Who Are the Friends?

Friends (Quakers) originated in England in the year 1652 under the leadership of George Fox. The early Quaker experience taught that every person could establish a personal relationship with the Creator, and that all peoples are deserving of respect.

One of the early Quakers, Robert Barclay, compared a gathering of Friends to the light of many candles burning in a single room. Others have noticed how the warmth of a Friends’ community is like a bed of coals, with each member encouraging others to truly act out God’s purpose in the world.

Establishment of the Pennsylvania colony tested Quaker ideals in a practical setting, and the movement took firm root in America. John Woolman and other Friends were early leaders in the effort to bring an end to slavery. Lucretia Mott was one of the founders of the women’s suffrage movement.

What Do Friends Believe?

The Society of Friends does not have a formal creed, but since our beginning in the mid-1600s, we have held that every person has a spark of the Divine within. Growing out of this belief, many Quakers have been peacemakers, human rights advocates, and examples of simplicity and sincerity in business and personal relationships.

Sacramento Friends Meeting

Sacramento Friends Meeting (Quakers) first began to meet in Sacramento during the 1930s and constructed a new Meeting House in 2001. Many faithful and loyal individuals have labored through the years to create a community that can support people who seek to put Quaker testimonies into everyday practice.

There are children’s educational programs, youth and adult study groups, mid-week worship gatherings, monthly potlucks, and occasional retreats. The Meeting maintains a small library of periodicals, biographies, dramas, and works by Quaker authors, as well as religious histories and studies of social activism.

The Meeting publishes a monthly
newsletter that is available at the Meetinghouse