Quaker Glossary

Over the past 350 years, Quakers have developed a set of terms that are often confusing to visitors. The following may be helpful.

Glossary:

ADVICES. The collected wisdom and experience of Friends written and used as reminder of the faith and practices held to be essential to the life and witness of Friends.

AFFIRMATION. A legal declaration made by one who refuses to swear an oath.

BIRTHRIGHT MEMBER. One who was born of Quaker parents and recorded at birth on a monthly meeting's membership rolls.

BREAKING MEETING. Term used for the closing of meeting for worship when a designated Friend discerns the conclusion of worship and signals other Friends, usually by shaking hands with the person next to him or her.

CENTERED. Being consciously directed towards the Presence of Christ, often used to describe an experience during meeting for worship.

CLEARNESS. A condition in which there are no perceived obstacles to a proposed course of action by an individual or meeting.

CLEARNESS COMMITTEE. A group of Friends appointed or selected to assist a person or the meeting to clarify a decision or concern.

CLERK. A member who presides at meetings of Friends and records the sense of the meeting with respect to decisions made or actions taken.

CONCERN. A deep and spiritual interest held by either an individual or a meeting.

CONTINUING REVELATION. The belief that Christ continues to speak directly to us, revealing to us His Will in specific matters.

CONVINCED FRIEND. A person who becomes a Friend as a result of being “convicted” by the Light as to his or her spiritual state and unity with Friends’ principles and witness. (“Convinced” is an archaic form of “convicted.”)

CORPORATE. A body of Friends. For example, the corporate witness of a meeting.

CONSERVATIVE FRIENDS. Those Friends who seek to conserve what they believe is essential in Friends’ traditions. At the very least, this is usually considered to be unprogrammed worship and a Christian faith (which may be understood in traditional, liberal, or evangelical terms). In some cases, it may also include certain aspects of traditional Friends’ lifestyles, such as plainness.

COVERED MEETING. A meeting during which Friends share an exceptional sense of the Lord’s Presence, often through a deep and shared stillness.

ELDERING. A respected Friend’s encouraging or admonishing another Friend as to some specific matter of concern to the respected Friend.

ELDERS. Those with a special gift and burden for encouraging and admonishing other Friends, especially as to vocal ministry during worship and spiritual development. Elders may be recognized and recorded by their meeting.

EVANGELICAL FRIENDS. Those Friends whose Christian understanding has been substantially influenced by evangelical faith and practice outside of the Society of Friends. Some evangelical Friends emphasize a single-conversion experience. Some emphasize holiness. Some are more liberal. Some also emphasize Quaker distinctives such as the peace testimony. Evangelical Friends meetings tend to employ professional pastors and use programmed worship.

EXERCISE. The exploration of a deep concern that has been brought to a meeting.

FACING BENCHES. The benches or seats in the front of the meeting room, facing the body of the meeting, on which recorded ministers and recorded elders, or, in their absence, those charged with breaking meeting usually sit.

GATHERED MEETING. A meeting during which Friends share an exceptional sense of the Lord’s activity gathering Friends into a deep sense of unity, often through united themes of vocal ministry.

GOOD ORDER. The procedures traditionally used by Friends to facilitate meetings.

GOSPEL ORDER. The order brought by obedience to Christ.

HOLD IN THE LIGHT. To pray that Christ’s Light be known to certain persons in an exceptional way, especially a comforting way.

INWARD LIGHT. This refers to the power and inspiration of Christ coming inwardly to us to show us our motivations and true selves, correct us, guide us, and lead us, and give us strength to act on this guidance. It thus brings us into unity with the spirit of God. The "Inward Light" is also called the "Light Within," the "Christ Within," the "Light of Christ," the "Holy Spirit," and "The Seed."

LEADING. An inward conviction that Christ is leading one to take a specific action.

LIBERAL FRIENDS. Those Friends who insist on the spiritual freedom of individual Friends and who seek to articulate their religious understandings in a manner consistent with the most contemporary movements in the natural and social sciences, the arts, and other aspects of secular culture. Liberal Friends are historically connected to both the 19th century Hicksites and 20th century “modernist” Gurneyite evangelicals.

MEETING. In contemporary usage, this usually refers to the local congregation that meets weekly for worship and monthly for business. A “quarterly meeting” is comprised of representatives of related monthly meetings meeting quarterly for business, while the “yearly meeting” is the annual meeting of members and representatives from related monthly and quarterly meetings.

MINDING THE LIGHT. An exhortation to be consciously centered on the Light of Christ, especially during a trying time.

MINISTERS. Those with a special gift and burden for vocal ministry during worship. Ministers may be recognized and recorded by their meeting.

MINUTE. A statement of the sense of the meeting with respect to a specific item considered in a meeting for business.

MOVED TO SPEAK. Being moved by the Holy Spirit to speak during a meeting for worship.

OPENING. Moment of enlightenment or inspiration from Christ, often unexpected.

OVERSEERS. Those Friends with a special charge by the meeting to exercise pastoral care in the meeting, especially with respect to practical needs. (Overseers would be called “deacons” in some other denominations.)

PLAIN DRESS. Simple but distinctive dress intended to witness Friends’ convictions to others and to remind the wearer of the same.

PLAIN SPEECH. The "thee," "thy," and "thine" used by Friends, especially up to the early twentieth century. In the 1600s, a wealthy person or member of the nobility was addressed by the plural pronoun "you" while inferiors or children were addressed by the singular pronoun "thou." Friends and many others refused to recognize such distinctions. Because the days and months were named for non-Christian gods, goddesses, and emperors, Friends preferred to use "first-day," "second-day," "First Month," "Second Month," etc. Also refers to forthright and divinely-led speech.

PROGRAMMED MEETING. A meeting for worship with a pre-determined formatting of speaking, silence, singing, or other activities. Programmed meetings with substantial periods of silent waiting are often called “semi-programmed.”

PROCEED AS WAY OPENS. To await further Divine Guidance with respect to a specific issue, especially as the circumstances surrounding the issue continue to develop.

QUERIES. Specific written questions used as an opportunity for individuals and meetings to examine themselves (and be examined) with respect to the faith and practices held to be essential to the life and witness of Friends.

SEASONING. A process to ensure that decisions are truly grounded in God's will.

SENSE OF THE MEETING. A perception of Truth that emerges from the corporate business process as Friends seek Christ's will with respect to a specific decision. If the clerk feels that a decision has been reached, he or she states the sense of the meeting as a minute for the meeting's approval. No vote is taken. The clerk must discern the degree of unity required.

SPEAK TO ONE'S CONDITION. The experience of receiving a message directly from God, or through another person, that touches one at the deepest level or helps one solve a problem or make a right decision.

STANDING ASIDE. The withdrawal of opposition by a member not able to unite with a proposed minute, thus freeing the meeting to proceed.

STANDING IN THE WAY. The declaration of a member unable to unite with a proposed minute.

STOP IN THE MIND. An expression used by Friends to indicate a deeply-felt opposition to a course of action, even though the Friend may not be able to articulate fully what is specifically objectionable about the action.

UNIVERSALIST FRIENDS. Those Friends who consider the essence of Quakerism to transcend Christianity and be consistent with spiritual seekers of any or no religious orientation. Universalist Friends embrace “hyphenated Quakerism,” such as Buddhist-Quakerism, Christocentric Quakerism, Non-Theistic Quakerism, and Jewish Quakerism.

UNITY. A shared perception in a business meeting that a conclusion represents the Friends' best understanding of God's will on a specific issue.

UNPROGRAMMED MEETING. A meeting for worship sometimes erroneously referred to as a "silent meeting.” The essence is that Friends await the immediate guidance of Christ as to when and what ought be spoken. More traditional terms are “waiting worship,” “expectant worship” or “silence before the Lord.”

VISITATION. Intentional visiting among Friends for any specific purposes.

WAIT UPON THE LORD. Actively to seek and attend to God's will in expectant, quiet worship.

WEIGHTY FRIEND. A Friend whom others informally recognize as having special experience and wisdom.

WITNESS. Used as a noun or a verb; one who testifies to or shows evidence of religious beliefs and convictions, or the act of doing so.

WORLDLY. Manifesting the non-Christian spirit and values of the mainstream culture.








Caprock Friends Christian Fellowship
Conservative Quakers in Lubbock, Texas

The Divisions Among Friends

The Religious Society of Friends, also known as the Quakers, emerged during the religious warfare of seventeenth century England and soon thereafter arrived in America. In the ensuring 350 years of history, schisms and divisions have disintegrated the once united Society of Friends. These divisions are disheartening to Friends, as well as confusing to newcomers. The following is intended to orient newcomers to understanding these divisions.

The primary division among Friends in the United States revolved around the rightful place of individualism in Quakerism. Those who sought to increase individualism were known as "Hicksites," while those who sought to defend traditional Quaker understandings were known as "the Orthodox." The Hicksite-Orthodox schism split the Society of Friends with about 60% of Friends being Orthodox and 40% being Hicksite. These splits began in 1827. Over the ensuing decades, the Orthodox Friends themselves split as some Friends advocated the incorporation of mainstream Protestant theology and practices, while other Friends resisted. Those Orthodox Friends who sought to move towards the Protestant mainstream were known as "Gurneyites," while those Orthodox Friends who sought to defend traditional Quaker understandings were known as "the Conservatives." (The earliest Conservatives were known as "Wilburites.") By the beginning of the 20th century, Conservative Orthodox were outnumbered by the Gurneyite Orthodox by about 8:1. Gurneyite Friends eventually incorporated programming in worship and professional pastors, and many incorporated elements of Wesleyan Holiness theology.

As a result of these schisms, there are four primary divisions among contemporary Friends:

LIBERAL FRIENDS. Liberalism among Friends can be traced to the Hicksite defense of spiritual individualism. The spiritual freedom of individual Friends is perhaps the most important principle of liberal Quakerism. Liberalism among Friends, however, has a second source, which is found in Gurneyite Quakerism. One of the groups of Gurneyite Friends who objected to the “holiness” and “revivalist” influences on Gurneyites became a progressive, liberal influence in Quakerism. Their liberalism sought to make Quakerism consistent with the best trends in science, education, arts, and politics. Liberalism among Friends today is found among both unprogrammed meetings and pastoral meetings. It has been substantially influenced by mainstream liberal theology, politics, and culture. Pastoral liberal Friends tend to be affiliated with Friends United Meeting, while unprogrammed liberal Friends tend to be affiliated with Friends General Conference or one of the “independent” western yearly meetings (e.g., Pacific Yearly Meeting).

UNIVERSALIST FRIENDS. Rufus Jones was a liberal Gurneyite Friend who claimed that the early Quakers were mystics who had only nominal convictions about Jesus of Nazareth. Although Jones identified as a Christian, his writings paved the way for the growth of universalism among Friends. Quaker universalism describes Quakerism as a mystical spirituality that transcends Christianity and other religions. For the universalist, Quakerism is a method that can be shared by spiritual seekers of all the world’s religions and those who claim no religion. Among universalist Quakers are those who self-describe as Buddhist-Quaker, Pagan-Quaker, Jewish-Quaker, Wiccan-Quaker, and Non-Theist-Quaker. Those universalist Quakers who identify themselves as Christians usually prefer the term “Christocentric Quaker.” Universalist Quakerism, in this sense, is almost entirely confined to unprogrammed meetings affiliated with Friends General Conference or one of the “independent” western yearly meetings (e.g., Intermountain Yearly Meeting).


EVANGELICAL FRIENDS. While some pastoral meetings are liberal Christian congregations with many similarities to mainline liberal denominations, most pastoral meetings are evangelical. Some of these Friends identify more with the wider evangelical movement than Quakerism, though other evangelical Friends value their Quaker identity at least as much as their evangelical one. Some evangelical Friends also identify with the Wesleyan Holiness movement or the Fundamentalist movement, as well. Most evangelical congregations are affiliated with Evangelical Friends International, while many are affiliated with Friends United Meeting.

CONSERVATIVE FRIENDS. Conservative Friends believe themselves to have preserved the essence of historic Quakerism, understood, at a minimum, to be unprogrammed worship and a Christian identity. However, conservative Friends are, by no means, un-influenced by the larger movements among Friends. Perhaps conservative Friends might be best understood as the group least influenced by the other movements – but influenced nonetheless. Thus, there are conservative versions of liberal, universalist, and evangelical Friends, but they tend to be more moderate than their counterparts in other Quaker branches. The result is considerable diversity among “conservative” Friends. Those who continue to find the witness of early Friends the most consistent with their own experiences are, of course, the most conservative of the conservatives, but, as has been true since the Hicksite separations, the least in number. There are three conservative yearly meetings, none of which are affiliated with a larger body of Friends. However, the term “conservative” is also claimed by individual Friends in other yearly meetings.

To read more about Friends’ history and current diversity and division, see:

T.H.S. Wallace, Misunderstanding Quaker Faith and Practice
http://www.michiganquakers.org/misunderstanding.oym.htm

T.H.S. Wallace, The Scriptures and Salvation
http://www.michiganquakers.org/Wallace.htm

Lloyd Lee Wilson, Wrestling With Our Faith Tradition
http://www.ncymc.org/journal/ncymcjournal3.pdf

A Short History of Conservative Friends
http://snowcamp.org/shocf/

Lewis Benson, Universal Quakerism (previously published as Catholic Quakerism) (New Foundation Fellowship)

Douglas Gwyn, Apocalypse of the Word (Friends United Meeting)

Thomas Hamm, Quakers in America (Columbia Press)

Thomas Hamm, Transformation of American Quakerism (Indiana University Press)








Caprock Friends Christian Fellowship
Conservative Quakers in Lubbock, Texas