For whatever reason, my search for
a local history topic took me to the Society of Friends. The Society of
Friends, better known as the Quakers, is a religious organization and
denomination of Christianity. The Quakers are recognized for various practices
and doctrine. One such practice is their annual and monthly meetings. At these
gatherings, Quakers from smaller meetings congregate at a single location and discuss
spiritual and organizational issues. Southwest Ohio has a long history of
Quaker settlement. Because of this history, places in Southwest Ohio and
Eastern Indiana have often been selected to house these meetings. The annual
meetings bring in more Quakers because they draw in Quakers from a larger
region. Yet, monthly meetings are still important.
An example of a monthly meeting location
was in Yellow Springs. Included in the Yellow Spring’s Society of Friends
collection at the WSU archives is a large amount of membership removal forms
from the 1950s to the 1970s. Much can be learned or assumed by the examination
of the members’ reasons for leaving. The most common reason for dropping
membership was death. This reason does not lead to many conclusions, but it
does indicate that many Quakers remained Quakers throughout their lifetime. It
was also common for members to transfer to another meeting. This could be that
another closer meeting had sprung up, but, most likely, it was a result of the
member’s move to another residence. This could indicate that many members were
leaving the area and could reflect a broader trend. Another common reason
listed for leaving the Society of Friends was “lost contact.” Oftentimes, the
Quakers would send formal letters to members of the group who had not been
involved in Quaker activities. If the member did not respond, he was assumed to
have lost interest in the Society of Friends and would be dropped from
membership. Another reason for leaving was a transfer to a Unitarian group.
Although this reason was not as prevalent as previously mentioned causes, it
was not a rare occurrence for Friend members to become a member of a Unitarian
group. The Unitarian Church and the Society of Friends both encompass a broad spectrum
of beliefs (maybe more so with the Unitarian Church), but they do exhibit some
similar doctrines. Some Unitarians and Quakers believe in pacifism. This
similarity could have made the transition for these ex-Quakers to be easier
than if they had switched to another denomination.
Primary Source Used:
Society of Friends
Indiana-Ohio Valley
Yellow Springs Monthly Meeting
WSU Archives MFM 125
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