In West Philadelphia, on Baltimore and 48th, there’s a building where Friends gather to meet. It is not a meetinghouse, but inside those walls, a small community keeps a meeting thriving.
“I love our little stained-glass treehouse,” says Kate Farquhar, a lifelong Friend who has participated in West Philadelphia Friends Meeting through many seasons and cycles. “It looks like an informal boardroom space in a very old, sacred building, because that’s what it is.”
Inside the Calvary Center, up a flight of stairs, is a room with high windows, wood floors, and a large table in the center. West Philadelphia Friends gather there at 10:30 a.m. on the first Sunday of each month for worship. A laptop is always open for those joining on Zoom, and a cell phone sits in the middle of the table, carrying the sound of ministry so everyone can listen together.
Kate has been part of West Philadelphia Friends for many years, through times when meetings rotated through homes, basements, and borrowed spaces. “West Philly Friends has served as a cherished spiritual way-station for a lot of people over the years, including me,” she shares. “As a result, West Philly Friends boasts a small collection of donated heirlooms. We have a homemade bookshelf given to us by Marshal, vintage Christmas-caroling books from Arin, a tea and mug collection from Amy, and a fancy new water cooler and heater courtesy of Anshel, Cori, and Susan for our tea bar.”
She adds, “We inherited a very sophisticated Japanese water-heater for making hot beverages, but we have retired it because it’s missing its cord. Please reach out if you’d like to own this heirloom.” Kate jokes.
Friends who attend West Philly Friends know something special about the worship room, that it feels lived in.
“I think our physical space is gorgeous, historic, and calming, so I find it unique,” says Clifford Drake, who began attending about a year and a half ago. He found Quakerism later in life after searching for a faith practice centered on equality and peace. “Some things I enjoy about West Philly Friends include the community, the openness, the non-hierarchical nature, and the inclusivity,” he says. “Our small, tight-knit group has really provided an incredible outlet to emphasize and foster these tenets that I enjoy about our meetings.”
Michael Doo, who began attending several years ago, shares his description of the meeting “The spirit of the meeting has always felt cozy, for lack of a better term.” Michael grew up Quaker in Baltimore Yearly Meeting and attended Quaker summer camps as a child. “Over the years, I’ve served on committees at the monthly, yearly, and national levels. What I like most about West Philadelphia Friends is the small community we’ve built. It’s small but mighty.”
When Michael first began attending, the group met in the basement of the Calvary Center. “Now we meet in a room on the second floor,” he says. “There are a few things I really like about the room. The first are the stained-glass windows. Even on days when it isn’t very sunny out, it gives the room a lot of character. The second is the music usually emanating from the sanctuary. It’s quiet enough to not be disruptive to worship, so I like having it in the background.”
“After the pandemic began, we met exclusively on Zoom, and then in 2021 I secured a small (but well-lit) space for us upstairs at Calvary Center so that we could have a hybrid, in-person-and-on-Zoom service,” Kate says. She adds that on the third Sunday of each month, worship takes place entirely online.
Kate continues, “Practicing Quaker worship in West Philly feels like being a part of something, even as I continue along in ignorance of what that thing is. West Philly Friends has seemed to offer a religious and spiritual breakout space where regular attenders can try their hand at shaping their religious community.”
“Attendees generally live in West Philly, or are visiting West Philly, with the exception of Zoom attendees, one of whom joins regularly from Poland,” Kate shares, referencing Paul Dexter-Sobkowiak.
Friends gather for meeting for worship not just around the two tables but also virtually. During meeting for worship, a laptop sits open with the faces and names of Friends who join remotely.
From across the ocean, Paul joins each month from Poland. He helped Friends begin West Philadelphia Friends Meeting in 2009 and continues to attend regularly online. Paul remembers the time when the meeting almost ended. “We had experienced a precipitous drop in attendance in 2022 to 2023 due largely to people’s lives taking them out of the West Philly area and fewer people arriving,” he says. “We had gone from usually having around ten people on most Sundays to sometimes having only one or two.”
The meeting called a time of discernment to ask whether to lay down. “The meeting for business itself had as many people attend as we had seen for quite some time,” Paul recalls. “Maybe ten people at least. They brought quite some energy and callings that this meeting should not be laid down yet.” He adds, “People who, like myself, had intertwined themselves in some way with the life of the meeting over the years still felt spiritually attached to the meeting and the hope and faith that this meeting represented for them. I personally felt that our meeting wasn’t done yet.”
Paul says, “We focused our energy to keep the meeting for worship happening and open to visitors and new attenders who continue to join us at various times. We remain open in our hearts to listen, honor our spiritual callings, and go forward one step at a time.”
Michael adds, “Even as new attendees have joined and old ones have left, we’ve managed to maintain a spirit of worship that remains unbroken.”
Clifford adds, “I believe there is something that connects us, whether we want to consider this something spiritual or just the human need for community. Beyond the physical, I find our small meetings foster a deeper sense of community and connection. I believe our meeting is unique because it prioritizes inner peace and refraining from distractions which allows for greater growth.”
West Philadelphia Friends Meeting continues to meet twice each month, first Sundays in person at the Calvary Center and later in the month on Zoom. The meeting is smaller now but remains unmistakably faithful.
“It’s by no means a triumph,” Kate shares. “It’s simply a fact. As long as I live in West Philly and West Philly Friends Meeting has what it needs to persist, I should help it to do that.”
Friends are welcome to attend worship with West Philadelphia Friends Meeting, visit their website, or email wpfmclerk@gmail.com to join the listserv.
Those who come are welcomed into a meeting that may not look or sound like others but shares everything that matters. As Paul says, “Even if our meeting is small in terms of weekly attendance, our community is valued and valuable.”
