Welcome, Friend
We hope you find our message of progressive faith and service attractive as you explore the Quaker traditions and activities described on our website.
JOIN US
We invite you to attend Our meeting for worship any Sunday at 10:30 AM
If you could not attend on Sunday, listen to our previous meeting.
Interested in learning more about membership?
ABOUT US
Welcome to our meeting’s website! We are grateful you are here and hope you’ll come be with us in person, or join us each week for our online meeting for worship.
“Stand still in that which is pure.” - George Fox
Fairfield Friends Meeting is a diverse Quaker community that lives and shares the peace, love, and light of God in the world.
We opened our doors in 1826 on this same corner near Camby, Indiana in what was then a settlement of Quakers from North Carolina who had moved north to escape an economy based on enslavement. We have worked for justice ever since, each generation championing the rights and dignity of people of color, women, and the marginalized. Until the past few decades, we were a rural meeting, comprised mostly of multi-generational farm families, but the arrival of the Indianapolis International Airport, with its displacement of many of our families, has resulted in a congregation of urban and suburban Friends. We are teachers, social workers, retirees, business owners, professionals, laborers, scientists, activists, parents, grandparents, college students, children, and one farmer. Together, we are doing our best to “stand still in that which is Pure,” so welcome and work with everyone we meet, regardless of religious background or current life circumstance.
While some aspects of our worship are similar to other churches, there are a few unique perspectives to our faith. We live in a noisy and hectic age, making little time to reflect upon God's dream for our lives. Thus, a key element of our worship is silence, so we can hear God's voice within us, experience God's presence, and grow in our ability to love as God loves. But we do more than listen to God. We listen to one another. We share our sorrows and joys with each other, and leave with our burdens lessened and our satisfaction increased. If you need someone to listen to you, we're here.
While most churches have creeds and doctrines, which must be followed, Quakers believe God is at work in our lives leading us into truth. Here's what we've learned so far: We believe God is in every person. We believe the values and priorities of Jesus illustrate what it means to be authentically human. We believe others have experienced the reality of God in other faiths, too. We believe God calls us to be instruments of peace and healing in a broken world. We believe the qualities of a life well-lived are integrity, simplicity, love, courage, faith, and reverence. We believe we should appreciate the past without being enslaved by it. We believe God is at work in the world. We believe you are a delight to God.
The Quaker William Penn once observed that true godliness doesn't cause us to shun the world, but enables us to live better in it. Desiring with God to see all people loved and cared for, we endeavor to be God's healing hands in this world. To this end, we commit ourselves to caring for the poor, comforting the sorrowing, loving the rejected, and growing in grace. But more than that, we encourage each other to pursue lifestyles and vocations that reflect the priorities of God. We are ordinary folk, endeavoring to reflect God's light and love in extraordinary ways. If you want to make your life a miracle, if you want to see a world restored, we invite you to join us on our journey!
If you wish to experience the Fairfield community, we invite you to attend and participate in our meeting for worship, either in person or online through Facebook Live at our Fairfield Friend Meeting Facebook page. If you would like to learn more about Quakerism, we have provided additional resources for your use.
What we’re doing
CHAT ROOM (9:30AM most Sundays in the dining room) Discusses a variety of stimulating topics.
PAYPAL CONTRIBUTIONS ACTIVATED: Fairfield Friends Meeting now has an electronic option for giving through PayPal. You may send your donation to fairfieldgiving@gmail.com
AFFINITY GROUPS: There are a number of ever-evolving small groups at our meeting, including a writer’s group, a women’s book group, a men’s fellowship gathering, a movie viewing and discussion group, a motorcycle-riding group known as the Quaker Oatlaws, a United Society of Friends Women International group, and a Quaker Men’s Fellowship. Anyone is free to announce and organize a group around an appropriate shared interest.
FAMILY PROMISE: Along with other faith groups in Hendricks County, we we work to end homelessness and hunger by providing housing and food for those in need.
Our Pastor
Philip Gulley
Phil has served as our pastor since 1999. He lives in Danville with his wife Joan. They have two adult sons, Spencer and Sam. A granddaughter named Madeline and a grandson named Miles.
In addition to pastoring and public speaking, Phil has authored 22 books and also writes monthly columns for The Indianapolis Monthly and The Saturday Evening Post. His hobbies include motorcycling and enjoying the peace and quiet of their southern Indiana farm near Paoli.