Western Friend Podcast

Brylie Oxley, Web Master for Western Friend for over a decade, joins host Jon Stoll and a live audience for a conversation on new technologies, artificial intelligence, and spirituality. Brylie also shares about a new tool that he developed, georgefox.chat, a chat bot primed and eager to discuss about Quakerism, George Fox, or any queries you may have. You can access the chatbot here: georgefox.ch...

On Episode 37, you will here the keynote address from this year’s Pacific Yearly Meeting on the topic of “Transformation," facilitated by health and wholeness visionary ,O (See: listeningheartslove.org ). A longtime Quaker, ,O is a member of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, and leads Love and Respect Transform, a ministry that focuses on deepening our understanding and experience of alte...

This episode of the Western Friend podcast features the keynote address, given by Barry Crossno, General Secretary of Friends General Conference, at Intermountain Yearly Meeting on June 14, 2024. In his address, Barry discusses several challenges facing many monthly meetings, and some of the potential solutions that could help moving forward. He shares about his own journey to Quakerism, on matchi...

Welcome to Episode 35, where the host of the Western Friend Podcast chats with Elaine Granata and David Poundstone about their work visiting and conversing with incarcerated folks. Both Elaine and David are members of Mountain View Friends Meeting in Denver, who spoke with us about their experiences visiting men in federal prisons through the Prisoner Visitation and Support (PVS) program. You can...

Welcome to episode 34 of the Western Friend Podcast, a joint production of Western Friend and the Soul Force Ones . On today’s episode, Mary Klein and Jon Stoll facilitate a conversation with Sister Confianza del Señor of the Amigas del Señor Methodist Monastery in Limón, Honduras. She shares about her calling to the monastic life, her interest in the Spanish language and her journey to Honduras,...

On this episode of the Western Friend Podcast, Jon and the community speak with Zae Illo, a Master of Divinity from the Earlham School of Religion. He works as an operations manager for Youth Spirit Artworks, leads the Bible study and street outreach ministries at Glide Church, and recently began a biweekly laundry ministry at the San Francisco Friends Meeting.  You can find more at CyberGlow.org...

Episode 32 of the Western Friend Podcast features a conversation with Nancy Marshall, a member of Phoenix Friends meeting and a retired attorney and former director of the Arizona Civil Liberties Union. On this episode, she discusses her recent article in Western Friend magazine , titled Friendly Truth to Power , and her most recently published book, A Dry Hate . 

On episode 31 of the Western Friend Podcast, we’re joined by Andrew Franklin. Andrew attends Camas Friends, works for Goodwill Industries, and serves on the Equity and Inclusion Committee of Sierra Cascades Yearly Meeting of Friends. On this episode, he chats with us about: His article, Good Samaritan Mindset, in Western Friend’s latest issue  His Quaker meeting's work towards reparations wit...

In the 30th episode of the Western Friend Podcast for this new year, we travel back to 2018 to revisit a panel of speakers discuss the topic of “Unity is not Unanimity”, examining ways to keep our communities together despide disputes and disagreements within. Friends discuss: Ways to work through conflict, based in love and spirituality   The process of decision making when there may be disagreem...

Roscoe Mathieu, a member of Central Coast Friends Meeting, joins us for episode 29. Roscoe expands on his article, A Quaker Rosary , that appeared in the November 2023 issue of Western Friend Magazine. In the second half of the episode, he takes questions from the audience. LINKS Roscoe´s article: A Quaker Rosary Western Friend Magazine (Nov/Dec 2023) Western Friend Podcast archive

Keith Runyan is a Quaker change-maker and the new General Secretary of Quaker Earthcare Witness. He is a visionary and activist, born and  raised in Pacific Yearly Meeting in Northern California. In 2018, he  undertook a 12-day hunger strike while traveling in the ministry to  bolster awareness and action on the climate crisis and environmental  justice. In Episode 28 of our podcast series, Keith...

Dr. Richard Grossman, a recently retired OBGYN, discusses abortion and community on this episode of the Western Friend Podcast. Dr. Grossman continues to work on several population-centered projects and shares about his work, his purpose, and his essay published in the most recent issue of the Western Friend magazine.  Later, the conversation is opened to members of the community who joined us for...

Episode 26 of the Western Friend Podcast features the keynote panel conversation from Pacific Yearly Meeting, held on July 22, 2023. The episode begins with an introduction by presiding clerk of PYM Laura Magnani, and is followed by the panel discussion led by Sofia Faith Cantu, who goes by Faith and Nora Lisette Cooke, who addressing the topic of centering the voices of the next generation . Ther...

Episode 25 features an intergenerational panel of speakers at the 2023 Annual Session of North Pacific Yearly Meeting – in conversation on the theme, “Meeting at the Corner of Wisdom and Power.” Facilitated by Paul Christansen of Eastside Friends meeting, the panelists include:   Zane Freewyn, Multnomah Monthly Meeting Hazel Jordan, Olympia Friends Meeting Adam Billen, South Seattle Friends Meetin...

This episode features the keynote address by Jon Watts given at the 2023 IMYM annual gathering on the theme of “Becoming the Quakers the world needs today.”  Jon is a Quaker media creator and spiritual entrepreneur, and a member of the Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting. He founded the QuakerSpeak project as well as a NEW podcast called Thee Quaker .  Below you can find links to the projects he...

Episode 23 of the Western Friend Podcast features a conversation with teacher, speaker, author, scholar, and activist Philip Clayton . He is president of the Institute for Ecological Civilization ("EcoCiv") and the Institute for Postmodern Development of China .  On this Episode with community, he examines questions like: Is it simple to live simply? And just how complicated, or simple,...

Attorney, peace activist, author, educator, and former member of the Virginia State Legislature Bill Durland joins us for episode 22 of the Western Friend Podcast. Delving into the theme of "Martyrs for the Truth," Dr. Durland shares about his journey to Quakerism and Pacifism, why more people aren’t standing up for justice today, his history as a civil rights attorney and peace activist...

Episode 21 brings something new to the Western Friend Podcast ! This is a panel discussion from a workshop on the topic of "Quaker Leadership of the Future." Following the panel and the open forum where panelists engaged each other in conversation, the Soul Force Ones add a 15 minute remix, where the hosts delve into the notion of non-theist Quakerism and how to bring folks into communit...

Tom Ewell joins the Western Friend Podcast for Episode 20 to discuss non violent organizing and his work with the Sound Defense Alliance. Tom is is a member of Whidbey Island Friends Meeting and is active with Quaker Voice on Washington Public Policy and Friends Committee on National Legislation.  He is joined by maryon attwood and Terra Huey as they discuss the urgent need to address the noise ma...

Episode 19 of the Western Friend Podcast features an interview with Barbara Birch. Barbara is a member of Strawberry Creek Meeting in Berkeley, California. She discusses her research on Elizabeth Fry, embodied spirituality and its relevance to Quakers today, as well as Friendly 12-Step recovery. Click here to read Barbara's article in Western Friend, "Eilzabeth Gurney Fry: A Quaker Mess....

Happy New Year to all of our listeners out there! On the first episode of 2023, we share an interview with Barbara Phillips, a lifetime botanist and a member of Flagstaff Friends Meeting. She discusses her life-long fascination with the outdoors, what it means to be a botanist, and some of the challenges facing us and the planet in these complex times. You can read her article here: Botany on an E...

Today's episode features an interview with Frank Granshaw, geologist, educator, and so much more. He shares about his experiences at the UN's climate change conferences, COP 27 being the most recent, his own journey within the field, and the nuances of faith and science. Recorded with a live virtual audience, the second half of the interview is a Q&A session with the Mr. Granshaw. Be...

On this episode of the Western Friend Podcast, we are joined by Gretchen Castle, Dean of Earlham School of Religion and a member of the national steering committee of the Quaker Call to Action. Interviewed with a live virtual studio audience, Gretchen discusses the "Quaker Call to Action," a nationwide response to the urgent, current threats to U.S. democracy. After the interview, the co...

Friends, on episode 14 of the Western Friend Podcast, we bring you the Keynote Panel from the 2022 Pacific Yearly Meeting.  Three Friends speak on the year’s theme of Beloved Community. Moderated by Diego Navarro, you will hear a brief introduction by Laura Magnani, PacYM Presiding Clerk, before the keynotes of Marlene Coach-Eisenstein, Honolulu Meeting, Keith Runyan, Santa Cruz Meeting, and Peni...

Today's episode features both a keynote and conversation with Carl Magruder. Carl is a palliative care chaplin, M.A. in Divinity, and a member of the Strawberry Creek Monthly Meeting. He opens with a beautiful song that leads into his Keynote address, presented at the 2022 North Pacific Yearly Meeting, the first since the Covid-19 pandemic. Following the keynote, you will hear a joyful conver...