Meeting for Worship

Every Sunday at 10:30 is our regular meeting for worship.

We follow the tradition of an "unprogrammed" meeting. There is no pastor leading the ceremony, and no pulpit. We meet together in silence and prayerful meditation to try and reconnect with the Spirit of God. Meeting for Worship generally lasts about an hour.

During an unprogrammed meeting for worship, Friends gather in "expectant waiting" for divine leadings. Sometimes a meeting is entirely silent, sometimes a few people speak. 

A participant may feel led by the spirit to rise and share a message (give "vocal ministry") with those gathered. Typically, messages, testimonies, ministry, or other speech are not prepared as a "speech". After someone has spoken, it is expected that more than a few moments will pass in silence before further Ministry; there should be no spirit of debate. 

We gather together each week to seek an inner light and peace. 

The Meeting for Worship ends with greetings and handshakes, after which one member rises to extend greetings and make announcements.

Our History

Quakers are also known as Religious Society of Friends, or simply "Friends". The history of Friends began in England in the 1600s. Western New York's first Quaker Meetings started in Eden and Orchard Park in the 1700s. Buffalo established it's first meeting in the mid 1800s. The current Buffalo Meeting was established in 1939. In 2006 we moved from our longtime home on North Parade at Martin Luther King Park, into our current location in the Network of Religious Communities Building 1272 Delaware Avenue.

Learn more about Quakers

• About Quakers - From Friends General Conference
• Perspectives on Quaker Meeting for Worship
• Wikipedia - A Broad view of Quakers

Links to Quaker Groups and Affiliates

• Quakers in WNY - Regional Website for WNY Quakers
• New York Yearly Meeting - Statewide Conference
• American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) - development, social justice, and peace programs throughout the world
• Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) - Quaker Lobby in Washington DC
• Quaker Finder - Meeting Locator
• Friends General Conference - National Quaker

Groups we Support

• AVP - Alternatives to Violence Project
• BQEF - Bolivian Quaker Education Fund
• WNY Peace Center
• VIVE la Casa, Refugee Center
• HOME, Housing Opportunities Made Equal