We’re the Quakers in NYC.
Quakers believe that there is something fundamentally worthy — “that of God” — in every person. That belief leads to beliefs in peace, love, acceptance, and radical action. If you value truth and integrity, tend to question authority, and believe in the power of community, you may find a spiritual home with Quakers.
A History of LGBTQI+ Acceptance and Inclusion
NYC Quakers cared for rioters during the Stonewall uprising in 1969 and have been participating in the NYC Pride March every year since its beginning. Bayard Rustin, a gay civil rights activist who was an advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr., and the key organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, was an active member of the 15th Street Friends Meeting in Manhattan. In the 1990s Quakers founded the 50-bed Friends House in Rose Hill to serve people with HIV and AIDS. Morningside Meeting, the Quaker congregation that meets in the bell tower of Riverside Church, was one of the first congregations to marry a same sex couple — in 1987.
More recently, NYC Quakers united behind this statement defending transgender rights:
As Friends we embrace that of God and the Light in every person and respond with dismay to the current wave of legislation that seeks to demonize trans people and deprive them of life-giving treatment and their basic human rights. We urge our representatives and politicians to support legislation protecting the rights, safety, and human dignity of trans people.
Visiting a Quaker Meeting
You are welcome at any of the Quaker meetings in New York City — three in Manhattan and one each in Brooklyn, Flushing (Queens), and Staten Island — for mostly-silent, hour-long worship service at 11am on Sundays. You can wear whatever you're comfortable wearing. During the silence, people do different things; for example they try to “center” themselves, pray to God, visualize peace, meditate, listen for the inner voice, etc. People who feel moved to do so rise and speak a message out of the silence. Quaker worship is a peaceful and moving experience, connecting with others on a deeper level. After about an hour we shake hands, share announcements, and gather for coffee, tea, and conversation.
Quaker Meetings in NYC
Most meetings for worship are 11:00 am on Sundays and can also be joined via Zoom; click the meeting name for more information.
Brooklyn Meeting is at 110 Schermerhorn St. & Boerum Place in downtown Brooklyn. An active meeting with 100-150 people attending worship, with many announcements and a lively social hour afterward.
15th Street Meeting is east of Union Square in Manhattan, on the corner of Rutherford Place and 15th Street. A beautiful space that holds frequent peace- and justice-related events. Around 30-40 people attend worship.
Morningside Meeting meets on the 12th Floor of the bell tower of Riverside Church on the upper west side of Manhattan; enter at 81 Claremont Ave. Gorgeous views. Around 25-30 friendly people attend worship.
Flushing Meeting, built in 1694, is located at 137-16 Northern Boulevard, Queens. You can feel the centuries of history in this space. A dozen or so people come to worship. A People of Color Worship and Reflection Group meets there at 10 am on the second Sunday of the month.
Manhattan Meeting holds a pastor-led worship service at 9:30 a.m. in the 15 Rutherford Place building next to 15th Street Meeting in Manhattan. A few people attend in person, as does the pastor, with more people joining online.
Staten Island Meeting worships on 1st and 3rd Sundays each month. A small but enthusiastic group meets at the ETG Cafe, on the beach, or online. Check their website for location.
