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History

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Friends of the Light meetinghouse

Friends of the Light's history is of two worship groups that came together.

In 1986 Joe Kelly heard a call to be a minister. He and others from Long Lake Friends Church began meeting on Sunday afternoons in St. Rita's Church, the former Maple City Friends meetinghouse. They took the name Pleasant Grove Worship Group, which was the historic name of Maple City Friends Meeting. The worship group was under the care of Long Lake Friends.

Joe also started a worship group at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City for people in recovery and/or with mental health challenges. After learning about the history of early Friends, the group named itself Friends of the Light.

At the invitation of Indiana Yearly Meeting, Friends of the Light relocated into the empty Traverse City Friends Church building in 1990 and began caring for it. Twelve- Step groups started using the basement and continue to meet here. Other community groups followed.

The Pleasant Grove Worship Group relocated from Maple City to the Traverse City Meetinghouse in 1994. They become known at "the ten o'clock group," and Friends of the Light become known at "the four o'clock group." Later that year, Friends of the Light and Pleasant Grove Worship Group merged as one monthly meeting called Friends of the Light. They kept the two services for a while. Joe Kelly remains pastor.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation was one of the groups that rented the meetinghouse while their new church was being built. They were able to use the basement to continue to offer a weekly community meal, which they still serve at the meetinghouse. The Potter's House, an emergent congregation of the United Church of Christ, used the building for several years.

In 1995 Indiana Yearly Meeting sold the parsonage and shared the proceeds with Friends of the Light, making it possible for the steps to be replaced and new porches to be constructed in 1998.

In 2003 several Friends began an unprogrammed meeting for worship, which continues to meet at 9:00 a.m. The unprogrammed worship group later joined Friends of the Light Monthly Meeting.

In 2009 the State of Michigan awarded the meetinghouse Historic Building status, and in 2013 Indiana Yearly Meeting expressed willingness to grant title to the 1893 meetinghouse free and clear to Friends of the Light.

On the right are members of the original Traverse City Friends Church. Front row center we think are Josiah Pennington and one of his sons.

We are now members of the New Association of Friends.

 

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