By Betty Johnson
Since our founding in 1905, Xenia Friends has been cognizant and mindful of the Quaker testimonies known collectively as SPICES–Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality and Service/Sustainability.
The first building on High Street was built in 1908. In the late 1950’s Xenia Friends sold our building on High Street and built a new one right across the street next to our parsonage in an open field with four streets surrounding it–High, Druid, Fayette and Chestnut. The current address is 502 Chestnut Street.
Xenia maintained an active Sunday School for many years supporting community children as well as members. One of the highlights of Xenia’s service to young people was in the 1960’s, when our pastor annually led a group of high schoolers to New York City to visit the United Nations. Xenia has also been a consistent supporter of the Quaker Knoll Camping program even sending community children when we had no members going.
Several distinguished speakers have graced our meeting including D. Elton Trueblood, Tom Mullen, Dean Johnson (Initiator of Friends Disaster Service 1974), and John Muhanji. Another highlight of our community outreach was a group of men from Richmond, Indiana portraying Christ and his 12 disciples at the Last Supper.
Our church has been used by the Boy Scouts, Take off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS), a preschool, a 4H Club, the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, and AARP Tax Service. Currently, it is being used by an Al Anon group. In addition, we offered our church to the Arrowbrook Baptist Church for two years while they were rebuilding their church after the Xenia tornado of 1974, and we made a similar arrangement with a Jewish group for a few weeks after the Xenia tornado of 2000.
We invite anyone searching for a church home to come worship with us at 9:45 on Sunday Mornings. We meet in both prayer meeting and in traditional formats. You will find a very small congregation but one that is friendly, caring and centered in the living Christ.
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