What does a Quaker look like?

In 2017, the Friends General Conference (FGC) Gathering was held at Niagara University and drew Quakers from across the United States and Canada. Karen and I volunteered to shuttle those arriving by train from the Amtrak station in Depew to the University. But how would we be able to spot the Quakers as they got off the train?

In days gone by, we might have scanned the crowd for men wearing black, broad-brimmed felt hats or for women in bonnets and long-sleeve dresses. Unfortunately for us, most Quakers no longer dress plain so we would have to search for more subtle clues. Maybe there would be an older white woman with a tote bag filled with knitting supplies. Or an unassuming older white man with a full beard. If we were lucky, one of these folks would be wearing tie-dye or a Bernie Sanders shirt. The people that we drove to Gathering that weekend all fit the stereotypical North American Quaker profile.

Why do Quakers in North America skew older and white? Why has this continued to be the case even as the general population has become younger and more diverse? Does it matter? The truth that Spirit is active even today and is speaking to and through all people is a Quaker treasure to be shared widely in the world. And the Light in those that do not look like me, speak like me, think like me, or vote like me can illuminate and enrich my faith journey.

In March 2020 it became clear to Quakers across the nation that it would not be safe to continue meeting in person. The gatherings that we love became a risk for transmission of a virus that was causing debilitating disease and death worldwide. Local meetings moved rapidly—some overnight and nearly all within two weeks—to create online Meetings for Worship and to train Friends in the technology required to participate.

Regional and Yearly Meetings acted with similar urgency and effort. Callie Janoff (Brooklyn Meeting) estimates that moving New York Yearly Meeting’s Summer Sessions to an online format took “the equivalent of about 30-40 people working almost around the clock for at least a month to pull off—most of them unpaid.” What could happen if Friends acted with the same level of effort to make our meetings more inclusive? What needs to change to make our Meeting more reflective of our community?