What We Believe

Connecting Hearts, Minds, and Souls

We believe there is an Inner Light in every person which is part of God. 
We  treasure love, integrity, and education. 
We believe the sense to distinguish right from wrong is universal, illumined and strengthened by the Inner Light. 
We regard the Bible as a guide, and since God is in all persons, all religions are respected.  

We have monthly discussions about Advices and Queries (from the Faith and Practice book).

Faith and Practice

Early Quakers sought to recover the vitality of the first Christians, and this led them to raise several testimonies as to what it means to follow Jesus.  Testimonies include the convictions that WORSHIP should be universal and Spirit-filled; that SACRAMENTAL REALITY is inward and directly mediated; that PEACEABLE MEANS should be prioritized; that PLAIN SPEECH and SIMPLE LIVING are normative for all Christians; and that Christ can be trusted to lead his followers directly.  

Our current IMYM Faith and Practice (released June 2009) is available as a downloadable PDF (Faith and Practice) or can be ordered as a print copy from Western Friend for $15 with $4 shipping.

Quaker History

Pictured is Swarthmoor Hall, a large farmhouse in Northwest England where George Fox, the founder of the Quaker Movement, found safe haven against persecution by both Anglicans and Puritans.  It was a time of Spiritual Awakening when hearts were hungry for a direct spiritual relationship with God.  Beginning 1652, George Fox inflamed crowds with his vision of a purified Christianity, available to all.  The Religious Society of Friends grew from 50,000 to 100,000 members in its first forty years.  

Quaker history is unfolding daily.  “Beyond The Oatmeal Box” is a recent documentary on Quaker activism from the Founders to the present.   Non-violent action to end slavery, to reform prisons, to expand voting rights for women and people of color, to support refugees — these are movements led by Quakers, our quiet revolutionaries.  Click here for the video.

For more answers, go to Friends General Conference

To find a Quaker Meeting in North America, Click Here

Meeting for Worship

Groups of Quakers wait in a circle of expectant silence and expectant waiting, without preset songs, Scripture readings, or sermons.  We begin and end in silence.   Individuals speak when moved to share  thoughts or feelings with the group.  Anyone so led is welcome to do so.  

What’s hard to explain is that sitting in silence in a group is far different – and more moving – than sitting in silence alone.

For more details: What to Expect at Meeting. 

Phoenix Quaker Logo

 Phoenix Quakers gather in a circle of love to celebrate spiritual unity and growth. Because all people are created in God’s image, we embrace all races, religions and creeds with equal dignity and respect.

FAQ

Q:  Are Quakers and Friends the same?  
A:  They are the same.  “Quaker” was originally a nickname for Followers who were said to “quake” with religious zeal.    

Q:  Do Quakers have a creed?  
A:  We do not have a creed.  No single statement of religious doctrine is accepted by all the regional bodies of Friends that make up the Religious Society.    

Q:  Do Quakers have sacraments?  
A:  Most Quakers reject the sacraments in their outward forms – communion and baptism as variously practiced in Christian churches.  They are seekers, rather, for the inward reality.  For them, all human experiences are of a sacramental nature.