Pendle Hill is a 93-year-old retreat center in Delaware County that offers a low-cost, leafy getaway for spiritual pilgrims who align with its famous Quaker mission to be “inclusive, respectful, and supportive of all people.”
Last week, staffers found themselves hosting a group of evangelical Christians that pushed their limits.
On the surface, the 30-person group with the “24/7 National Strategic Prayer Call” came and went without incident. But Pendle Hill executive director Francisco Burgos, who was on a mission trip in Brazil at the time, began hearing concerns from staffers who’d grown nervous shortly after the group arrived last week.
The main source of concern was the group’s far-right political leanings that it posted on social media each day — daily “prayer focuses” that railed against homosexuality, falsely claimed Donald Trump was the rightful U.S. president, and advocated for Christian nationalism in American politics.
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Burgos disavowed the group’s beliefs and expressed regret for hosting them due to the pressure it put on his staff.
“We seek to create an environment of inclusion and belonging that is safe, respectful, and restorative, and we recognize this group’s presence has ruptured that environment for our staff and other guests on campus,” Burgos said.
Ioan Peia, a pastor who is one of the group’s leaders, said interactions with the staff were amicable, and he was shocked to hear that they were agitated.
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