Our young meeting, while consisting of Friends who are mostly affiliated with largely liberal yearly meetings (Baltimore and Northern), as well as those who are new to Quakers, is a welcoming meeting. We welcome GLBT persons, whites, blacks, native Americans, educated and not, moneyed and not, Evangelicals, Conservatives, agnostics, Buddhists, etc. We do not exclude. That being said, we are a Christ-centered body. Just as we wouldn't define and manage each other's personal relationships, nor do we force theology down each other's throats. Some of us do see Jesus as the Word of God, Savior and even allow him enough authority to truly call him "Lord." Others see him as a great Rabbi who may or may not have something directly to do with the Holy Spirit or Light. Perhaps others see him as just a man, and that the Light was part of him and is part of us. He is still the unifying factor. We come together in his name, trying to follow his Way. We search the scriptures together. We confess our sins to one another. We seek to be transformed by the Power. We pray with and for one another. We share our faith with those who are tender and want to hear it. We hope our faith produces works. No creed. Just a commitment to God, and through Jesus as we know him. We find wisdom in the Gospel Order as understood by Friends, and in following this Order, we find that we are Friends of one another, and in Christ.
Note: OTF was laid down after a few years together.
