"I saw that there was. . . an infinite ocean of light and love that flowed over the ocean of darkness."
George Fox, 1647
Our Quaker Faith
The Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, trace their origins to a Christ inspired movement that sprang from the religious and social foment of mid-17th century, post-Reformation England. In the succeeding 375 years, that movement has evolved, under the Protestant umbrella, to include several distinct branches, each with their own individualities. Common to all is a core belief in ‘that of God’ in every person, a belief that informs its social testimonies on non-violence, equality and integrity.
Learning More about Quakers
To learn more about Quaker history, faith and practice, we invite you to peruse the following links:
Lake Erie Yearly Meeting (LEYM)
The Kalamazoo Friends Meeting is a member of Lake Erie Yearly Meeting, an organization of Quaker meetings in the Lake Erie region of the Midwest.
Friends General Conference (FGC)
The Friends General Conference is a nationwide organization of Quakers, counting the Lake Erie Yearly Meeting as a member.
- The FGC's "About Quakers" page is a great place to start learning about Quakerism: About Quakers - Friends General Conference
The Religious Society of Friends - Quaker.org
An excellent and extensive resource for learning more about Quakerism.
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
A global, progressive Quaker activist organization.
Friends World Committee for Consultation
A UN-recognized, London-based group that promotes cooperation and communication between Quakers around the world.
A tool from the Friends General Conference, showing the locations of Quaker meetings across the United States and Canada.
Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)
A US-based organization that lobbies Congress to take action based on Quaker values.
Learn more about the Meeting's work with FCNL on the Our Activism page of this website.
A YouTube channel covering many aspects of Quakerism in an accessible video format. Their video "What do Quakers Believe?", linked in the sidebar to the right of this list, is a good introduction to the channel's content.
Friends Journal brings the Quaker experience to life through print and digital publications in order to connect and deepen spiritual lives.
To learn about how we worship at the Kalamazoo Friends meeting, continue to the Meeting for Worship page of this website.