About Quakers

History


Quakers arrived in what is now called southern New Jersey in the late seventeenth century.  By the early eighteenth century, settlers were farming and living on the lands near Raccoon Creek.  They traveled for worship to other meetinghouses and were officially under the care of Woodbury Preparative Meeting.  In 1756, the settlers of East Greenwich began holding meeting for worship in the home of Solomon Lippincott.  Within three years, Quakers had built a meetinghouse and a graveyard near Lippincott’s home.   “Solomon’s Graveyard” has been and still is maintained by local Quakers.  In 1785, Woodbury became a Monthly Meeting and elevated Upper Greenwich to the status of a Preparative Meeting.  In 1799, a new larger meetinghouse sitting at the corner of King’s Highway and Cedar Road was completed.  In 1919, friends added an annex to the back of the meetinghouse. In 1954, Upper Greenwich Preparative Meeting became Mickleton Monthly Meeting.  Over the years, renovations have been made to the meetinghouse with the most recent being a new roof added in 2012.

 

What Do Quakers Believe?

Although Quakers do not have a dogma or creed, and have been wary of creedal statements as limiting their understanding of God, from the earliest days of the Society of Friends individual Friends, as well as small groups of Friends and Friends’ Meetings, have issued statements of their beliefs to the world. The statement following this introduction is one of these, and represents an ongoing effort to reflect the collectively held, core beliefs of unprogrammed Quakers in Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, of which Mickleton Monthly Meeting is a part. (For an expanded introduction about Quakers and creeds, see Faith and Practice, Extracts from Writings on Belief.)

The following statements are a DRAFT and can be considered as a framework for discussion.

What do Quakers Believe?

(a proposed statement of collectively held, core beliefs of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends)

Quakers believe that there is a living, dynamic spiritual presence at work in the world which is both within us and outside of us.


Those among us are comfortable with different names for this spiritual presence. Among them are: God, Creator, Christ, Spirit, the Light, Divine Presence, Love, Truth. Throughout this statement of Quaker beliefs, the name “God” is used to include all manifestations of this living, dynamic spiritual presence.

Quakers believe that there is that of God in everyone.


We often refer to that of God in everyone as “the Light Within.” It is a belief that each person is endowed with a measure of the Divine Essence, an Inward Presence which is the spiritual core of each person’s being. We sometimes refer to the Light Within as the Inward Presence, the Inward Christ, the Inward Teacher, the Seed.

Quakers believe that each person is capable of the direct and unmediated experience of God.


Our belief leads us into a form of worship that does not rely on clergy, liturgy or creed. We often call our worship “waiting worship.” We gather in the quiet to listen for the “still small voice of God” stirring within us and speaking to us.

Quakers believe that our understanding and experience of God is nurtured and enlarged in community.


When we come together in community, each of us brings our own unique manifestation and experience of God. The diversity among us helps us to know God more fully.

Quakers believe that our inward experience of God transforms us and leads us into outward expressions of faithful living, witness and action.


Individually and collectively, we witness to our understanding of God’s Truth in the ways we live and act in the world. Our witness is often expressed in testimonies which have changed over time. Today, many of us would affirm testimonies of Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality and Stewardship.

Quakers believe that the revelation of God’s Truth is continuing and ongoing.


We are clear that the Bible is not the final revelation of God’s nature and will. We believe that God has continued to reveal God’s Truth to humankind down through history and to the present day. When they are spiritually grounded and tested within the community, we welcome new understandings of God’s Truth.

Quakers believe that the Bible is an important spiritual resource and that the life and teachings of Jesus are relevant for us today.


For many of us, the Bible is an inspired record of the workings of God in the world, one that helps to illuminate the nature of God. Friends have the experience that knowledge of the Bible deepens the spiritual power of both spoken ministry and inward listening. In a time of despair, George Fox, founder of Quakerism, heard a voice that said, “There is one, even Christ Jesus, that can speak to thy condition.” For many Friends throughout our history, and today, there is a continuing sense of the presence of this power, however it may be named.

Quakers believe in welcoming spiritual truth regardless of its source.


Many among us have been inspired by spiritual Truth found outside Quakerism. We have found that our experience of Oneness in the Spirit is enriched when spiritual Truth from other faith traditions is shared in our worship and community life.

Quakers believe that modeling God’s presence in our lives is more important than espousing beliefs.


We believe in the power of letting our lives, not merely our words, speak. We aspire to be living examples of God’s Truth in the world.

 

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Ad Hoc Subcommittee for Quaker Beliefs Paper
Worship and Care Standing Committee
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends