INTERMOUNTAIN YEARLY MEETING

Hello Friends, 

It's time for the IMYM Newsletter: End-of-Summer 2025. This edition offers highlights from Annual Gathering, messages from our clerks, and ways to stay connected with Friends in the months ahead.

Click HERE to read a PDF version OR for an online version, scroll down. 

Beloved community, may we continue on faithfully, gathered in courage and care. 

In the Light,

Intermountain Yearly Meeting

**If the visual newsletter looks "too big" on your screen, scroll to the bottom and click the two "expanding arrows" icon on the bottom right hand corner.**

IMYM - End-of-Summer Newsletter 2025 by erinbates1204

On May 31, Intermountain Yearly Meeting had an online business meeting to consider 5 statements of conscience, most of which were submitted by constituent monthly meetings. With a few changes, these statements were enthusiastically approved by 60 Friends and they are attached to this email.  Two Friends stood aside because they were concerned that their meetings had not had the opportunity to review the statements before our meeting on May 31. The statements cover: Religious Freedom and Immigrant Rights, Middle East Violence, Resistance to Oppressive Federal Actions, Faith Guiding our Witness, and Action on Climate Change. 

Read the approved statements HERE. 

On Sept 13, 2025, 10 am to noon, MDT, Intermountain Yearly Meeting will have an online meeting for worship with a concern for business. Please put this on your calendar and plan to attend. I look forward to a great turnout for this meeting similar to what we have had for our first two online business meetings. The Zoom link and documents in advance will be sent later. 

At this business meeting, I have agreed with the Coordinating Committee to explore how Spirit is leading the Intermountain Yearly Meeting to serve us all and our local meetings. We have heard the desire on the part of meetings and individuals to have a more vibrant presence of youth and young adults in our local and regional meetings and annual gatherings. The possibility of hiring a Youth/Next Gen Coordinator could be part of this discussion. 

We hear that more personal connection between meetings and individuals, opportunities to build community and to learn more about Quaker spirituality and service in the current day are wanted. I want to hear what you see IMYM contributing to this.  

The assumption has always been that we will have an annual gathering.  When that assumption was first developed, the only way to meet was in-person. Now we can meet nearly anytime online. The pandemic decreased Friends' connection with the yearly meeting. How do these things change what we want to do? 

One tool in helping us to accomplish these things is our budget. On September 13, after discussing program possibilities, I expect that we will provide you with a budget with broad outlines which we will together make more specific in a future meeting(s). This is because the sharing that we begin on Sept 13 will be followed by discernment through Fall Queries in order to get a clearer picture of our program priorities. A business or representatives committee meeting in December or January will make additional decisions about how to use our resources. 

Also on the agenda for September 13 will be some nominations for approval and other more defined items.  

Please join us for this discernment.

Learn History of Colorado's Ute Tribes

IMYM Friends meet for our annual gathering in Durango, just a short ways from the Ute Mountain Ute reservation and the Southern Ute reservation. If you'd like to learn about the history of the Ute tribes in Colorado, watch this PBS Colorado Experience documentary film: 

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxcSB-2qBoEiVPyBT9f6emZ3mPwtx0ZghQ?si=U1zjpawCVVpybmef 

Dear Central Committee Members & Observers:

Injunction denied-- The hearing on our litigation was last Friday and I learned a few minutes ago that our request for an injunction was denied.   ICE will not be barred from conducting enforcement operations in places of worship while our lawsuit continues through the court system.  You can learn more about the reasons why below:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/federal-judge-refuses-block-immigration-enforcement-operations-houses-rcna200918

https://anabaptistworld.org/judge-refuses-to-block-immigration-enforcement-operations-in-places-of-worship/#:~:text=a%20preliminary%20injunction.-,Mennonite%20Church%20USA%20et%20al.%20v.%20United%20States%20Department%20of,raids%20in%20places%20of%20worship.

https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-judge-will-not-curb-immigration-enforcement-places-worship-2025-04-11/

What you will see in the articles is that the judge largely found the potential harms to our communities were speculative, since there have been few actual ICE raids at houses of worship so far.  Fear, declines the number of people attending worship and receiving social services (reported as very significant at some locations), and the diversion of resources to deal with potential ICE enforcement actions are not sufficient at this time to demonstrate harm.  This is a different outcome than the first litigation brought by the Quakers of BYM, PhlYM, NEYM, Cooperative Baptists and Sikhs where at least a narrow injunction was granted.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-judge-immigration-arrests-places-of-worship-quakers-baptists-sikhs/

The injunction being denied does not mean the case is over.  This was just the injunction request.  However, it is still very troubling and leaves Meeting Houses outside of BYM, PhlYM and NEYM vulnerable along with the churches and synagogues of our faith partners.  At the moment, I have not been advised as to the implications of this for the larger case and I have been advised, in general, not to speculate.  I do want to emphasize that the legal team that represents us was extremely well prepared and presented what seemed like a strong case.  I am grateful to our legal team.  I'm also grateful to our faith partners in the litigation who showed up in numbers for the hearing.  The benches that were available were just about full.

Regardless of this particular outcome, it is important that we stood up and that we continue to stand up every chance we get.  Standing up potentially slows the erosion of the rule of law.  Every action matters.

Next Steps—  Our legal team is examining where to take this next.  I imagine we will have new guidance from them in the next week or so.

Concerning Lobbying-- While our primary concern is the litigation, we are also part of an effort to encourage the adoption of the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, H.R. 1061.  If passed, this would essentially make the old sensitive locations rules into a law, which would be much stronger protection for our houses of worship than simply restoring the old administrative rules.  Like the rescinded rules, this act would also protect hospitals and schools.

From the plaintiff participants, several of us volunteered to lobby congressional and senatorial offices about H.R. 1061.  I spent last Thursday with Mennonite, Presbyterian, Evangelical Lutheran and several other denominational and interfaith leaders going from office to office on the Hill.  This was arranged for us by Jim Simpson from the Center on Faith & Justice at Georgetown.  They are partners of ICAP who are fighting the litigation for us.  FCNL provided space for our initial briefings before we started lobbying.  Gratitude to FCNL.

We visited both Democratic and Republican offices.  We were received openly by all offices.  We were advised by multiple offices that the passage of this bill is unlikely in the current climate-- even though some Republicans support some aspects of the bill.  I will also share that some congressional staffers asked us as people of faith to hold all congressional staffers with compassion, regardless of party, during this stressful and difficult time.  There was also a strong request from one congressional office that, as faith leaders, we need to help mobilize our churches and synagogues to oppose not only ICE enforcement efforts but the overall erosion of civil rights.  There was enormous concern openly named that things are getting worse quickly.

After the hearing on Friday, the assembled faith leaders talked about continued interfaith cooperation.  I would say there were 40-50 of us in the room from the 27 plaintiff organizations.  There were enormous concerns about immigration, the erosion of the rule of law, and specific negative actions like reductions in SNAP benefits and food aid to food banks.  While we did not have time to forge a framework for continued cooperation, there was general agreement that we need to cooperate going forward.  As Friends, in conjunction with FCNL and AFSC, we need to talk about what this could look like.

Concerning the Vigil-- The prayer vigil that was held the night before the hearing at National City Christian Church in Washington, DC was very special.  I'm not sure how many people were in person.  I would imagine at least 200.  Online I was told there were more than 1600 attenders.  Part of what the vigil demonstrated was not simply support for the litigation, but the need so many of us felt to ground ourselves, during a really challenging time, in the core of our faith traditions.  The theme for the night was "We Need Each Other."  It was hopeful to experience the solidarity of so many faith communities joined together around our shared understanding that our faiths require us to stand up for human rights and human dignity.

Thank you all for your support and solidarity as we continue to try respond faithfully in these unprecedented times.

Prayerfully,

Barry Crossno (He/Him)

General Secretary

Friends General Conference

1216 Arch St. #2B

Philadelphia, PA 19107

Office Hours: Eastern Time Zone: M-F 9-5pm

(215) 561-1700 x3003

www.FGCquaker.org

Quaker Voluntary Service is looking for our next Executive Director and we would love your help. I'd be very appreciative if you could spend time considering who in your circles is a potential applicant.

One of the wonders of Quakerism is the emphasis on seeing one anothers' gifts and naming those gifts. Most people I know in leadership were nudged into applying by someone who saw their gifts. I'm sure you have experienced this over the years.

So, please, if you can, consider if there are Friends for whom the Quaker Voluntary Service Executive Director position might be the right next step, and let them know you see their gifts!

Additionally, if you have access to listservs or bodies of Friends who might have interest, please pass this along.

I'm including here a blurb about the position:

Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS) is now accepting applications for a new Executive Director. You would be a great fit for this position if you believe Quaker spirituality has something to offer social justice movements and young adults; you have interest and skills at administration and financial management; and you have experience working with nonprofit structures, including board collaboration and staff supervision and management. See the full job description at https://quakervoluntaryservice.org/employment/.

How to apply: Email a cover letter and resume to the QVS Board Executive Director Search Committee, at ExecSearch@quakervoluntaryservice.org. Interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis as applications arrive, with priority given to applications received by April 15, 2025. Desired start date is July 1, 2025, but can be flexible for the right candidate.

Hello Friends,

Ministry and Counsel invites monthly meeting clerks of Intermountain Yearly Meeting to a Zoom gathering to share our challenges and joys as clerks of our Monthly Meetings. We are aware that several Meetings are now doing creative clerk arrangements and we would be happy to talk about how that is going as well. If there is interest, we would consider making this a recurrent event. 

Also, Ministry and Counsel is always available if your Meeting is facing a challenge that would benefit from discernment outside of your own community.

The event will take place Tuesday April 29 at 7 pm (Mountain daylight saving) 6 (Arizona time). Here is the Zoom link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85910517514?pwd=gaG4VNdpakL8pioZPeb62I5bFrIJg5.1

Meeting ID: 859 1051 7514

Passcode: 843218

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One tap mobile

+17193594580,,85910517514#,,,,*843218# US

If you have questions or need assistance please contact: m-and-c-committee@imym.org 

Looking forward to meeting with all of you!

Dear Friends, 

It's time for the IMYM Winter Newsletter 2024: A Message of Hope and News to the IMYM Community. IMYM has been and is on the move. As you read further in this Newsletter you will see some of the results of this progress. Following the lead given by members of the IMYM community to the Way Forward Group, new focus, energy, and initiatives are underway. A leading came clear for IMYM to become a greater year-round resource to all Quakers and Meetings in the Intermountain region. IMYM is you - it is all of us, responding to the Light, to be the Quakers we are called to be at this time. Read on Friends, to see the unfolding progress and learn how YOU can join these spirit-led efforts.

CLICK HERE to read the PDF version of the IMYM Winter Newsletter 2024. 

Your Western Friend Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Caitlin Churchill will be our new Editor/Executive Director, starting on January 1, 2025.

Check out this article to learn more about Caitlin and her visions for Western Friend. 

https://westernfriend.org/news/welcome-caitlin-churchill-our-new-editor/

Toward Truth and Healing: How Churches Face Accountability for their Indian Boarding Schools

Many Christian church denominations operated Indian boarding schools during the 19th and early 20th centuries, in collaboration with the federal government’s policy of forced assimilation. Now they are re-examining the roles they played, the harms that were done to Native American families and nations, and the ongoing impacts in Native communities today. Representatives of Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Quaker faith communities will share how they are conducting research and approaching questions of accountability, apology, reparations, and healing.

Sunday, November 10, 8-9:30pm ET; 7-8:30pm CT; 6-7:30pm MT; 5-6:30pm PT

REGISTER HERE: https://friendspeaceteams.org/accountability-boarding-schools-2024/

Image is Wounded Yellow Robe, Henry Standing Bear and Chauncy Yellow Robe: Lakota boys before and after they entered school in 1883 and three years later.