Resources for those new to Quakerism

What are Quakers?

Quakers (also known as Friends) are a spiritually diverse religious group with members in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America. Approximately one-third of Quakers live in the United States and Canada.

What Quakers Believe

Quakers worship in many ways and hold many beliefs; broadly speaking, they believe that "there is that of God in everyone."  Everyone can know God and be known by God directly.  Quakers use many words to describe the Divine, including but not limited to God, the Light, Christ, the Spirit, the Seed, and the Inward Teacher.

Quakerism has deep Christian roots.  Many Quakers are Christian and many are not.

Quakerism is an experience-based religion meaning that everyone can have a direct encounter with the Divine. By tradition, Quakerism is non-creedal; there are no signed statements of belief or oaths. 

Quakers generally recognize five central testimonies: simplicity, integrity, equality, community and peace. The testimonies are not rules, but ways of living in the world. For example, Quakers seek to avoid violence on both the personal and the societal level, and believe that the Spirit that takes away the need for war is available to everyone, everywhere, in all situations. 

Quakers and History

Quakerism started in England in the 1650s, during a time of civil war and religious turmoil. It grew out of the preaching of George Fox and other early Quakers, who rejected the hierarchy and rituals of existing churches, and challenged all people to encounter God directly and to experience the Kingdom of Heaven as a present, living reality.

Many Quaker Paths

Friends General Conference is one of several Quaker umbrella organizations serving Friends. Most meetings affiliated with FGC are from the unprogrammed tradition--their members practice silent, expectant worship. To learn more about the different traditions in Quakerism, see our frequently asked questions.