Transforming Quaker Culture:
Building Authentic Spiritual Community
In-Person at Powell House
February 14-16, 2025
Time after time, early Friends returned to meeting for worship because of their direct experiences of transformation and the loving support of their community. Their spiritual transformation led them to order their lives, listening to Spirit’s direction.
As we listen together for Spirit’s guidance, we will practice building authentic community. We will build on our skills of supporting one another, addressing harm, and spiritually navigating conflict to hear our collective truth and leadings.
A living Quakerism includes the spirituality of our interdependence upon one another and upon the Earth. Through exploring care of community, we will weave how right relationship with all of Creation is a part of how we tend ourselves and our faithfulness.
Anne Pomeroy, member of New Paltz Monthly Meeting, is a seasoned retreat facilitator and elder. Anne is a spiritual director and mentor for many people. Anne supports individuals and communities in deep listening to Spirit to facilitate their faithfulness. Anne is deeply committed to continuing revelation as a key aspect of our faith. Anne travels widely among Friends, ministering to people in monthly meetings, yearly meetings and beyond. Anne helped establish the NYYM mentorship program, serving as a mentor and as part of the Mentorship Advisory Committee since the program’s inception. Additionally Anne serves FGC as clerk of the Development Committee, and as a NYYM representative to the FGC Central Committee. Anne’s ministry focuses around living into a broadly welcoming and inclusive faith community which can be called ‘care of community’. Anne brings their passion and joy to this ministry.
Lu Harper (Rochester) has served NYYM as a recording clerk for Ministry and Witness Coordinating Committees, as well as the yearly meeting body in sessions. She is called to spiritual accompaniment of individuals and groups, and has served as elder/co-facilitator of retreats within and outside of NYYM. She is currently drafting a book, Opening Eyes and Ears, Journeying out of Ancestral American Colonialism and Privilege, reflecting on the ways her ancestors contributed to colonial genocide, enslavement, and displacement of indigenous peoples as settlers moved westward, and how she is called to help repair the harm for generations to come.