Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business

Sunday, January 25, 2015 

Frankford Monthly Meeting

Friends gathered at Frankford Monthly Meeting for a Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business at 12:30PM on January 25, 2015.

The Meeting opened with silent Worship, holding our members Sita and Jimmy Rosado in the light.

 1.      Welcome and introductions

The Clerk welcomed Friends and thanked Frankford Meeting for hosting.  Those at the Clerk’s table introduced themselves. 

 2.      Minutes of Record

The Minutes of the September 25th Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business were approved.

 3.      Nominating Committee Report.

Paula Cell reported for the Nominating Committee, reminding Friends that, at the last Meeting for Business, it was recommended that the Quarter form a Program Committee and a Finance Committee.  She brought forward the following names for the Finance Committee: Edward Rhoads (Germantown Monthly Meeting), Bill Sanderson (Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting), Howard Cell (Germantown Monthly Meeting), John Florence (Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting), who wants to attend one meeting before committing.   Hollister Knowlton will serve ex-officio.   Friends approved these names    The following names were brought forward for the Program Committee:  Tom Grabe (Germantown Monthly Meeting), Heath Meyers (Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia).  Margaret Wood and Hollister Knowlton are ex-officio.  One more member is needed for this committee.  Friends approved these names for the beginnings of the Program Committee.  The Clerk asked those present to think about people who might be interested in the program committee, especially those who are interested in working on a program for youth.

 4.      Treasurer’s Report  

 The Clerk reported that the Quarter has opened an account at Valley Green Bank. The PNC Bank account will be closed once checks from Valley Green Bank are received.

The Clerk reported that the Quarter has raised $790.00 toward its contribution goal.

 5.      Report from Asst Treasurer/Finance Committee Clerk

 Bill Sanderson reported that he will call a meeting of the new Finance Committee to proceed with the budget, audit and other financial reporting.

 6.      West Philadelphia Friends Meeting and Green Street Monthly Meeting Affiliation Proposal

 A committee comprised of members from the two meetings have been meeting to discuss the possibility of and guidelines for a joint affiliation.   Evan Draper, Supporting Clerk of West Philadelphia Friends Meeting, provided background and history of the beginning of West Philadelphia Friends Meeting.  Rosanna  Dent, Clerk of West Philadelphia Friends Meeting, presented the following minute adopted at Meeting for Business on First Month 11, 2015:

"We, West Philadelphia Friends Meeting, request affiliation as a preparative meeting under the care of Green Street Monthly Meeting. We approve the guidelines below for this relationship of care, and look forward to Green Street Monthly Meeting's prayerful care, for us to hear and follow the will of spirit, and grow in our ability to seek truth."

Walter Gjeldt Sullivan, member of Green Street Meeting and the Joint Committee, noted that Friends in West Philadelphia are called to be true to the life of the spirit and may create structures that are different from or new to the Society of Friends. He also lifted up that the relationship is mutual mentorship, ans both meetings will be learning from each other.   The two meetings adopted Guidelines for the relationship of Green Street Monthly Meeting (GSMM) and West Philadelphia Friends Meeting (WPFM) as a preparative meeting under its care. [attached as doc.1]

 Walter then presented the following minute from Green Street Monthly Meeting, First Month 18, 2015

“Having heard the report from the joint affiliation committee, Green Street Monthly Meeting finds West Philadelphia Friends Meeting to be well grounded and well led to seek preparative meeting status under the care of Green Street. We are strongly impressed by their sincerity and creativity and their genuine search for truth and right order in their Quaker way. We hereby take them under our care, with divine assistance. We approve the attached guidelines for this relationship of care. “

“Green Street Monthly Meeting requests that Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting recognize West Philadelphia Friends Meeting as a preparative meeting under our care.”

With great joy, Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting recognizes West Philadelphia Friends Meeting as a preparative meeting under the care of Green Street Monthly Meeting. 

7.      Minutes of Religious Service for Friend Susan Christian

Walter Sullivan presented Green Street Monthly Meeting’s Minute of Religious Service Amended, December 2014.  As background, he reported that a support committee and a clearness committee were formed to support and help provide clearness for Susan Christian’s work.  Out of that process, the Meeting realized that ministries of Religious Service need to be recognized and thereby adopted the following minute:

Green Street Monthly Meeting witnesses and affirms that our member Susan Christian is a Friend led by Spirit in a ministry where economic, environmental and racial justice come together.

• We support and anchor this ministry as work for this meeting, under the care of this meeting. Susan has a leading that focuses on actions that help create a more just and sustainable neighborhood, by building relationships, creating opportunities for restoring health and well-being, and restoring the local economy to more just and sustainable levels.
• We see this work as an expression of God's love for all.
• We ask community and faith organizations to welcome Susan and to engage with her in this calling.

Susan reported that her work is physically centered in the Germantown Life Enrichment Center(GLEC). She is working with the men who live at the Single residence occupancy on gardening.  Some have taken the master garden program. They are working on making the Germantown Life Enrichment Center sustainable.  GLEC is also hosting the Germantown Sustainability Network. 

Green Street Monthly Meeting recommends that this minute be brought to the Yearly Meeting, so that other meetings in the Yearly Meeting see what is possible and so that other meetings will know of Susan’s ministry and some Friends may be called to join her.

Philadelphia Quarter endorsed the minute of Religious Service for Susan Christian from Green Street Monthly Meeting.

The Clerk asked Friends to bring this minute to their Meetings for Business so that others may know of Susan’s work. The Clerk will send out the minute with background material to all monthly meetings and to the Agenda Committee of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.  Susan is also willing to present her work in person to other monthly meetings.

 8.      Minutes of Religious Service for Friend Victoria Greene

Robin and Chris Mohr presented Green Street’s  Minute of Religious Service for Victoria Greene (approved November 2014):

Victoria Greene is a member of Green Street Monthly Meeting and the founder and executive director of the EMIR (Every Murder is Real) Healing Center. Victoria was employed as a drug and alcohol counselor with the Philadelphia Prison System. She returned to college while working at the prison and received her Bachelors in Sociology from Rosemont College and was promoted to the position of Social Worker in the Therapeutic Community, a unit that supported those with drug and alcohol addictions. She worked at the prison for 20 years bringing in innovative initiatives around the connection between mind, body and spirit and LGBT relationships in a prison setting.  

Green Street Meeting unites with Victoria’s ministry which emerged from a spiritual leading out of Victoria’s personal experience of her son, Emir’s, murder. She struggled with her grief and depression in the aftermath. She lost her faith in God. Victoria was supported by The Grief Assistance Program. The support and education from the counselors in the program saved her life, kept her from taking a life, her own or someone else’s, by offering her vital assistance through her grief. They taught her about trauma, gave her emotional support, and advocated for her at court and in other places. She felt her hope restored by friends and strangers enveloping her in love. The love and light of friends, family and strangers helped her to feel God’s presence again. The light in those she encountered helped her to experience the light she carries.

As she was in The Grief Assistance Program Victoria became aware of how many families had also experienced murder. Though The Grief Assistance Program was effective, it no longer exists. Victoria saw a need in the community for full services for families impacted by murder. She started the service in her home in 2004 after receiving a grant from Maryland Crime Victim Services, turning Emir’s bedroom into her office and visiting families in their homes. Victoria has felt Emir’s presence throughout the development of the organization, and her love for him gives her the strength to do the work she does. When she works with families, she is clear that their story and their experience is at the center and that God guides her work.

Victoria has felt called by God to offer healing through education, advocacy, and support as a result of experiencing this tragedy and seeing the tragedy of the families with whom she has worked. She has felt God’s guidance throughout the development of the ministry of EMIR and has felt as though she has been a conduit for healing for the community. Victoria understands trauma as a wound to the Spirit, and through her work she is helping people become whole through healing. By inviting people to share in the work of EMIR she amplifies the light of those involved, supports them in helping to make change, and strengthens their bond to God.

As Victoria does her healing work, as she supports people to become whole, she interrupts the cycle of both inward and outward violence and assists in creating beloved community.

Green Street Monthly Meeting affirms that Victoria is engaged in Spirit-led service, and we commit to supporting her spiritually and financially as we are able, so that she may continue to be faithful in this service.

Philadelphia Quarter endorses Green Street’s minute of Religious Service for Victoria Green.

The Clerk will send this minute out to meetings of the Quarter and to the Agenda Committee of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.

 9.      Report back on Releasing Ministries

The Clerk reminded Friends that Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting heard a presentation by Viv Hawkins about the ReleasingMinistry.org project at its September 26, 2014 business meeting, and provided background materials about the project to its member meetings asking them to acquaint members and attenders with the project and, if possible, consider endorsement at a business meeting.  Having received back minutes of endorsement from Central Philadelphia MM, Chestnut Hill MM, Green Street MM Germantown Monthly Meeting, and Frankford MM, the following minute is proposed:

Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting approves a minute of support for ReleasingMinistry.org, a project to publicize and provide resources for Spirit-led works of Friends. With Divine assistance, we believe the Religious Society of Friends can be strengthened through this project and the spiritual accountability of participating ministries. We encourage Friends, especially members of Philadelphia Quarterly and Yearly Meetings, to support the ReleasingMinistry.org project in any way they are led, including recommending ministries to the project or offering funding, prayer, hospitality, or other forms of support to ReleasingMinistry.org or its participating ministries. We thank Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting for holding under its care this project and their member Viv Hawkins (co-founder of ReleasingMinistry.org). 

The Clerk will send this minute on to the Agenda Committee of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting with specific request from the Quarter, who will discern what will be sent on to the Interim Meeting.

 10.  Follow Up on Queries to Monthly Meetings on Racism and Climate Change in light of PYM called meeting on Racism. 

The Clerk began by speaking of the recent called PYM Meeting on racism.  Friends who are active on the PYM group Undoing Racism distributed a handout describing their work. They formed 4 working groups, which are open to all: (1) learning communities: contact Kathy Miller; (2) Supporting Friends of Color: contact Vanessa Julye; (3) Connecting with communities of color: contact Lucy Duncan; and (4) Holding Ourselves Accountable: contact Susan Chast.

Friends interested in any of the working groups are encouraged to reach out to the group contact people.  The group wants to be a resource to Meetings or different gatherings in the Yearly Meeting.  The hope from the called session was to bring together all Friends in the Yearly Meeting.  In the past, it has been the practice to delegate an issue to a committee and expect them to take care of it.  In this instance, the Clerks and Elders were clear that this is everyone’s responsibilities.

Friends reported how their Meetings are addressing racism.  Green Street Meeting has monthly discussions about racism on the second Sunday of the month; Arch Street Meeting held a forum to season the queries.  Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting has a Racial Healing and Wholeness Committee.   A Friend lifted up the idea of looking at racism similarly to a carbon foot print, an unearned privilege footprint.  Germantown meeting changed its committee structure for peace and concerns so that the mass incarceration group and racial justice group now form the social concerns committee, and the issues of peace and climate change will be handled by the peace committee. 

 11.  Reports from Organizations Under the Care of PQM

Historic Fairhill

Pamela Moore and Tom Grabe reported recent and upcoming events and projects for Historic Fair Hill and requested approval of the nominations of new trustees: Stephen  Kaufman (former Executive Director of Community Ventures and member of Germantown Friends Meeting), Margaret Leyden (Director of Planned Giving for WHYY), and Denis Lucey (Landscape Manager for Awbury Arboretum and principal in Denis Lucey Garden Design).   Friends approved.

Friends at Stapelely (Wesley Enhanced Living)

The Clerk reported that on February 1, when Green Street Monthly Meeting hosts the monthly potluck, there will be a called Meeting for Business to discuss some things that recently happened, such as the historical records having been discarded.  All who are interested or concerned are welcome.

Delaware Valley Friends School

The Clerk requested approval of new board members: Damian Fozard (business experience and parent of student at the school); Stewart Hollingshead (financial experience);  Sherley Young (former teacher with nonprofit board experience); and Prudence Procter Haines (nonprofit board experience).   Friends approved the candidates.

 12.   Annual Reporting to PYM

PYM Faith and Practice Committee position on State of the Meeting Reports.

 The Clerk reported that the Quarter has struggled with whether and how to facilitate an annual reporting process.  Howard Cell, member of the Faith and Practice revision working group, reported that the working group is working on resources to be available to monthly meetings.  One resource is a set of queries that Monthly Meetings may use to assess their spiritual health.  Another committee may be working on the possibility of re-establishing the State of the Meeting report.  A  Friend encouraged meetings to use the queries we already have in such a report.

 13.  Closing worship

The Meeting closed with silent worship.