Religious Society of Friends

The Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers, or Friends, is a religious community founded in England in the 17th century. Quakers are counted among the historic peace churches, and have congregations scattered across the world. Since its origin in England, Quakerism has spread to other countries, chiefly the United States, Kenya and Bolivia. The number of Quakers in the world is relatively small (approximately 600,000), although there are places, such as Philadelphia, PA US, in which Quaker influence is concentrated.

Quaker worship

Friends try to treat all functions of the church as a form of worship, including business, marriage, and memorial services, in addition to regular worship services. There are two main styles of Quaker worship, programmed and unprogrammed.

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Unprogrammed worship is the more traditional style of worship among Friends and remains the norm in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. During an unprogrammed meeting for worship, Friends gather together in "expectant waiting" for messages from God. They wait in silence. When a member feels led to share a message with the gathered meeting, they will generally rise and share (give "ministry"). These messages often take the form of a statement, or a reading. In US unprogrammed meetings you might also hear a song. Traditionally messages, testimonies, ministry, or other speech are unprepared, and members are called on to discern the source of their inspiration—whether divine or ego. Sometimes a meeting is entirely silent, sometimes quite a few people speak, the number of people speaking is unrelatd to how gathered a meeting feels to its participants. Generally meeting for worship lasts about an hour (although it can be shorter or longer depending on the group gathered).

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Unprogrammed worship is deemed to start as soon as the first member of the congregation is seated, the other participants entering the room in silence. The Meeting for Worship ends when a predetermined person (usually an "elder") shakes the hand of their neighbor. All the members of the assembly then shake hands with their neighbors, after which one member (usually the "clerk") will rise and extend their greetings. Coffee (and tea in the UK!) after meeting is considered by most Friends to be an integral part of the Sunday morning experience, an opportunity to catch up with friends and chat to visitors.

Related Topics:
Elder - Clerk

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Programmed worship arose in the US and grew out of the movement in 19th century toward paid pastors. Worship at a Friends Church resembles more closely a typical protestant worship service in the United States. Typically there are readings from scripture, hymns, and a sermon from the pastor. Most Friends outside of the United Kingdom and the North Eastern region of the United States worship in this way.

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Some Friends also hold what is termed Semi-Programmed Worship which brings programmed elements like hymns and scripture readings into an otherwise unprogrammed worship service.

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While the different styles of worship generally reflect the theological splits within US Quakerism, with unprogrammed meetings generally being more theologically liberal and programmed Friends churches more theologically conservative, this is not a strict rule. The UK did not undergo the same kinds of theological schisms as the US and continued with unprogrammed meetings, as a result there is a broader spectrum of theological beliefs within Britain Yearly Meeting.

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Quaker weddings

See main article on Quaker weddings.

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Traditionally in a Friends Meeting when a couple decides to get married they declare their intentions to marry to the meeting. A traditional wedding ceremony in a Friends meeting is similar to any other Meeting for Worship, and therefore often very different from the experience expected by non-Friends. Quaker marriage ceremonies were performed in the same manner as worship, meaning there was no priest or high official to conduct the ceremony and sanction the union. The pair did, and still do, marry one another before God and human witnesses gathered.

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Decision making among Friends

Business decisions on a local level are conducted a monthly Meeting for Worship with a concern for business, or simply business meeting. A meeting for business is a form of worship, and all decisions are reached so that they are consistent with the guidance of the Spirit (called "unity" or "sense of the meeting").

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The "sense of the meeting" does not mean that every person simply gets an equal vote or that all members must "vote" in favor of the decision (i.e. unanimity). The Meeting for Worship with a concern for business attempts to gain a sense of God's will for the community. Each member of the meeting is expected to listen to that of God within themselves and, when led, to contribute it to the group for reflection and consideration.

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A decision is reached when the meeting as a whole feels that the "way forward" has been discerned. This may mean that those who are informed on or passionate about a given issue are willingly deferred to. However, in other cases some members of the Meeting will "stand aside" on an issue, meaning that the meeting has achieved a sense of unity, but that, for their own personal reasons, they are unable to agree with the result. In still other cases a meeting may reach a sense of unity notwithstanding that some members remain opposed, although the meeting would probably proceed only after considerable time was spent in discernment to ensure that the concerns of the dissenting members have been heard and the sense of the meeting is clear.

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The business procedure of Friends can seem impractical to non-Quakers. While the process can be frustrating and slow, it has been a centerpiece of the Religious Society of Friends for over 350 years, at times seeing them through extremely difficult decisions and divisions. Quaker-style decision making has been successfully adapted for use in secular settings in recent years (see Consensus decision-making).

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Memorial services

Quaker memorial services are also held as a form of worship. Friends gather for worship and offer remembrances about the person who has died. Memorial services often last over an hour, particularly if there are a large number of people in attendence. Memorial services give everyone present a chance to remember the lost individual in their own way, often bringing closure to most people present.

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