Pendle Hill is a

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...

study, retreat, and conference center located on a campus in suburban

Wallingford, Pennsylvania Wallingford is an unincorporated community in Nether Providence Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1687, it is named for Wallingford, England. In 2007, Wallingford was named by ''Money Magazine'' as the ninth b ...

, near

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. It was named for Pendle Hill in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

, England, that the first Quaker preacher described as the site of his calling to ministry. Founded in 1930, Pendle Hill offers programs open to people of all faiths. These programs include residential study programs, online and on-campus short-term courses and retreats, conference services, publications, leadership training, a walk-in bookstore, hybrid daily meeting for worship, dining services, and a bed and breakfast.

Educational programming

The center offers a variety of online and on-campus programming. The residential study program includes a curriculum of worship, work, study, and service where people typically enroll for ten or more weeks of residential study, typically during the "Spring Term" course offered each year. Short-term courses of two to seven days are offered throughout the year on themes including Quaker faith and practice, nonviolent direct action, prophetic witness, and arts and spirituality. Online programs are also available throughout the year, including free lectures, free reading groups, and free daily meeting for worship. All events and programs are available to the public.

Campus

The campus includes a one-mile perimeter walking trail, which is open to the public, as well as a wetland, koi pond, gardens, native meadow, a library and art studio, and historic buildings. The property, originally purchased in 1929, was only 7 acres of land that had previously been developed as an

arboretum An arboretum (: arboreta) is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees and shrubs of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, many modern arbor ...

, and included "The Barn" and "Main House", both of which were built in the late 1800s. The property expanded over time to what is now 24 acres with 13 buildings. The arboretum still exists and houses a variety of exotic and native trees, including an

American Beech American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

that is well over 300 years old. The walking trails, outdoor seating, and meadow are open to the public. Meals are also served daily using produce from the on-site organic garden. Guests can participate in meals with a reservation.

Rentals and accommodations

There are a variety of meeting spaces which can be rented for conferences and retreats, with capacity for over 100 guests. Overnight accommodations are available for guests of rental groups, educational programs, or for individuals (called Sojourners). Dining services are included for overnight guests.

Publishing

Pendle Hill also serves as a publishing house, and one of its most visible programs is its pamphlet series, which produces six pamphlets a year. Recent topics have included spiritual nurture, Quaker practice, and pacifism. As of June 2023 there have been 481 such pamphlets, and many are classics in Quaker spirituality. The Pendle Hill Bookstore is a useful resource for Friends looking for Quaker resources perhaps not easily found in their local community.

Podcast

Pendle Hill introduced its podcast, ''The Seed: Conversations for Radical Hope'', in October 2022. As of June 2023, it has released two seasons with a third expected to be released in July 2023. The podcast features a variety of guests from the spiritual and Quaker world, who are all hosted by Dwight Dunston, a West Philly–based facilitator, hip-hop artist, educator, and activist. Each season features a trailer, intro episode, and four to five episodes each. With their guests, ''The Seed'' aims to "explore visions of the world growing up through the cracks in our broken systems."

Directors

* Henry Theodore Hodgkin (1877–1933), director 1928–1933 * John Hughes * Howard Brinton * Richard Gregg * Anna Cox Brinton & Howard Brinton * Dan Wilson, 1952–1970 * Robert Scholz / Colin Bell, 1971–1974 * Edwin Sanders, 1974–1981 * Robert Lyon, 1981–1986 * Margery Walker, 1986–1991 * Daniel Seeger, 1991–2000 * Steve Baumgartner, 2000–2005 * Ken and Katharine Jacobsen, 2005–2007 * Lauri Perman, May 2007 – ? * Jennifer Karsten, 2011–2019 * Traci Hjelt Sullivan (interim) 2019-2020 * Francisco Burgos 2020–present

References

External links

Pendle Hill Quaker Center for Study and Contemplation

Google maps
* Dodson, Shirley (June 1, 2011)
"Pendle Hill Timeline: 1915–2011"
Philadelphia, PA: ''

Friends Journal ''Friends Journal'' is a monthly Quaker magazine that combines first-person narrative, reportage, poetry, and news. ''Friends Journal'' began publishing in 1827 and 1844 with the founding of ''The Friend'' (Orthodox, 1827—1955) and ''The Friend ...

''. {{Coord, 39.908, -75.366, type:landmark_region:US-PA, display=title Quakerism in Pennsylvania Quaker organizations based in the United States