The Presence in the Midst
Worship and Ministry in Words
Early Friends were clear that they came together to wait upon the Lord. They claimed Jesus' promise in Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them." (New Revised Standard Version) They silently gathered to experience Christ's presence. It is often said that Catholics and Quakers have in common a focus on the actual presence of Christ in worship. For Catholics, Christ is present physically in the communion host. For Quakers, Christ is present spiritually as our priest.
For Friends, Christ is always the true teacher. Christ may deliver a message in words through a human being. This might be through any person present in worship. However, Friends also recognized that God gifted certain people for the public ministry of the word. Starting very early in Friends history, those especially called to this public ministry met together in select meetings for mutual encouragement, discernment and prayer. These meetings sent out "The Valiant Sixty" - men and women who traveled the world proclaiming the gospel that Christ had come to teach his people himself.
This ministry of the word was a free gospel ministry. It wasn't done to earn a salary, and ministers were expected to earn a living the same as anyone else except when they were called to travel in the ministry. The faith community would provide any material support needed to enable such ministry, whether it be taking care of their farm or business while they were away, providing child care, paying for passage on a ship, or whatever; but they were not salaried. As the Society of Friends became more structured, those faithful to a special call to ministry were formally "acknowledged" or "recorded" in the minutes of their meeting (congregation).
Development of the Pastoral System
The pattern of worship and ministry described above was maintained among virtually all Friends, even through the major separation which occurred among North American Friends in 1827-28, until the latter half of the 19th century. That period saw a large part of North American Quakerism go in a new direction.
It appears that the worship life in many Quaker meetings seldom seemed filled with a real sense of Christ's presence moving dynamically among the worshippers. Vocal ministry either dwindled to almost nothing, or no longer seemed freshly inspired.
As many Friends were becoming increasingly concerned about decreased spiritual vitality in their meetings, the larger Christian community was experiencing revivalism. There was much energy in the revivals, and many Friends, particular younger ones, were attracted to them and often experienced a conversion in them. At the same time, some people newly converted in revivals looking for a church home came among Friends.
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