“It is Unchristian to Enslave Africans…,” William Edmundson

Community, News, Social Concerns

From Fit for Freedom, Not for Friendship by Donna MacDaniel and Vanessa Julye: “The first Quaker voices against the enslavement of Africans were raised in the late 1600s. . . In 1676 William Edmundson was the first Friend of European descent in the British Empire to write of his conviction that it was unchristian to enslave Africans. [He] spent many years traveling to and living in Quaker communities in the British Caribbean and North American…

Listening in Tongues / October 15, 2022

News

Being able to hear other Friends express themselves in the vocabulary most meaningful to them while hearing their meaning in one’s own vocabulary is the essence of listening in tongues. This may have been the real miracle of Pentecost: the speakers told their story in the language familiar to them, but those listening were able to hear in a new way, translating unfamiliar vocabulary into their own words. Why this is important and how to…

Special Worship Service to Honor Margaret Webb / October 2, 2022

News

On October 2, we will have a special worship at New Garden Friends Meeting to thank and bless former Pastor Margaret Webb. This will take place during the 11am Semi-Programmed Worship. Friends are invited to share stories about Pastor Margaret Webb’s ministry and to thank her for her care for the meeting. These stories will be shared with the meeting. You are welcome to bring your story to the office or to submit it online…

Piedmont Friends Fall Retreat / October 1, 2022

News

11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. / Friends will gather at Mendenhall Homeplace 603 W. Main Street, Jamestown, NC 27282 for fellowship and a bring-your-own picnic lunch. In the afternoon, Friends will be able to tour the historic Quaker homeplace, which was an active location of the Underground Railroad. A flyer will be attached to the newsletter with more details and registration information. Please save the date!

(Quaker) Pilgrim’s Progress – Part I / September 20, 2022

Community, News, Social Concerns

The Quaker Pilgrims set out on Friday, September 16 on a bus driven by Friend Tommy Hayes of Marlboro Meeting (Friends Church of NC). They visited Cedar Grove Meeting (NC Yearly Meeting-Conservative), Piney Woods Meeting and Upriver Friends Meeting (un-affiliated), and concluded their journey at Somerton Friends Meeting in Suffolk, VA (North Carolina Fellowship of Friends). The Pilgrims themselves belonged to seven meetings and three yearly meetings in North Carolina: New Garden, First Friends, Jamestown…

Religious Education Update / September 21, 2022

Community, News, Religious Education

Adult Forum / September 25 Hybrid Adult Forum went well! Moving forward, Friends may join us in the parlor, or on Zoom. This week, Friends are invited to bring queries for discussion. Queries may be obtained wherever is most convenient. However, the Britain Faith and Practice is available in its entirety here: https://bit.ly/3R3XC8N Zoom links will continue to go out with Religious Education updates and information. Contact Karin Heller if you would like to receive…

Reflecting on Reversing Wrong Practices, Past and Present / September 21, 2022

Community, News, Social Concerns

Those of us on the Quaker Pilgrimage to eastern North Carolina and Virginia heard an inspirational message from Pastor Richard Wilcox of Somerton Meeting (VA) on Sunday, September 18. He very effectively made the case that it is much easier to look at practices in the past, such as slavery, and agree that they were evil and wonder how they could persist. It is much more difficult to recognize current evils, such as institutional racism,…

New Gardeners Provide Lunch to Bill Cooke’s Habitat Volunteers / September 17 & 24, 2022

Community, News, Volunteer

Thanks to Bill Cooke’s invitation for New Gardeners to serve lunch to his team of habitat volunteers, our congregation was represented by members preparing and serving lots of good food on Saturdays September 17th & 24th. Thanks to Ben Gulley, Bill and Janet Inmon, Jane Perrin, and Happy Rieth, the building crew composed of Greensboro lawyers and Habitat professionals enjoyed a well-deserved break with food and plenty of cool drinks. Thank you, Bill, for involving…

Emma’s Revolution concert at UUCG / Saturday, September 24, 2022

Community, News

We at the UU Church of Greensboro are excited to host a Get Out the Vote Concert performed by Emma’s Revolution. Known for fearless, truth-telling lyrics and melodies you can’t resist singing, Emma’s Revolution is the award-winning activist duo of Pat Humphries & Sandy O. Some of you may remember Pat’s well-known “Swimming to the Other Side” featured on NPR. Emma’s Revolution’s songs have travelled around the world and have been sung for the Dalai Lama, praised by Pete Seeger, and covered by Holly…