The 115th Annual Session of
Wilmington Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends met from
July 6 to 9, 2006, at Friendsville Friends Meeting House in
Friendsville, Tennessee. The session was organized around the theme
“Not Conformed, But Transformed,” taken from Romans 12:1-2.
In excess of 90 Friends attended various portions of the meeting including
the pre-Yearly Meeting Retreat conducted by Cindy Drinnon and Andrea Scott.
Scott Knight led Bible study centered upon the Yearly Meeting theme each
morning and attenders continued discussion of the theme in worship sharing
groups afterward. Margaret Stoltzfus of United Society of Friends Women
International addressed the USFW/Quaker Men banquet and Shane Claiborne
delivered the annual Peace Lecture. Sam Chapman of Friendsville Friends
Meeting was the featured speaker at Sunday morning worship.
With Lois Hackney as Presiding Clerk, Friends used traditional Quaker
business practice to address challenging issues including revision of the
Wilmington College charter, methods for the discipline of children, the future
of the YouthQuake program and a formal Yearly Meeting policy on sexual and
other forms of harassment.
The meeting welcomed visitors and gratefully received reports from other
organizations including Wilmington College, Friends United Meeting, Friends
Disaster Service, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Friends World
Committee for Consultation and Right Sharing of World Resources.
A meaningful memorial service was held lin which Friends who had passed away
during the previous year were remembered. Several new pastors were introduced
and John Todd, pastor of Xenia Friends Meeting, was recorded as a minister of
the gospel.
Friends in attendance at the 115th annual session of
Wilmington Yearly Meeting asked Friends throughout the world to join
with us in living out and celebrating the transformative power of God through
Jesus Christ that has been the focus of our thoughts and prayers during this
meeting and throughout the previous year.
Doug Woodmansee
Bob Beck
Debby Knight,
Epistle Committee