WEST HILLS FRIENDS CHURCH

What WEST HILLS FRIENDS CHURCH does

West Hills Friends Church is a Quaker (Religious Society of Friends) congregation incorporated as a member-based nonprofit in Oregon and founded on March 5, 1989, in Southwest Portland. Operating from a meetinghouse and community building at 7425 SW 52nd Ave in the Maplewood neighborhood, the meeting conducts semi-programmed worship every Sunday from 10:00–11:30am both in-person and via Zoom, blending music, scripture reading, prepared messages, and approximately 20 minutes of open silent worship. Its ministry includes a Montessori-based Godly Play program for K–5 children, nursery care, a middle/high school youth group (approximately 15 active young people), small-group Care Committees for members in life transitions, a 24/7 walking meditation labyrinth, and an annual All-Church Retreat at Camp Meriwether on the Oregon Coast.

The meeting is explicitly open and affirming toward LGBTQ individuals, formalized through approved statements on Human Sexuality and Authority in 2008 and reinforced by membership since 2010 in the Community of Welcoming Congregations; in 2015 the meeting was released from Northwest Yearly Meeting over this stance and now affiliates with Sierra-Cascades Yearly Meeting of Friends. Governance follows a Quaker consensus model (Business Meeting, Elders Committee, Clerks) with no hierarchical authority, and the meeting is currently served by an Interim Minister (Nathan Meckley, joined July 2025) while seeking a permanent full-time Released Minister.

Revenue is generated from member tithes and offerings (collected weekly in person and online via Tithe.ly), designated capital-project donations (including an active Solar Panel Project targeting ~$75,000 with an expected 30% federal tax rebate), and tiered retreat fees ranging from $45 (single off-site meal) to $230 per person for full on-site housing with meals (family cap $700). Marketing is entirely organic through the Squarespace website, Instagram, Twitter/X, SoundCloud, an email newsletter, and community events such as the annual Quaker Artisan Faire; the technology stack is non-proprietary and built on Squarespace, Zoom, Tithe.ly, Google Workspace, and SoundCloud.

Name

WEST HILLS FRIENDS CHURCH

Legal name

West Hills Friends Meeting

Website

https://westhillsfriends.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

West Hills Friends Church is a semi-programmed Quaker congregation in Southwest Portland offering weekly worship, Godly Play children's education, youth programs, Care Committees, and an annual retreat, serving local families and LGBTQ-affirming seekers in the Portland metro area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

Keywords

• Quaker worship services
• Religious community programming
• Christian spiritual education
• Interfaith inclusion ministry
• Church retreat events

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: The congregation relies on member contributions through weekly offerings collected in the foyer and online giving via Tithe.ly. Offerings support salaries for released ministers and staff, facility maintenance, and youth educational resources.
2. Donations for Capital Projects: Designated giving campaigns for building improvements such as solar panel installation. The Solar Panel Project has a goal of approximately $75,000 including roof repair and system installation, with a 30% federal tax rebate expected to offset costs. The Quaker Artisan Faire supports the Capital Building Improvement Fund.
3. Retreat Fees: Revenue from All-Church Retreat events held at Camp Meriwether. Fees range from $80 (off-site day attendance) to $230 per person (full housing with meals), with family maximums of $700. Children under 3 attend free.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

West Hills Friends Church is a Quaker congregation offering semi-programmed Sunday Meeting for Worship in person and via Zoom, complemented by Godly Play children's religious education, nursery care, youth group, care committees, an annual All-Church Retreat at Camp Meriwether, a 24/7 walking meditation labyrinth, and community events such as the Quaker Artisan Faire. Pastoral care is provided through Released Ministers, and the congregation is sustained by member tithes, offerings, designated donations, and retreat fees.

Product overview

West Hills Friends Church is a Quaker (Religious Society of Friends) congregation in southwest Portland, Oregon, offering a semi-programmed worship service combining programmed elements (music, prepared messages) with unprogrammed silence. The church's core ministry includes weekly Meeting for Worship services (in-person and via Zoom), children's religious education through Godly Play, nursery care, Care Committees for spiritual support, an annual All Church Retreat at Camp Meriwether, a meditation labyrinth, and community events such as the Quaker Artisan Faire. The church is led by released ministers (pastors) and operates with Quaker governance through a Business Meeting model. Additional services include pastoral care, youth programming, and capital projects such as solar panel installation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Meeting for Worship Weekly Sunday morning worship services held in-person and via Zoom from 10:00-11:30am. The semi-programmed service includes music, First Word reflections, prepared messages, and approximately 20 minutes of silent open worship, and is free and open to the public. Nursery care is available from 9:50am and children in K-5 are dismissed to the Godly Play program at approximately 10:30am.
• Godly Play (Children's Program) Religious education program for children in Kindergarten through 5th grade using the Montessori method and Godly Play curriculum. Children participate in story-telling, wondering activities, art projects, and snacks following initial time with parents in the worship service.
• Nursery Care Childcare services for newborns, infants, toddlers (up to age 3), and preschoolers (ages 3-5) available starting at 9:50am on Sunday mornings in the hallway of the main worship space.
• All Church Retreat Annual weekend retreat held at Camp Meriwether on the Oregon Coast, including lodging, meals, worship services, workshops, beach activities, campfire gatherings, and the West Hills Friends tradition of the 'Un-talent show.' Retreat fees range from $80-$230 per person with a $700 family maximum and free attendance for children under 3.
• Labyrinth Walking Meditation A walking meditation labyrinth located at the Maplewood neighborhood meetinghouse, available 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, and used as a tool for prayer, meditation, and spiritual reflection.
• Care Committees Small groups of 3-5 people who meet monthly for 90 minutes to two hours to provide spiritual support for individuals undergoing life transitions such as career changes, medical diagnoses, or new areas of service. The groups use Quaker group discernment processes to support members in transition.
• Quaker Artisan Faire Annual craft fair featuring handmade items from local artisans including greeting cards, baked goods, crocheted items, books, nature photography, art, and jewelry. Proceeds support the West Hills Friends Capital (Building Improvement) Fund.
• Released Minister Pastoral Services Spiritual leadership provided by part-time or full-time released ministers who are financially supported by the church to devote their time to pastoral care, community coordination, and spiritual guidance. The church is currently seeking a full-time Released Minister following Mark Pratt-Russum's departure in April 2025 and Klarissa Oh's departure in July 2022.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022QVS is a year-long Fellowship program for young adults at the intersection of spirituality and activism. WHF participates by hosting fellows during visits, providing potlucks and community introductions, and welcoming fellows to worship. QVS fellows are placed with organizations including Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility, Outside In East Clinic, and New Avenues for Youth.
• Community of Welcoming CongregationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010WHF joined this Oregon and SW Washington interfaith organization working toward full inclusion and equality for LGBTQ persons. The organization provides guidance on inclusive hospitality practices. WHF's Welcoming Ways committee (later established) connects WHF to this network.
• Sierra-Cascades Yearly Meeting of Friends (SCYMF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHF is a member Monthly Meeting of SCYMF, participating in quarterly gatherings, annual sessions, and regional Quaker events. The meeting hosts SCYMF's Winter Quarterly Gathering and contributes leaders and presenters to SCYMF programming. SCYMF's Safeguarding Policy applies to WHF's children and youth programming.
• Camp MeriwethercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCamp Meriwether, located on the Oregon Coast south of Cape Lookout, is the venue for WHF's annual All-Church Retreat (May 1-3, 2026, marking the fourth consecutive year). The camp provides modern accommodations with private bathrooms, all meals, and accommodates special dietary needs.
• Reedwood Friends ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReedwood Friends Church in Portland hosted the 2025 SCYMF Annual Sessions. WHF contributed a presenter (Peg Edera for book signing) and participates in SCYMF events co-hosted at Reedwood.
• Quaker organizations (Northwest Yearly Meeting heritage)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHF maintains connections with other Quaker meetings and organizations in the Pacific Northwest including Northwest Yearly Meeting (NWYM) history, Faith & Practice documents, and inter-Quaker discernment processes.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• First Unitarian Church of Portland: Larger progressive, LGBTQ-affirming congregation in Portland. Comparable as a competing draw for the same pool of progressive, spiritually-seeking Portlanders, though it operates a broader liberal religious program rather than a Quaker-specific tradition.
• Metropolitan Community Church of Portland: Open and affirming Christian congregation in Portland with historic LGBTQ advocacy. Comparable as a Portland faith community explicitly welcoming LGBTQ individuals; the prior pastoral home of WHF's current interim minister, indicating direct ministry ecosystem overlap.

Direct peers

• Seattle Friends Meeting: Quaker meeting in Seattle, WA affiliated with Friends General Conference. Comparable as a Pacific Northwest Friends meeting with similar unprogrammed/semi-programmed worship, peace testimony, and progressive social engagement.
• Corvallis Friends Meeting: Oregon Quaker meeting affiliated with Sierra-Cascades Yearly Meeting of Friends. Comparable as a regional Friends meeting with overlapping SCYMF programming and similar consensus-based governance.
• Multnomah Friends Meeting: Long-established unprogrammed Quaker meeting in Portland, OR. Comparable as a Friends meeting serving the same metropolitan area with similar Quaker consensus governance, peace/equality witness, and outreach to progressive seekers.
• South Mountain Friends Church: Programmed Friends congregation in the greater Portland area. Comparable as a Christ-centered, pastor-led Quaker church sharing similar worship style, family programming, and Pacific Northwest Quaker ecosystem.
• Reedwood Friends Church: Portland-area Quaker congregation and SCYMF partner. Directly comparable as a fellow programmed/unprogrammed Friends meeting sharing regional Quaker events, similar progressive theology, and overlapping member geography.
• University Friends Meeting: Friends meeting in Walla Walla, WA with roots in the historic Pacific Northwest Quaker community. Comparable as a Quaker congregation with similar pastoral/release model and Quaker peace/witness traditions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/westhillsfriends
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/west-hills-friends-meeting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about WEST HILLS FRIENDS CHURCH