Friends? is meeting Quaker?
- cco
- Bill_Samuel
- cco
- Bill_Samuel
- cco
- cco
- cco
- Bill_Samuel
- cco
This archived discussion is "read only".
For the corresponding "live" discussions, post in the active topic forum here.
» cco - Are my friends "Quaker"?
I have been attending meetings in the new town we live in over the last 6 months. Our family has mostly visited "gospel meetings" and a few biblestudies and sunday meetings.We are belivers in Jesus Christ and the salvation that he brought us, baptised as a choice. These friends of ours will not use the word "Quaker" or "reliqious society of friends"to describe themselves. In fact I sensed tension when I asked. they simply want to be followers of Jesus Christ, although they do call others that belive the way they do "friends".
We have enjoyed the meetings we have attended, the only problem I have encountered is That I am very welcome, but clearly not one of them. When I asked what would be necessary to be able to share and take communion with them, my baptism was a problem. the problem being in that I was baptised by a pastor, providid for by salary from a church. regardless of the state of my heart.
I aslo have not encountered "Workers" on any quaker site. and they are important to the friends here.
Any insights or thoughts would be appreciated.
Thank you, cco
-- posted by cco
» Bill_Samuel - Are they Quakers?
It's possible I could identify the group with more information, but I really can't tell just what ties these folks might have with Quakers.There are some groups who have been greatly influenced by the Religious Society of Friends, but who are not formally affiliated with Friends. They may stand apart either because they have some differences with Quaker ways, or because they believe too many present-day Friends have departed too much from the historical faith and practice of Friends.
I gather this group practices water baptism and communion with the outward elements. Friends historically have not done so, although there are some today who do. There was some discussion of this in another thread, and I have captured some material in a page called Water Baptism and Outward Communion,
The term "workers" is not heavily used among Friends to refer to people doing spiritual work, but I have heard it used that way.
-- posted by Bill_Samuel
» cco - Quakers?
Thank you Bill. I will attempt to give you a few more details. We live in western Iowa, recently relocated here from Mn.upon moving here a coworker, invited us to meetings. We have enjoyed the meetings which are christ centered and simple.
Sunday morning meetings: friends sit in circle or semi-circle. prayer is opened by senior male, then hymn is chosen by a friend from "hymns old and new". testimony time is a time for sharing what one has learned in their spiritual walk that week. Most every one shares each week. communion is simply served. once a month the join with another church to have union meeting. I have not heard of any unprogrammed meetings
Bible Study: Wednesday evenings. focuses on one chapter of scripture. Each person shares what they learned from it. open prayer and a hymn are beginging of study time.
Gospel meetings: always lead by team of "workers". Again prayer and a hymn. then workers take turns sharing. Friend will come from a wide region to attend these.
Profess: to proclaim ones faith in the gospel.
Convention: during the summermonths these are heald per region and are attended by large numbers of friends. they are always on the same farms here in Iowa, set up for the purpose. the numbers often reach 300-400 peaple. they are heald on a thursday through a sunday. Each day consists of 3-4 sessions where workers share, testimonys are given and they open each with prayer and a hymn. one day will ofter a time for baptism. We are told that during the summer there are conventions on any given weekend across the county. one family here is from Virginia and will often drive there to attend their old convention.
Workers: are those called to minister. they then leave all. All thier possesions are in 2 suitcasedsand they travel with another worker of the same sex. They have no home, they stay with friends, moving around to different homes in thier region. they recieve no living stipend,and carry no insurance. All needs are met by god through friends. A state has a senior overseer that decides were each pair of workers will be placed each year. there are workers all over the world
We are told the way they belive is very old, dating back to 16/1700's. there is no assisting structure to unify groups or send out missionaries. All is done by word of mouth through the workers.
We have been warmly welcomed by this fellowship and have enjoyed the simplicity of worship. they are fairly exclusive and do not associate with other christian groups. It is very important that the way they belive be free and "unorganized". They would say most churches are a part of organized religion.
Perhaps this will give you a clearer look at our friends here. I appreciate your insight.
Thank you, Carrie
-- posted by cco
» Bill_Samuel - Not Quakers
That helps. Key is that they are not just a local group, but there are a number of local fellowships. These would not be Quakers. They sound more like some sort of old order Anabaptists. Anabaptists did not have paid pastors until the last century, and a number of the more traditional Anabaptist groups have maintained that testimony. The service sounds somewhat similar to an Old Order River Brethren service I attended once. There are quite a number of variants on these Anabaptist groups.Do they dress plain?
Anabaptists come out of a different time and setting than Quakers, but there are a lot of similarities in both faith and practice. Some of the earliest Friends denounced Anabaptists because of their practices of water baptism and outward communion, but Friends and Anabaptists have worked closely together here in the USA virtually since both groups had people over here.
-- posted by Bill_Samuel
» cco - plain dress
Their dress is plain, but not radically different.The men don't look any different than mainstream. the women wear skirts and their hair up in a bun or twist. no head covering is worn. their colors and styles are up to date, but conservative.
I have learned of the anabaptists, but only as a precurser of todays Baptist churches. I did not know of their continuation today as a living fellowship.
Thank you for your thoughts, Carrie
-- posted by cco
» cco - I had gotten the idea that they might be more widely known.
I had gotten the idea that they might be more widely known. the family we know is originally from Virginia and talk of convention there. they also find a meeting to attend no matter where they are traveling around the world, through their workers. They say there are 20 meetings in Mpls, yet only one in Chicago. our freind went to a large meeting in california and has gone to meeting in Mexico. They say there are friends all over the world that believe the same way that they do.It amazes me that a "way" so vast is so obscurely known.
thank you, carrie
-- posted by cco
» Bill_Samuel - Anabaptists
Anabaptists today are organized under such names as Mennonites, Amish and Brethren in Christ. They remain very active, but there are no churches with "Anabaptist" in their name that I've heard of.A number of Anabaptist groups, the best known of them the Amish, operate by rotating meetings among homes not by having buildings especially dedicated to hosting worship services. In that respect, as well as about every other respect in which you've described the group, the group seems to be following practices common among Anabaptists.
Why don't you ask them if they come out of the Anabaptist tradition?
I think many of the groups are not into formally calling themselves something. However, within Anabaptist circles, each group is generally referred to by some name. I wouldn't be surprised that if you ran into some other group of relatively traditional Anabaptists and described this group, they would say something like, "Ah, the [name by which they refer to the group]." Yet the group may not commonly call themselves by that name.
-- posted by Bill_Samuel
Please follow the guidelines set forth in the Suite101 Posting Etiquette when adding to the discussion.