WHO WE ARE
A Community of Seekers
For over 350 years, gathered silence has been the foundation of Quaker worship. The silence of Quaker worship, however, is not an end in itself, but an opportunity for seeking communion with the Divine. Quakers do not worship the silence, but that to which the silence leads.
South Belfast Quaker Meeting is an inclusive community of spiritual seekers, welcoming all who wish to join us on the journey. We are united by a shared commitment to love, justice and compassion.
You are warmly invited to join us any Sunday morning for Worship. It begins at 10:45am and lasts for about an hour, followed by coffee.
If you are visiting for the first time, it helps to arrive around 10:30am. Let someone know you’re new to Quaker worship and they’ll be happy to explain how things work. We’re a relaxed bunch and will be delighted to have you with us. We’d also love you to stay afterwards for coffee — it’s a great chance to chat and get to know each other.
South Belfast Quaker Meeting is an active community of around 50 adults who worship together each week. Children and young people are an important part of our meeting; they enjoy their own activities and join us for the final ten minutes of worship.
Quakers — or the Religious Society of Friends — have been gathering for Meetings for Worship in Ireland since 1654. The first permanent Quaker Meeting in Belfast was established in 1799 and moved in 1810 to Drury Lane, now Frederick Street, near the Ulster University Belfast campus.
In 1956, a second Meeting was approved for Friends living in the south of the city, and the meeting house at Marlborough Park North was built a few years later.