Friends meeting house

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Sydney Friends meeting house

A Friends meeting house is a place of worship for the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). George Fox, founder of the Society, spoke contemptuously of churches as "steeple houses" and Friends were convinced that there was no necessity for special buildings for worship. Early friends met for worship in people's homes or even in the open air.

However sheer growth in numbers made it necessary to create specific meeting houses. Some were adapted from existing structures, but most were purpose-built. Briggflatts Meeting House is an example of the latter. The hallmark of a meeting house is extreme simplicity and the absence of any liturgical symbols.

A meeting house will usually consist of: a large meeting room, smaller rooms for committees, children's classes, etc., a kitchen and toilets.

The meeting room itself is a place for Friends to withdraw from the world. The windows are set sufficiently high that worshippers will not be distracted by the activities of the world's people outside, or in some cases they provide a view into the meeting house garden. The seating was originally long, hard benches. Today it is usually separate chairs but the layout remains the same - a square or rectangle facing inwards to a table in the middle.