Friends General Conference is pleased to present this recap of Rooted in Story, the 2024 FGC Gathering of Friends. Enjoy the collected photos, videos, poetry, and prose that encapsulates the experience of Gathering at Haverford College in suburban Philadelphia.
Theme: Rooted in Story
Dates: June 30 – July 6, 2024 (With pre-retreats June 28-30)
Location: Haverford College in Haverford, Pennsylvania
Friday, June 28, 2024
I wanted to see this historic Quaker campus, which did not disappoint!
A Gathering Attender
Although a few FGC staff members and key volunteers had already been on campus for several days, most arrived on Friday, in time for the various Pre-Gathering Retreats. The temporary Gathering office was located in the Whitehead Campus Center. Our days opened with worship and meetings to share important information among all those who made Gathering happen.
Saturday, June 29, 2024
It was so safe, so beautiful, and wonderful nature to walk around in. The College’s Quaker heritage was so inspiring as well.
A Gathering Attender
Friends of Color and their families assembled for a pre-Gathering retreat. One highlight of the pre-retreat was the participation of Adult Young Friends, who had been in their own retreat, for several activities.
Sunday, June 30, 2024
Sunday marked the end of the pre-retreats and the beginning of Gathering proper. It was quite hot on this day, leading to a challenging check-in experience for many who waited outside for the results of their covid tests, and inside at the Alumni Field House, which had no air conditioning. However, there was still a bubbling joy during check-in as Friends got reacquainted with one another. Additionally, there was a stark decrease in wasted paper–the FGC Events mobile app was useful for many people as they did not need paper printouts.
The 2024 officially opened on Sunday night with worship. John Skinner and Lori Piñeiro Sinitzky were the Gathering co-clerks.
Monday, July 1, 2024
I invite Spirit to play with me each morning.
At Gathering, so do hundreds of others.
Friends file towards breakfast like hummingbirds,
noticing every tree and every flower along the way,
buzzing with the sweetness of too much good to do today.
I make two new friends on two different days.
And on the third day, I introduce them.
They are neighbors! Who never met before
traveling a thousand miles to these dorms and dining hall,
where we play at blessed community,
like children having a riotous tea party.
And there’s tea.
❤️
Aeysha Imani was an evening plenary speaker.
Her topic was “I live by faith.” (Galatians 2:20): The search of a Black Christian Quaker toward freedom.
Due to technical issues, we regret that we do not have video footage of this plenary.
Tuesday, July 2, 2024
Junior Gathering and the intergenerational activities were a joy for the children and parents. Junior Gathering staff was so dedicated, loving, and helpful. They engaged my child who is often anxious in new spaces around new people. Thanks to their loving care, my child felt comfortable, made new friends, and had so much fun! The intergenerational activities offered a chance for parents to connect while children played with Friends of all ages. What a gift to have a community that prioritizes high-quality programming for children and creates opportunities for all ages to interact.
To see additional photos, click the arrow to the right of photos.
The 2024 Gathering piloted a sponsorship program allowing organizations with a connection to Quaker values the opportunity to engage with the wider community of Friends. Several sponsors had positive feedback. One sponsor appreciated “visibility to the broader community without huge expense” as a benefit of participating.
Jonathan Kuttab
Seeking Peace and Justice After Gaza: Is a Two State Solution Still Possible?
“I watched Jonathan’s talk over zoom with some of the High School Participants in the dorm and they were really engaged.” –A High School Program Volunteer
Wednesday, July 3, 2024
On July 3, Earth Quaker Action Team (EQAT) organized a rally, march, and prayer vigil calling on Vanguard Group, a manager of retirement assets, to divest from fossil fuel companies that refuse to transition their businesses to be in alignment with no more than 1.5 degree Celsius global temperature rise. The rally at Cedar Hollow Park outside Malvern, Pa., drew participants from the Friends General Conference (FGC) Gathering held in nearby Haverford, Pa. Demonstrators marched down the road from the park to an entrance of the company’s corporate campus, where a silent prayer vigil was held. About 300 people participated….
Planning the action to coincide with the FGC Gathering allowed EQAT to introduce Friends across the United States to the movement encouraging Vanguard to divest from its fossil fuel holdings, according to protestor Cherice Bock.
From “Quakers March to Urge Vanguard to Divest from Fossil Fuels” by Sharlee DeMenichi for Friends Journal
Bianca van Heydoorn
The Value of Multiple Stories
Thursday, July 4, 2024
I have so much respect for Hanae Togami and Alice Grendon who led our “Unable, Unwilling: Radical Re-imagining of Quaker Practice” workshop. I am a birthright Quaker and this workshop speaks directly to my seeking for how to practice authentic Quakerism. I am deeply grateful for the content, care, flexibility, and preparation that Hanae and Alice put into preparing and presenting this workshop. Most importantly, they were willing to create a safe and spiritual-present space in which we could actively discuss the failures of institutionalized Quakerism. This was radical and has offered me tremendous freedom (from feeling stuck)
Workshop Participant
tom kunesh
sounds of (friends) silence:
quaker tales of the dakota intifada of 1862
Friday, July 5, 2024
There were several events every day that featured Quaker authors discussing their projects.
Dance Party
DJ Postscript
Friday Night was an evening of music and dancing for all ages!
I spoke with someone who had not been involved in a political action before and decided it was important to go to Vanguard with Earth Quaker Action Team (EQAT). They’re bringing this experience back to their community and hope to do more.
Friday night at our last Broadway+ singalong with George Lakey, several people were there for the first time that week. One of them was having a ball, and we were all enjoying his enthusiasm and cheering him on. He said this was his first FGC Gathering, it had been a wonderful week, and he would definitely be back, because, “I’ve found my people!”
Saturday, July 6, 2024
Friends assembled for closing worship and shared joyful farewells with one another after a week that was both busy and restful, in the tradition of dozens upon dozens of Gatherings before it.