Our Heritage
Thumbnail History of Quakerism
As members of the Society of Friends (Quakers), we celebrate a rich heritage. The origins of Friends are found in the seventeenth century in England, a time when many were questioning the established beliefs of the age. George Fox (1624-1691) did not find answers to his questions in any of the churches of his day. Out of his searching and study of the Scripture came the spiritual message which swept a large part of the country. The Society of Friends was born.
Fox called for a radical, Spirit-filled Christianity that would not be oppressive of people on account of race, gender, or class. Fox preached that every person had free, unmediated access to God for Jesus Christ has come to teach his people himself. Fox did not intend to start a new Christian group. He wanted to persuade the church to return to what it had been in the days of the Apostles.
History of High Point Friends Meeting
Quakers began to settle the Piedmont area of North Carolina in the middle of the 18th century. They came from Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New England as well as from England and Ireland. Springfield became an established meeting in 1790 and Deep River Quarterly Meeting was set apart from New Garden Quarter in 1819. By 1883 High Point had grown into a thriving town built around trade, the railroad and manufacturing. Since many Friends lived here, Springfield Monthly Meeting requested that Deep River Quarterly Meeting establish a meeting for worship in High Point. So in 1885 a preparative meeting was approved becoming a full-fledged monthly meeting on January 7, 1892. In turn, High Point Friends Meeting established a meeting at Oak Hill in 1905 which became independent three years later.
High Point Friends has occupied three meetinghouses. The first meetings were held in a building on Lindsay Street, which had been built by North Carolina Yearly Meeting to hold annual sessions. This area was known as “Quaker Woods”. In 1904, a substantial gray granite building was built on the corner of South Main and Commerce Streets. A twelve acre tract on what is now Quaker Lane was purchased in 1949 and the present meetinghouse was completed in 1956.
Carrying on the tradition of Quaker interest in education and service, the Meeting established a weekday Kindergarten in 1963. Beginning with one class of five year olds, today High Point Friends School serves students in preschool through middle school. In 2003, the new Honbarrier Educational Center opened to house all functions of the Elementary School and in 2009 the Kingrey Center was completed which serves as the gymnasium and multipurpose facility.
This rich history marked the beginning of a group of Friends who strived toward a common purpose; that of being led by the Spirit of God to further the good news of Christ. Our purpose remains the same.
High Point Meeting has had faithful pastors through the years. The following have served:
- Joseph Potts ~ 1892-1894
- Mead Kelsey ~ 1897-1900
- Eli Reece ~ 1902-1907
- Enos Harvey ~ 1907-1911
- Lewis McFarland ~ 1912-1915
- Sylvester Newlin ~ 1915-1918
- Andrew Mitchell ~ 1919-1920
- Samuel Haworth ~ 1919-1922
- Tom Sykes ~ 1922-1937
- Cecil Haworth ~ 1937-1971
- William Guthrie ~ 1971-1982
- Lloyd McDonald ~ 1982-1995
- David Kingrey ~ 1996-2004
- Kelly Kellum ~ 2006-present
