Friends General Conference (FGC) The Gathering of Friends will be at the University of Vermont, July 7-12, 2026. The theme is “A Window and a Door: A Prayer.” Enjoy worship, fellowship, workshops, reflection, rejuvenation, and fun! Go to FGCQuaker.org/the-gathering for more info. Adult Spiritual Education (ASE) Committee has scholarships available for anyone who would like to attend. Please contact a member of ASE for more information.
by Sharlee DiMenichi, Friends Journal
Opposing immigration enforcement in houses of worship, Friends General Conference (FGC) joined an interfaith lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and two of its enforcement agencies, the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Barry Crossno, the general secretary of FGC, said, “The suit asserts that subjecting places of worship to ICE enforcement actions without a judicial warrant substantially burdens our religious exercise in violation of the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. These enforcement actions at our places of worship interfere with our religious activities and our ability to fulfill our religious mandate to welcome and serve immigrants.”
There are 26 other Christian and Jewish denominations and community organizing associations among the plaintiffs, including Baptist, Brethren, Mennonite, Methodist, and Unitarian Universalist, representing 12 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, with some being national bodies. The suit was filed Tuesday, February 11, by the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection (ICAP) at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
The Fourth and final session of Quakerism 101 will be held at the Meetinghouse on January 26 at 9:30 am.
Topic --"Quakers in the Wider World."
Kelly Kennedy will facilitate beginning with a PowerPoint including maps of Quakers in Virginia, the nation, and worldwide. With the help of three Friends with deep experience in organizations such as Baltimore Yearly Meeting, Friends General Conference, Friends Committee on National Legislation, and Friends in Unity with Nature, we'll look at how Quaker values drive their work and their outcomes.
Bring your coffee and join us Sunday January 26, at 9:30 in the Community Room. Childcare will be provided at 9:15.
The annual Quaker weeklong retreat, The Gathering, will finally happen in person at Radford College. This Friends General Conference (FGC) event will take place July 3 - 9.
Plans for the workshops and other events are coming together. More information will be available soon. In the meantime, save the first week in July for this family friendly event.
A COVID working group under the care of FGC’s Executive Committee is working to create a COVID Health and Safety policy all FGC events.
Ada Hammer
FGC Liaison
The Gathering, 2021
Friends, you may know that the annual week long gathering of Friends from the US, Canada and many other countries is scheduled to take place the week of June 27. Once again, the session will be virtual, allowing us to attend with from our homes. Check it out! And remember that Adult Spiritual Education has funds to help pay for conference expenses.
Below is a message sent to me from the Gathering Conference Coordinator.
Feel free to ask me questions.
Ada Hammer
"It was wonderful to gather with Friends from all over, many of whom would probably not have been able to participate at all if the Gathering was only in-person."
We received many expressions of appreciation like this one after the 2020 Virtual Gathering. Hosting FGC's annual summer event online in 2020 made it possible for many people from across the Quaker landscape to attend. We can't wait to see who will join us this summer!
I'm excited to share that Tara Houska will be our Friday EveningPlenary Speaker!Tara (Couchiching First Nation Anishinaabe) is a tribal attorney, founder of Giniw Collective, and is currently engaged in the movement to defund fossil fuel use.
Don't miss:• The complete Evening Programs line-up!• Help us select the topics for Community Connections, the Tuesday evening plenary, by participating in our survey.
Please join us for the 2021 FGC Gathering: Way Will Open,
June 27th - July 3rd.
In service,
Lori Sinitzky
Gathering Conference Coordinator