WITH no handclapping, body-rocking or holy ghost-filled shouts of 'Hallelujah' or 'Praise the Lord' that typify most Protestant churches today and lacking the elaborate rituals and symbols of the Roman Catholic Church, the conservative Quakers in Jamaica are hard-pressed to attract members with their "silent" worship.Despite their long history in the island and their contribution to the independence many Jamaicans now enjoy, the group, whose membership is at an all time low of 500, feels it's only a matter of-time before they become extinct.
Chairman for the 14 Quakers' meeting houses in Jamaica, Edwin Coleman, said that most people find their form of worship boring. There is no time frame or structure for worship, no pastor, no upbeat music and/or singing - just expectant silence, as each member sits waiting for a word from God. There is also the absence of rituals, such as baptism and communion and no collection of tithes and/ or offerings.
"Some people say we are not a church, which is not so. They think we are a cult," said Coleman as he sits on a stool in the centre of the Highgate Friends Church in St Mary. "Our worship is based on an inner light, so we reach, spiritually, for something deep inside."
The Quakers' founder George Fox was a conservative man who strongly rebelled against the Church of England and their practices. He argued against consecrated buildings, ordained ministers and the fancy lifestyle led by some church-goers. His followers who came later, believed there was some God in every man, and lobbied for the end of the slave trade and subsequently for the emancipation of slaves in the West Indies.
Even today, Coleman explains, the Quakers or the Society of Friends as they are more commonly referred to, continue to improve the lives of the members within their communities, which are mostly found in St Mary and St Thomas. The group established the first public health facility in Jamaica in the 1970s and also the Happy Grove High School in St Thomas. They also started the Swift Purscell Boys' Home and the Lyndale Girls' Home in St Mary, out of concern for orphans. Both homes are now closed, but while they were in operation they helped to improve the lives of neglected boys and girls.
Coleman said that while their lack of belief in the paying of tithes and offerings have affected their spending power, the group continues to help people who seek their help.
"We are not known in the community for our quantity, but we are known for our quality," he told the Sunday Observer. "People from afar who have their needs usually come up this hill to find us."
Their philanthropic nature has most people referring to them in the community as "the tuck shop".
"People come here for their food when they are hungry only," noted Coleman, explaining the label they have been given.
Despite their contributions, young people especially tend to avoid their meetings every Sunday.
"We are still unique. Our approach is still the simple way. We don't have any marketing strategy as such, which is probably why you don't hear much about us," said Coleman.
He noted, however, that a more liberal form of Quakers have emerged over the past 10 years and have found ways to incorporate some of the more modern aspects of worship into their services.
While unwilling to change most of their traditional practices, Coleman said even his conservative group is considering becoming more modern in order to attract more young people in general. Already, they have started making baptism optional for their worshippers.
"In a culture like this, even for us who are conformist, we have to take a little of what is happening in the Protestant church because we are surrounded by many of them," he said.
Until then, Coleman said the Quakers will continue to operate on the basis of their core principles of peace, integrity, simplicity and equality.
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SIC: JO