Quakers believe that there is something very precious within everyone, that everyone has equal importance and value. We say that “there is that of God in everyone”, even if it is sometimes hard to see.
Instead of church services led by a preacher or priest, we come together in ‘Meetings for Worship’ where we wait together in stillness for insight or guidance. Because we believe everyone has equal value and equal access to spiritual truth, we don’t have a single minister or sermons. Sometimes someone in the room feels moved to speak, and we listen with care to reflect on what their ‘ministry’ may mean for us.
We proclaim no 'truth', we have no set list of rules that everyone must adhere to. Our faith grew out of Christianity 400 years ago but Quakers today come from a wide spectrum of belief, including Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, agnostic and atheist.
The word 'God' is common in traditional Quaker writings and holds a lot of meaning for many of us; for others it just might not fit, perhaps due to differences in belief or difficult past experiences. We each use all sorts of words to describe our individual beliefs and the experiences we share – words such as Light, Spirit, the Power Within, Love, and others.
We value peace, equality, simplicity, sustainability, and integrity and call for a life that resists injustice and rejects violence. Quakers believe real change starts with how we live: refusing to buy into consumerism, opposing war and militarism, standing up for migrants and marginalised communities, living low-carbon lives, and ‘speaking truth to power’ even when it's uncomfortable. These aren’t passive beliefs, they’re active commitments to building a more just, honest, and humane world.
We don't always get it right, we make mistakes, but it is important to keep trying to reduce the harm we do in the world and put our beliefs into action.
Our meetings are open to everyone, you do not have to be a Quaker to come to a Meeting for Worship and if you do come no one will try to convince you to be a Quaker. We know that everyone has their own path.
Coming to a Quaker Meeting for Worship for the first time can be daunting for some - it's difficult to know what to expect or how things work. We have a page on What to Expect at our Meetings for Worship that might help you.
If you are interested in learning more, the website Discovering Quakers is a great resource.