One of the earliest religious groups to
settle in East Tennessee, the Quakers of Friendsville now face a new challenge.
by Ed Richardson
It is 11:30 a.m. the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Thirty or so Quakers (also known as Friends) sit quietly in the pews of the Friendsville meeting house. An old clock ticks loudly on the wall. After what seems like an embarrassingly long time, 69-year-old Frances Hill stands and relates the story of a minor car accident she saw recently, how it could have been worse, and how easy it is to take simple things for granted.
"I'm thankful every time I press the brakes on my car. I'm thankful that the people around me are attentive drivers. I'm thankful every time I have an opening to make a left hand turn." She recounts the title of a song performed earlier that morning: "'Be Still and Know That I am God'... and that clock—there's something about the soothing ticking of that clock in the quietness..."
Sam Chapman stands.
"I think there's a lot we forget to be thankful for. How many of you remember making lye soap?" Hands go up around the room. "How about the outhouse?" More hands. "I remember when you couldn't just turn up the thermostat in the morning—you had to build a fire..."
It is Worship After the Manner of Friends. This is probably what an outsider would first sense as unique about Quakers: After making announcements, singing, and offering tithes, they sit in silence and "wait for the Spirit to move them." This section in the bulletin is subtitled: "Obey the Holy Spirit." All the members of the congregation are free to stand and express themselves.
But the numbers doing so have waned recently. Quakers have been in Blount County since 1790—10 years before the Methodists came to Knoxville and 50 years before the Baptists, Episcopals, and Catholics. At one time, Friendsville, Tenn. had one of the highest concentrations of Quakers in the South. Now, as many young people leave rural areas for jobs, the face of the Friendsville Friends is changing.
Not to be confused with the Amish or Mennonites, Quakers drive cars, use electricity, and dress more or less like everybody else. Quakerism is a form of Christianity—that is, Quakers believe the teachings of Jesus as told through the Bible. But the Friends religion is very experiential, and salvation is seen as a personal matter between an individual and God. Quakers are highly family-oriented and value simplicity. They focus on inner spiritual meaning rather than outward symbols. This is reflected in a general lack of rituals; there are no ceremonies such as communion or water baptism, and they don't take oaths.
Quakers see all people as having equal status; therefore, all Quakers are ministers and business is conducted by consensus. Early Quakers opposed slavery and local Quakers were involved in the Underground Railroad. Historically, Quakers have been leaders in issues of social justice and were involved in the civil rights and women's movements. These days, however, Friendsville is not a hotbed for cutting-edge issues, and the local Friends tend to be fairly conservative.
At one time the Friendsville Meeting had over 500 members. Currently, there are around 150 on the books, but their pastor left six months ago to start a new Meeting in Maryville, taking several members with him. Still others stopped coming. Now there are probably 40 to 50 members that regularly attend. But after being around for 200 years, the Friends have seen their number ebb and flow before. There are many older members in the congregation, a few young people, and not many teens. Some are concerned as the Baptist church down the road grows by leaps and bounds. But some young families have discovered that the small Friendsville Meeting is a close-knit family that has unique gifts to offer.
| 
