Quakers: The Singing Friends

“We must not be afraid of being pe culiar,” declared Delegate L. Hugh Doncaster before 900 fellow Quakers from 35 nations gathered at Quaker-founded Guilford College in Greens boro, N.C. To non-Quakers, it would seem that the term “peculiar” is an apt enough description. Beyond a general conviction that no man should do harm to others, Quakerism has no formal creed, and possesses no formalized liturgy or even any hierarchy.

Theologically, the Quakers range from conservative fundamentalists to Unitarian-type progressives; some anchor their belief in Christ, while others see Jesus as one among many great teachers. Nonetheless, as the ten-day Fourth World Conference of Friends ended at Guilford last week, there were signs that Quakerism is becoming, in some respects, less of an ecclesiastical curiosity.

Founded three centuries ago by an English cobbler, George Fox, the movement-has long been known for the barren simplicity of its worship service. Traditionally, the Quaker worship session has consisted principally of meditation and silent prayer. Of late, however, more and more American Quaker “meetings” (autonomous local congregations) have introduced music into their services, though it was once frowned upon as idle frivolity. Last week, for the first time at a Quaker world meeting, delegates of the North Carolina conference joined in hymns from a newly published hymnbook entitled Let Friends Sing, which conference officials provided for the occasion.

Converts & Clergy. Another trend in Quakerism is a new interest in winning converts. Quaker membership, which stands at 200,000 worldwide, has remained virtually unchanged since the turn of the century, and has actually dropped slightly in the U.S. (current total: 123,000). Now, several Quaker groups have launched drives for converts. One U.S. Quaker organization has appointed a secretary for evangelism. English Quakers have even taken to advertising for new members in newspapers, and have installed an educational booth in London’s theater district.

U.S. Quakerism is also giving greater attention to training professional leaders. Since the movement emphasizes the individual’s direct relationship to God, one-third of the U.S.’s 1,000-odd meetings have no pastors, relying on laymen to handle such chores as religious education; where pastors exist, their preaching role is often shared by laymen who by Quaker tradition can stand up and deliver a “message” whenever the spirit moves them. Recently, there have been increasing demands among

American Quakers for more and better-trained personnel to take over tasks presently performed by laymen, despite criticism by conservatives that such a trend risks “substituting the intellect for the spirit.”

Sense & Consensus. The agenda of last week’s conference reflected no shortage of either human intellect or religious spirit. Divided among 41 round-table groups, the subjects under discussion ran the gamut of contemporary moral concerns, from “conflict resolution” and the population explosion to disarmament, changing family patterns and poverty. When the reports of the discussions finally came before the entire group, there was no vote—since the Quakers believe in a sort of silent consensus, which they call “the sense of the meeting.”

Even on the one characteristic that most people associate with Quakers—pacifism—there was no unanimous agreement. Time was when all Quakers had to be peace backers or risk ostracism by the movement. Today, pacifism is no must; at last week’s conference, a handful of Quakers privately supported the U.S. presence in Viet Nam.

Most of the delegates were pacifists, nonetheless, and the assemblage duly applauded the U.N.’s Buddhist Secretary-General U Thant, who in effect demanded that the U.S. get out of Viet Nam. Quakers happily reported that they have funneled $25,000 to Canadians who deliver medical supplies to North Viet Nam. One group was hoping to sponsor another sally of the Quaker-owned ketch Phoenix into Haiphong harbor with medicines.

* Formally, the Religious Society of Friends, whose original members were dubbed “Quakers” for exhorting mankind to “tremble at the word of the Lord.”