“Testimonies” are what Quakers call ways we have found to live and act based on our beliefs.
As a group we find that listening to and following leadings of the Spirit leads to:
- Integrity: living as whole people who act on what we believe, tell the truth, and do what we say we will do.
- Simplicity: Focusing on what is truly important and letting other things fall away.
- Equality: Â Treating everyone, everywhere, as equally precious to the Divine; recognizing that everyone has unique gifts to share. Â Friends Meetings have no clergy and therefore no hierarchy. Â All Friends are equal and all individuals are welcome.
- Community: Â Supporting one another in our faith journeys and in times of joy and sorrow; sharing with and caring for each other.
- Peace: Â Seeking justice and healing for all people; taking away the causes of war in the ways we live. Â Friends have been known as peaceful throughout history and work for nonviolence in all aspects of their lives.
- Care for the Earth: Â Valuing and respecting all of God’s creation; using only our fair share of the earth’s resources; working for policies that will protect the planet and replenish its precious resources.
We do not always hear and follow Divine guidance; being in community with other Quakers helps us to be faithful.
 There ar many different ways to practice these testimonies in daily life such as incorporating them into a career that enriches life for many; caring for the sick, lonely or disadvantaged; or in parenting practices. At other times one may feel led to a more public or activist life where they may participate in demonstrations, work for environmental concerns, to end human trafficking, to end torture, or to provide assistance in war zones or after disasters.
Adapted from Friends General Conference