FAQ's

Who are the Quakers, anyway?

The Quakers - more officially known as the Religious Society of Friends - were founded in the seventeenth century, within a Christian tradition. Their beliefs were subversive and unconventional, rejecting the authority of the Christian Church in favour of the personal, inner promptings of Truth and Light. They were known for worshipping without a programmed liturgy or set location.

What do Quakers actually believe?

Ah... Well, for one thing we don't believe in a 'creed' - so it varies quite a lot from Quaker to Quaker. Some of us are Christian, some of us aren't - or you can be a Quaker Buddhist or a Quaker Muslim and so on! What we can say is that we believe in 'that of God in everyone'. We believe that everyone has access to the divine - what we call the 'Inward Light', and that we can broaden and deepen our experience of God through worship.

So it sounds like you don't believe in much...?

We believe that personal experience of God is important, and that everyone's journey is different - so yes, it's hard to generalise! But we do have central testimonies, which are what Quaker wisdom has taught us over the centuries - our commitments to Peace, Equality, Simplicity and Truth.

What happens in a Meeting for Worship?

The short answer is, it's unpredictable! We sit in silence until someone feels an inner prompting to 'minister' (i.e. speak). Some Quaker Meetings, particularly in America, can include programmed elements, like hymns and sermons, but they all have an element of silence. Ours is unprogrammed.

How do I find out more about Quakerism?

I'm so glad you asked. It might be useful to start with the website for Quakers in Britain, www.quaker.org.uk. Their 'About Quakers' section is particularly good.

Why aren't you meeting in the Meeting House?

At the moment we're meeting in the Pagoda Centre because our Meeting House is undergoing building work. For more information, have a look at our Stepping Stones page.

What else do you do in Tunbridge Wells?

We try to get involved with social, political or environmental issues that we feel strongly about, but because we're not "living" in the Meeting House at the moment we're a bit less visible in Tunbridge Wells than we have been. Our members are involved in activities supporting numerous charities, but we ask every individual to follow their own "leadings" and bring their concerns to the Meeting if they feel that we need to act as a group. For more information about Quaker activism, have a look at this page.

What about porridge oats? Are they something to do with you?

Nope. Sorry.