Clerk (Quaker)
Within the Religious Society of Friends, a clerk is someone responsible for various administrative functions within a meeting for worship for church affairs or meeting for worship for business. The clerk is responsible for recording the discernment which a meeting for worship for church affairs has reached, in a minute, and is responsible for sending and receiving correspondence on behalf of the meeting. Within some branches of the Religious Society of Friends, the clerk may also create an agenda and may facilitate the meeting.
Friends record minutes contemporaneously, with each minute written in the meeting for worship for church affairs. At the end of each item, the clerk will present a draft minute, ask the meeting if they accept the minute, and the final minute will only be recorded when all Friends present feel that the minute is an accurate record of what has happened. When members of the meeting accept the minute, they will nod their heads or say "approve", or "hope so" in Britain (see Quaker terminology).
Quakers
Quakers (or Friends) are members of a group of religious Christian movements which is known as the Religious Society of Friends in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and parts of North America; and known as the Friends Church in Africa, Asia, South America and parts of the US. The movements were originally, and are still predominantly based on Christianity. Members of the movements profess the priesthood of all believers, a doctrine derived from the First Epistle of Peter. They include those with evangelical, holiness, liberal, and traditional Quaker understandings of Christianity. To differing extents, the different movements that make up the Religious Society of Friends/Friends Church avoid creeds and hierarchical structures. In 2007, there were approximately 359,000 adult Quakers.
Around 79% of Quakers worldwide belong to the 'evangelical' and 'programmed' branches of Quakerism – these Quakers worship in services with singing and a prepared message from the Bible, coordinated by a pastor. Around 11% of Friends practice waiting worship, or unprogrammed worship (more commonly known today as Meeting for Worship), where the order of service is not planned in advance, is predominantly silent, and may include unprepared vocal ministry from those present. Some meetings of both types have Recorded Ministers in their meetings—Friends recognised for their gift of vocal ministry.
Quaker (disambiguation)
Quaker is a reference to the Religious Society of Friends, a faith-based community.
Quaker could also refer to:
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