Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
Encyclopedia
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, or simply Philadelphia Yearly Meeting or PYM, is the central organizing body for Quaker
meetings in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, USA, area.
PYM is one of the newest Yearly Meeting
s in the Religious Society of Friends
. In 1827, it divided into two Meetings in the Hicksite
/Orthodox schism, each Meeting claiming the title of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. In this period the two Meetings were known by the location of their respective meetinghouses (Race Street
and Arch Street
). In 1955, the schism was healed and the two Meetings reunited. The Yearly Meeting is a member of Friends General Conference
, the main national organization of unprogrammed Quaker Meetings. The Yearly Meeting is also a member of the National Council of Churches
.
Westtown School
, founded before the schism, and Haverford College
became the educational mainstays of the Orthodox meeting.
George School
and Swarthmore College
were founded to provide education for Hicksite students. While the schools remain under the indirect supervision of the Yearly Meeting, both are functionally and financially independent of the Yearly Meeting, as are other Friends Schools in the area; they may be governed by members of the Society of Friends, but they are structurally independent of the Monthly and Yearly Meetings. The colleges have no formal relationship with the Meeting.
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting holds annual sessions for business to which all Friends in the Philadelphia area are asked to come. These meetings, generally held in March at the Arch Street Friends Meeting House
, are an opportunity for Friends to hear about the goings-on in PYM over the previous year and other Yearly Meetings that have sent news.
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
meetings in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, USA, area.
PYM is one of the newest Yearly Meeting
Yearly Meeting
Yearly Meeting is a term used by members of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, to refer to an organization composed of a collection of smaller, more frequent constituent meetings within a geographical area. These constituent meetings go by various names such as Quarterly Meetings, which...
s in the Religious Society of Friends
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
. In 1827, it divided into two Meetings in the Hicksite
Elias Hicks
Elias Hicks was an itinerant Quaker preacher from Long Island, New York. He promoted doctrines that embroiled him in controversy that led to the first major schism within the Religious Society of Friends...
/Orthodox schism, each Meeting claiming the title of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. In this period the two Meetings were known by the location of their respective meetinghouses (Race Street
Race Street Friends Meetinghouse
The Race Street Friends Meetinghouse is a historic and still active Quaker meetinghouse located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.The meetinghouse, at 1515 Cherry Street, served as the site of the Yearly Meeting of the Hicksite sect of the Religious Society of Friends from 1857 to 1955...
and Arch Street
Arch Street Friends Meeting House
Arch Street Friends Meeting House, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a Friends Meeting House of the Religious Society of Friends . It is the oldest meetinghouse of the Religious Society of Friends still in use in the United States and the largest in the world.Pennsylvania founder and Quaker...
). In 1955, the schism was healed and the two Meetings reunited. The Yearly Meeting is a member of Friends General Conference
Friends General Conference
Friends General Conference is a North American Quaker organization primarily serving the Quaker yearly and monthly meetings in the United States and Canada that choose to be members...
, the main national organization of unprogrammed Quaker Meetings. The Yearly Meeting is also a member of the National Council of Churches
National Council of Churches
The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA is an ecumenical partnership of 37 Christian faith groups in the United States. Its member denominations, churches, conventions, and archdioceses include Mainline Protestant, Orthodox, African American, Evangelical, and historic peace...
.
Westtown School
Westtown School
Westtown School is a coeducational, college preparatory day and boarding school for students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.-About Westtown School:...
, founded before the schism, and Haverford College
Haverford College
Haverford College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia...
became the educational mainstays of the Orthodox meeting.
George School
George School
George School is a private Quaker boarding and day high school located on a rural campus near Newtown, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded at its present site in 1893, and has grown from a single building to over 20 academic, athletic, and residential buildings...
and Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
were founded to provide education for Hicksite students. While the schools remain under the indirect supervision of the Yearly Meeting, both are functionally and financially independent of the Yearly Meeting, as are other Friends Schools in the area; they may be governed by members of the Society of Friends, but they are structurally independent of the Monthly and Yearly Meetings. The colleges have no formal relationship with the Meeting.
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting holds annual sessions for business to which all Friends in the Philadelphia area are asked to come. These meetings, generally held in March at the Arch Street Friends Meeting House
Arch Street Friends Meeting House
Arch Street Friends Meeting House, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a Friends Meeting House of the Religious Society of Friends . It is the oldest meetinghouse of the Religious Society of Friends still in use in the United States and the largest in the world.Pennsylvania founder and Quaker...
, are an opportunity for Friends to hear about the goings-on in PYM over the previous year and other Yearly Meetings that have sent news.