January 18, 2026 NY Quarterly Business Meeting Minutes and Report

New York Quarterly Meeting (NYQM) Friends met for worship and business on Sunday, January 18, at Brooklyn Meetinghouse and online. The minutes from the meeting, including links to all reports, are here.

The current state of our country is weighing heavily on Friends.

Ted Bongiovanni, NYQM Executive Secretary, reported, “The question isn't when challenges to our core testimonies of peace, integrity and equality will come. They are here. The question is how do we and how will we, as Friends, meet this moment?” Threshing sessions are planned where meetings can gather to worship on a set of related queries; more on those here.

Dan Seeger, clerk of NYQM Trustees, expressed that Quakerism equips us well for this time when the basis of civilization — that is, “a long struggle to overcome mere bullying with systems of fairness and justice” —  is being challenged by those in power. “It is one of the geniuses of the Quaker tradition, a unique contribution we have to make to the struggle for peace and justice, that we can utter words of militancy which are not lost to the sight of love, and we can offer words of reconciliation which nevertheless challenge the hearers to respect the fundamental truth of things.”

Scott Blumenthal, clerk of NYQM, asked, “How do we meet this moment? We meet this moment as we are advised to meet every moment. We welcome it as an opportunity to let our lives testify to the truths we discern, personally and collectively, as Friends.”  

And after giving her report on the People of Color Worship and Reflection Group, which meets at Flushing Meeting in Queens, Linda Shirley told us that more young people have been coming to Flushing Meeting recently. Linda pointed out that they come not to experience Flushing’s historic meetinghouse or our complicated Quaker practice, but in search of courage and direction in this time of crisis. She suggests that be our (Quaker) focus.

The gathered Friends heard from the Relief Committee, which has funds available to Friends in need; more here. The Witness Committee is currently accepting project proposals for funding; more here. 

The Nominating Committee let us know that they are having trouble filling vacancies on the Brooklyn Friends School Board of Directors. Email williambarkerguy@gmail.com with questions. The Ministry and Counsel Committee is planning a one day retreat at Fifteenth Street Meeting on March 21; all Friends are invited.

We heard reports from Fifteenth Street (they accepted 14 new members in 2025), Staten Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan (recently celebrated its 50th anniversary), and Morningside Meetings, as well as the People of Color Worship and Reflection Group. 

There's much more happening in the Quarter than expressed here. Read the full minutes and reports.