Quakers feeling their oats

TACOMA, Wash. — If your notion of a "Quaker" comes from that smiling gent on a box of oatmeal, take heed. America's Quakers have been thinking outside the box for some time now. At least such was the case at the Religious Society of Friends General Conference here — the first Quaker gathering on the West Coast in 106 years. Organizers were expecting a small turnout. But within days of the announcement, 1,600 Friends had signed up. Conference coordinator Traci Hjelt Sullivan was "thrilled by the interest."

Unlike those staid and conservative souls in old Hollywood Westerns, today's Quakers come in a full array of styles. There are Queer Quakers, Quakers of Color and Bolivian Quakers. There are Quakers in cowboy hats and in top hats. Yet despite the variety of fashion, on the inside they remain a close community that holds to the values they always have: peace, fellowship and a deeply personal relationship with God.

In Tacoma, those values surfaced many times, especially in the planting of a "peace tree" on the campus of Pacific Lutheran University. Following the theme of "Swimming in Living Waters" (which, in turn, was tied to the Puget Sound environment), Quakers brought containers of water from their home towns to pour on the tree. The symbolism, in fine Quaker style, was apparent: Just as water helps a tree grow, the "living water" can help peace grow. The ceremony, filled with both speeches and silences, was one of the highlights in a week of workshops, concerts, treks, classes and dozens of other "friendly" pursuits.

Yet despite their forward-thinking ways, the Society of Friends still battles an old bugaboo: finding a diversity of people to go along with their diversity of thought. For the most part, Quakers have remained a white, East Coast bunch.

"We've been working to get a more diverse group," said Theo Mace, a Quaker from Seattle who helped organize the gathering. "We do have a lot of diverse spiritual interests — there are Buddhist Friends, Friends of Jewish descent, Wiccan Quakers, Universalist Quakers. We have an Abolitionist history, and I think we tend to rest on our laurels somewhat. I don't think Quakers stop and think about why we're all so white."

Karen Williams from Washington, D.C., says some people feel that the Quaker tradition, which sees silence as a virtue, often doesn't mesh with other ethnic Christian traditions where joy and exuberance are important. But she isn't buying it.

"I think we just need to do a better job of outreach," she says.

Arthur Borgerhoff of Philadelphia, an African American, says once inside the Quaker tradition, people of color easily fit in.