Who are Friends (Quakers)? | Local Quaker History
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Who are Friends (Quakers)?

Quakers believe that God speaks to the heart and mind of every person. Equality is centrally important to Friends, who strive to address "that of God" in each person. Quaker worship and decision-making are both shaped by a common search for the Truth as revealed by the prompting of the Spirit. In practical terms, one result is that Quaker organizations make many of their decisions by a process of gradually discerning, as a community, what is the best decision for the entire group -- in other words, by building consensus.

Another result of the Quaker belief in equality is that many Friends are active in social justice concerns, sharing the conviction that each of us is called to work for peace and understanding, treat all persons with respect regardless of differences, and discern the active presence of the Spirit at work in the world among us.

Some Quaker meetings worship in silence, with attenders providing "vocal ministry" as they are led by the Spirit. Others have pastors, and follow a programmed tradition similar to many Protestant Christian denominations. In either case, Friends believe that each person is called to be a minister to others.

From pioneer days to the present, the Richmond and Wayne County, Indiana area has been an important national and international center for Quaker activities and institutions. Most of the early settlers in the area were Friends, who began arriving in the early 1800s, drawn west by the prospect of inexpensive, fertile farmland and the opportunity to escape the slave-owning culture of the South. Among Friends' first contributions to the area was a boarding school for high-school aged children that would later become a nationally ranked liberal arts institution, Earlham College.

Prior to and during the Civil War, local Quakers expressed their opposition to slavery in various ways, with many becoming actively involved in the Underground Railroad that helped escaped slaves travel to freedom. Differences over how to express opposition to slavery, over theology, and over how to respond to revival movements sweeping the Midwest in the 1800s challenged the unity of Friends and led to some organizational divisions still reflected in the diversity of Quaker worship practices today.

In 1887, an important conference was held in Richmond: Quakers from North America and England gathered to create a statement of faith and practice as a basis for unity. The document they created, "The Richmond Declaration," is still in use today by many Friends groups. Later conferences led to the creation in 1902 of a national and international association of Quakers which is known today as Friends United Meeting (FUM). FUM offices are presently located at Quaker Hill in Richmond.

Quaker Hill was also the site of a national meeting of Friends in 1943 when it was decided to create the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), the first registered religious lobbying organization in Washington, DC and a continuing focal point for many Quakers striving to bring Friends testimonies including peace, equality, justice, and concern for community to bear on national legislation. Friends today are still making history in Richmond and Wayne County through their centers of worship and social outreach, their educational institutions, and their individual and collective participation in community life.

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Levi Coffin House 113 US 27 N, Fountain City (765) 847-2432 June-Aug, Tues-Sat 1-4; Sept-Oct, Sat only 1-4 Former home of Quaker Levi Coffin. Was an important stop on the Underground Railroad. Now operated as a State Historic Site.	Friends Collection Lilly Library, Earlham College (765) 983-1511 Mon-Thur 9-12, 1-4, 7-9; Fri 9-12, 1-4; Sat-Sun 1-4; reduced hours during summer and college breaks Contains books, documents, art and artifacts related to Friends history, and an extensive genealogical collection.
Wayne County Historical Museum 1150 North A Street, Richmond (765) 962-5756 Tues-Fri 9-4, Sat-Sun 1-4 Former 19th century Quaker meetinghouse. Collections and exhibits interpreting the history of Wayne County.

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Earlham College National Road West, Richmond (765) 983-1200 Nationally ranked liberal arts college deeply rooted in Quaker testimonies including simplicity, peace, justice, respect for persons, community building, and equality.	Earlham School of Religion 228 College Avenue, Richmond (765) 983-1423 Oldest and first accredited Friends seminary. Serves as an intersection for Friends and students of other traditions who desire high quality theological education and ministry preparation within a formal context.
Richmond Friends School 607 West Main St., Richmond (765) 966-5767 Celebrates the spirit of every child and values their uniqueness. Community talks openly about peace, fairness, racial harmony, cultural understanding and social outreach.

 

Places of Worship

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Quakers in Richmond and Wayne County use a variety of worship styles reflecting both historical practices and contemporary Christianity. Visitors are always welcome. Some congregations worship out of silence with members and attenders speaking as they are led by the Spirit, while others, known as "programmed Friends," choose to worship with hymns, scripture readings, a prepared message from a pastor, and other elements familiar to many contemporary Christians. Many worship services combine elements of both traditions.

First Friends Meeting 2010 Chester Boulevard, Richmond (765) 962-7666 9:30 worship; 11:00 Sunday School Child-centered meeting with a day care center and youth program opportunities. Center for Spirituality offers a wide range of adult experiences in learning and spiritual growth. firstfm@insightbb.com	West Richmond Friends Meeting 609 West Main Street, Richmond (765) 962-4485 9:30 worship; 11:00 Sunday School "Semi-programmed" worship combines the best of both the silent and pastoral Quaker traditions. josh@westrichmondfriends.org www.westrichmondfriends.org
Clear Creek Meeting Stout Memorial Meeting House, Earlham College National Road West (US 40), Richmond (765) 966-3752 9:15 worship and First Day School Silent worship in the unprogrammed tradition. pearser@earlham.edu	College Meeting for Worship Stout Memorial Meeting House, Earlham College National Road West (US 40), Richmond (765) 983-1501 11:00 worship when college is in session Uses format of programmed Quaker meeting. Opportunity to worship God and explore Christian faith from diverse viewpoints. Speakers include faculty, staff, senior students, and visitors. burkke@earlham.edu
Dublin Friends Meeting 1 block south of US 40, Dublin (765) 478-4074 9:30 worship; 10:30 Sunday School bwagoner@infocom.com	Fountain City Friends Church 303 US 27 North, Fountain City (765) 847-2270 10:30 worship; 9:30 Sunday School Saturday 6:00 pm worship
New Garden Friends Meeting 1334 New Garden Road, Fountain City (765) 847-5434 10:30 worship; 9:30 Sunday School	Nettle Creek Monthly Meeting Noblett Road, 5 minutes north of Hagerstown 10:30 worship; 9:30 Sunday School
West River Friends Meeting 5 miles west of Economy on US 35 (765) 489-4858 10:30 worship; 9:30 Sunday School Trish.JoySong@Juno.com	Williamsburg Friends Church US 35, Williamsburg (765) 886-5426 10:30 worship; 9:30 Sunday School

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Quaker Hill Conference Center 10 Quaker Hill Drive, Richmond (765) 962-5741 Provides facilities to religious and nonprofit groups for retreats, workshops and other events. www.qhcc.org	Quaker Hill Bookstore 101 Quaker Hill Drive, Richmond (765) 962-7573 Mon-Sat 8:30-5:00 Quaker and Christian books, religious education curriculum materials, music and gift items. books@xc.org
Friends United Meeting 101 Quaker Hill Drive, Richmond (765) 962-7573 Central offices for the largest of the world's Quaker denominations. Home to Quaker Life magazine and Friends United Press. www.fum.org	Ichthys House 215 College Avenue, Richmond (765) 962-9352 Hospitality center for meetings, worship, meditation, meals and Christian fellowship. Johnscl@earlham.edu www.infocom.com/~johnscl
Starr House 309 North 12th Street, Richmond (765) 962-8553 Provides a "Quaker Presence" in the Starr Historic District.

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Friends Fellowship Community 2030 Chester Boulevard, Richmond (765) 962-6546 Offers a continuum of residential and health care accommodations for older adults.

The Lauramoore Friends Home 504 NW 5th Street, Richmond (765) 962-2984 Small, family-style retirement home in historic building. Moderately priced, providing meals and 24-hour staffing.

• The first pioneers to settle the Richmond area in the early 1800s were Quakers. The town was incorporated in 1818 on the land of Quakers John Smith and Jeremiah Cox.
• Earlham College was founded by Quakers in 1847. Today it is among the handful of nationally ranked liberal arts colleges retaining a strong religious identity. The Earlham School of Religion (ESR) is the oldest and first accredited Friends theological seminary.
• Early Richmond resident Robert Morrisson, a Quaker merchant and banker, became one of the town's greatest benefactors when he built and stocked a library in 1864, the precursor to today's Morrisson-Reeves Library.
• Underground Railroad stops were often located in Quaker homes. North of Richmond, Quakers Levi and "Aunt Katie" Coffin resided in the "Grand Central Station of the Underground Railroad," so called because three lines of escape converged at their home.
• Friends in Richmond have built close relationships with other faiths. Beth Boruk Temple met at First Friends Meetinghouse during the early 1960s until they had assembled the resources to build their own synagogue. In a recent reciprocal gesture, Beth Boruk invited First Friends to worship in their synagogue while the new First Friends Meetinghouse was constructed.
• Quaker author Phil Gulley has earned recognition for his Front Porch Tales, a book begun while a writing student at the Earlham School of Religion (ESR).
• Earlham College students provide more than 23,000 hours of service each year to the Richmond and Wayne County community in sites as diverse as the Richmond Community Schools, Habitat for Humanity, and Adult Daycare.
• Today there are nine Friends Meetings and more than 700 Quakers in Wayne County.

Levi Coffin House Friends Collection Wayne County Historical Museum Earlham College Earlham School of Religion Richmond Friends School First Friends Meeting West Richmond Friends Meeting Clear Creek Meeting College Meeting for Worship Dublin Friends Meeting Fountain City Friends Church New Garden Friends Meeting Nettle Creek Monthly Meeting West River Friends Meeting Williamsburg Friends Church Quaker Hill Conference Center Quaker Hill Bookstore Friends United Meeting Ichthys House Starr House Friends Fellowship Community The Lauramoore Friends Home