The Religious Society of Friends, commonly called Quakers, traces its origins back to England in the 1600’s – a time of great religious and political unrest. George Fox, considered the founder of Quakerism, placed emphasis on the “Light of Christ,” which led to his followers’ calling themselves “Children of Light,” later succeeded by “Friends in the Truth,” or, simply, “Friends.” The more popular name “Quaker” was given when Friends as a group were said to “tremble at the word of the Lord.”

Friends came to America early in its colonization and had established meetings in New England by 1661 and in North Carolina by 1672. North Carolina Yearly Meeting met for the first time in 1698.

Winston-Salem Friends Meeting held its first meeting for worship in a rented house on North Cherry Street on January 12, 1912. In 1928, the Meeting built and occupied a large meetinghouse at Broad and Sixth Streets downtown.

In 1987, the Meeting moved to a location at Reynolda and Midkiff Roads.

Meetings were held in a former residence on the premises until a new meetinghouse was completed in 1990. A new Fellowship House was constructed in 2003, and the original residence, then known as the Community House was used to host a nonprofit agency

In 2019, as the size of the meeting shrank, the meeting decided to sell the property at the Reynolda Road location and currently rents a small chapel from Fairview Moravian Church at 6550 Silas Creek Parkway Winston-Salem, NC 27106.

Affiliated Groups

To learn more about Winston Salem Friends Meeting, please visit the sites below to learn more about Quaker history, beliefs and charitable works.

• Friends Committee on National Legislation (opens in new tab) is a Quaker Lobby in the public interest in Washington, DC that lobbies Congress on issues of importance to all.
• American Friends Service Committee (opens in new tab) is a national and local committee that places the Quaker testimonies of equality and justice for all into action through service projects throughout the world.
• To learn more about Quakerism visit Friends General Conference. (opens in new tab)
• For books about Quaker practice, history, and well-known Quakers visit QuakerBooks.org. (opens in new tab)