the experiences of their respective identities in sacred and safe communities so that they could emerge and engage the larger Quaker community more authentically, all of us one of another.
A very moving part of the weekend’s business was the consideration and approval of the Minute of Support for the LGTBQIA+ Community. The introduction and reading of the minute was met with tears and sighs of relief, affirmation, and gratitude. It was a minute that felt long overdue. It began by saying that “As Quakers, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting believes that there is that of God, the Light, Spirit, within every person.” It went on to say that “ We receive the gifts of service and care from many of our members who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) and value all as beloved members of our community,” all of us members one of another.
We thank and celebrate our staff supporting us in our endeavors, with special thanks to Christie Duncan-Tessmer, for her eleven years of service as our General Secretary.
The 2025 Annual Sessions was both a celebration and a model that struggled towards the perfection of community. As we worshiped together, ate together, played together, practiced together, and sang together our fellowship deepened. All reminded us both of “what love can do” and how far we had to go. We left with greater love for our “religious society of friends” because of its many victories and even its failures. We left even more committed as members, one of another, on this path to the beloved community we all share.
Ase.
We will be sharing the minutes and other items from sessions in the coming weeks. Friends can visit the Sessions page to find documents and recordings.
For questions, contact Tara Rubinstein at trubinstein@pym.org.
