How does #SantuaryEverywhere mean to seek in our Full Lives and to give us New Words to Love of Neighbor? Is this a Present Concern Before Us? Friends, we are again called into vigilance. Recent actions by federal authorities to establish a large-scale immigration detention facility in Roxbury Township—opposed by state and local leaders—signal not […]
Nathan Shroyer
On Secular Consensus: Searching out a Balm of Spiritual Unity
Are we reaching consensus, or are we seeking the Will of God? 🕯️
In her pamphlet Spiritual Responsibility in the Meeting for Business, Patricia Loring reminds us that Quaker business isn’t about “winning” an argument or even just finding a middle ground. It’s about a collective “giving over” to the Spirit.
When we rush for efficiency, we risk losing the very Light we claim to follow.
Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there?
A Balm of Gilead for Friends in a Time of Wars: A Quaker Biblical Witness “Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there?” (Jeremiah 8:22). The cry of the prophet echoes across centuries into our present hour of trembling nations, wounded bodies, and wounded spirits. For Friends—rooted in the Living Presence, the […]
Stop Military and Police Power Cruelty
Stopping Cruelty: A Quaker Call in a Time of Division “He has told you, O mortal, what is good… to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly.” — Book of Micah 6:8 “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you…” — Gospel of Matthew 5:44 There are moments when truth must be spoken plainly. Racism […]
Pacifism – Testimony Under Fire
Light in Darkness: A Testimony Under Fire From Westminster to Kyiv: State Secret Kidnapping’s Expanding Shadow If the raids at Westminster Meeting House were a “chill” on dissent, the events unfolding in the shadow of expanding global conflict are a deep freeze. As the fires of war leap from Ukraine to Kuwait, and from Sudan […]
Spring Steps to Freedom
A Burlington Spring to Freedom: Walking the Path of 400 or 500 Years – Headed Toward Jubilee “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and […]
Light in Emptying Darkness: London Calling – South Jersey Friends
In the silent quiet of our Meeting Houses, we speak of peace and equality. But what happens when the world’s turmoil crashes against our doors? Last month, the Metropolitan Police breached Westminster Meeting House in London, arresting 15 young activists practicing the art of peaceful protest. No charges. Just intimidation.
As Caroline Nursey, clerk of Westminster Meeting, reminds us: “Quakers have been accustomed to oppression by the state for over 350 years.”
Global Weirding Ups, Downs, Tempests of Change: Unpredictable Climates
A Protopian Future: New Roles for Quakers in Climate Justice and Collective Action The winter of 2026 in South Jersey has been an unseasonably cold one. Snow and ice, the likes of which were once rare for this region, now seem a permanent fixture. The chill is biting, yet it serves as a reminder of […]
REGISTER NOW FOR “WOMEN’S SPEAKING JUSTIFIED: PAUL ANDERSON IN CONVERSATION”
This Women’s History Month, join us for a landmark conversation about one of the most important documents you’ve probably never read.
In 1666, Margaret Fell sat in Lancaster Castle, imprisoned for her Quaker faith. From that cold cell, she wrote Women’s Speaking Justified—a fiery, scripture-by-scripture defense of women’s right to preach and lead. It became the theological backbone for a movement that would send thousands of women ministers across the globe before 1720.
Now, renowned scholar Paul Anderson has translated Fell’s work into modern English, making it accessible for a new generation. Anderson brings rare credentials: he’s a world-class New Testament scholar AND the son, grandson, and brother of recorded women ministers. He knows this material in his bones.
Following Anderson’s presentation, Windy Cooler of the Friends Incubator for Public Ministry will discuss how we can nurture prophetic voices today. The Incubator exists because, as Cooler writes, “Friends have often fallen out of practice in supporting ministers.” This conversation is about reclaiming that sacred work.
Draft Minutes for Discernment against War
How is thee called to see in the every face – Divine in any Iranian child, every American soldier, an Israeli family? John Woolman says life is about turning “all the treasures we possess into the channel of universal love.” Where in thee heart doth thee feel resistance in a practice of universal love? How […]
