Quaker meeting houses are special places where Friends come together to worship, build community, and serve others. Taking care of these buildings is both a spiritual and practical responsibility. When a meeting decides to build, repair, or expand a meeting house, it helps to take time for careful thought and group discernment.
Building or renovating a space can bring up many questions. How can the meeting house reflect Quaker values like simplicity and care for the earth? How can it be welcoming and accessible to everyone? How can Friends be good stewards of the funds and resources they have?
To help with these choices, several resources have been created. They are meant to guide meetings through every step of the process, from early reflection to working with builders and contractors. These materials can help meetings:
- Think about the purpose and long-term use of their space.
- Explore questions about location, accessibility, and the environment.
- Plan for the financial and legal parts of construction or renovation.
- Make decisions together in a Spirit-led way.
Helpful Resources
Friends can use the guides on the menu to the right to support their planning and decision-making. These tools are meant to make the process clearer and to help meetings care for their buildings with faith, thoughtfulness, and love.
A Legacy of Friends Helping Friends Build Better Meeting Houses
For more than sixty years, the Friends Meeting House Fund (FMHF) of Friends General Conference served as a trusted financial resource for Quaker meetings seeking to build, purchase, or improve their meeting houses. From its founding through 2024, the Fund loaned or granted more than $4.6 million to over 200 meetings across 18 yearly meetings, helping Friends maintain spaces for worship, fellowship, and community service.
FMHF guided meetings through all stages of facility development—from accessibility and energy-efficiency upgrades to major renovations and new construction. Its work reflected Quaker values of stewardship, sustainability, and community care.
Partnerships and Programs
In 2017, the Fund entered a partnership with Everence Association, Inc., a member-owned, faith-based financial services organization founded by Mennonites and other Anabaptist peace churches. Through this partnership, FMHF continued to help meetings access flexible, competitive loan options while Everence administered the loans.
Two grant programs supported ongoing improvements:
- The Green Meeting House Fund, which promoted sustainability and energy efficiency through projects such as solar panels, improved insulation, and better drainage systems.
- The General Improvements Grant Fund, which provided small grants for accessibility and building enhancements, often funded by anonymous gifts from Friends.
Closing and Legacy
The Friends Meeting House Fund was laid down in 2024, concluding more than six decades of service. Its legacy continues in the meeting houses it helped sustain—spaces where Friends gather for worship, community, and witness—and in its example of faithful stewardship rooted in shared values.