Quakers and the Religious Society of Friends in general:

Quakers are Members of the Religious Society of Friends. Friends or Quakers--either name will do as they have the same meaning. In Honolulu Friends Meeting we worship in silence, unprogrammed, without choirs or sermons, listening for God's message to our hearts.

Quakers do not have creed or dogma. They have principles based on the Testimonies: Simplicity, Peace, Integrity and Truth, Community, and Equality. Quakers don’t claim to have all the questions but ask lots of questions. Modern Quakers dress in all sorts of ways, do not have special diets, and are known to be ecologically conscious.

Quakers got their start in the 1650s in England, under the leadership of George Fox, the early followers were called Seekers of the Truth, Friends of Truth or Children of the Light because they believed that the "Christ within" or "Inner Light" is in every person. They believed, in essence, a return to New Testament Christianity that living in the Spirit was sacred in itself, so there was no need for creeds, dogma or external sacraments.


About Honolulu Friends Meeting and Friends in the state of Hawaii:

Honolulu Friends Meeting, on the island of Oahu, was formed in 1936. But the first Quaker Meeting for Worship in Hawaii was held 100 years earlier, when Daniel Wheeler, a traveling Friend, visited Hawaii in 1836.

The new Meeting met in Friends’ homes and in rented premises, until in 1956 the decision was taken to buy a house as a permanent home for the Meeting. The house in Oahu Avenue has been the home of Honolulu Friends Meeting since then. In 1965, our Meeting became part of a new Pacific Yearly Meeting.

A steady flow of guests with Friends’ connections from all over the world visit the Quaker Center. Please see the Meetinghouse Guest Information section of the website for details.

Honolulu Meeting is an unprogrammed Meeting, whose membership currently numbers around 90. Our wider Meeting community (those receiving our monthly newsletter, Ka Makamaka) numbers around 300. About 180 are on Oahu, 80 on other Hawaiian Islands, and the rest are scattered across the US mainland and the world, mainly in Pacific Islands. Elsewhere in Hawaii, Maui Worship Group, with about 15 people, meets regularly on Maui, and Big Island Monthly Meeting meets on the island of Hawaii (Big Island). Friends from other islands often join us at our annual Family Camp and Retreat, and at special events. Our growing community is diverse, with f/Friends old and not-so-old. There is an active Young Adult Friends group that has regular social events for from the ages of 18 to 40. Young families worship with us and we have an active First Day School. On Sundays between 30 to 60 people including children attend Meeting for Worship at 10:00 a.m., with hymn singing beginning at 9:45 a.m. Children leave the Meeting for First Day School, regularly attended by 4-8 children, when Meeting for Worship begins and return when Worship has ended for the Afterthoughts period. Meeting for Worship on the Occasion of Business is attended by around 30 people once a month after regular Meeting for Worship.

Regular events in the Meeting are the monthly Visiting Sunday that includes lunch, Meeting for Healing on Tuesday afternoons, Work Day for House & Grounds is on the second Saturday of each month, and Bible study once a month, as well as different presentations, discussion groups, and guest speakers scheduled by the various committees. Hawai'i Peace & Justice, successor to the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) Hawaii Area Program, run and directed by two staff members, has monthly meetings open to Quakers and non-Quakers alike. The Meetinghouse is well used for committee meetings, either Meeting or HPJ. A few non-Quaker groups regularly meet there too. We maintain a comprehensive library of Quaker books, periodicals and pamphlets.

Honolulu Friends Meeting is an open and affirming congregation and we welcome everyone interested in our way of worship or Quaker testimonies. Many people of different faiths from all walks of life, of different age groups and backgrounds visit and attend Meeting for Worship.

Thank you for visiting our website. If you plan to visit us, we look forward to meeting you.

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State of the Meeting report

To request a copy of our newsletter, Ka Makamaka (The Friend) or our Handbook contact us

To learn more about our different groups and activities please see our Events section or contact us.

What to expect during Quaker worship

For even more information, see links below:



Our region:

Pacific Yearly Meeting

The Western Friend

Western Young Friends



Friends in general:

Faith and Practice

Friends General Conference

The Religious Society of Friends

Quaker Information Center

Quaker Books

Other gay friendly churches

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