Jon Watts is a Quaker songwriter and media creator. He has been called a “spiritual entrepreneur”. As a songwriter, Jon toured the world sharing stories of the Early Friends and his own spiritual journey growing up in a Quaker intentional community and attending the Quaker Leadership Scholars Program at Guilford College.
Jon’s unique success promoting his music in the early days of Youtube led him to found the QuakerSpeak video project in 2014, for which he spent six years traveling, interviewing Friends, and publishing a video every week.
In 2021, Jon embarked on a new journey: envisioning a future for Friends and online media. The resulting startup organization, Thee Quaker Project aims to bring Quakerism into the internet age.
Explore Jon’s Projects:
Explore stories of spiritual courage with your hosts Jon Watts and Georgia Sparling. A weekly Quaker podcast. Listen here.
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Jon’s seminal 2011 album about Quakers and nakedness. Listen.
Jon designed, founded, and directed the QuakerSpeak video project in 2014 to build a Quaker presence on Youtube. The project now has over 5 million views. Learn more.
Jon’s senior project for the Quaker Leadership Scholars Program in 2006. Listen here.
Latest News
Thee Quaker Podcast is here!
I am so pleased to announce, after lots of hard work, that our Quaker podcast is ready to share with the world.
Beginning May 24th, look out for weekly episodes of Thee Quaker Podcast, a show for spiritual seekers, lifelong Quakers, and everyone in between.
Will You Help Me Build the Future of Quaker Online Media?
Dear Friends, For the past nearly 3 years I have been sharing my discernment process about what is next after I left Friends Journal and QuakerSpeak in 2019. Through times of not knowing, and a global pandemic,…
My New Project Has a Name! (And a Website!)
I’m happy to report that I have officially registered the name Thee Quaker Project with the federal government as a 501(c)(3). It has been quite the process, and learning curve for me—as an artist by nature, paperwork…
My Next Project: Envisioning a Future for Quakers and Online Media
I am so pleased to announce that, after 2 years of discernment, I have found clearness on my next steps.
My Trip to Sierra Leone and Kenya with Right Sharing of World Resources
In 2019 I received a message from Right Sharing of World Resources to see if we might feel called to work together on a series of videos documenting their work supporting women in Sierra Leone, Kenya and India.
A Few Songs Occasioned Anniversary Concert
Riding donkeys into Bristol, burning instruments, cobbling shoes in the middle of a church service… the early Quakers were nothing if not dramatic. This Spring marks the 15th anniversary of my first music project, wherein I attempted…
Weekly Instrumental Studio Sessions
Dear Friends, You are invited to join me in the studio! Every Thursday 7-8pm EST
New Music: The Candle Suite
Dear Friends, Please enjoy this new recording, just released today: “The Candle Suite was completed during a time of not-knowing. It is about venturing deep into the darkness–with all that entails: disorientation, comfort, envelopment, loss of perspective….
Download the music of QuakerSpeak
Listen and download the music from QuakerSpeak
Websites that Feature “Clothe Yourself in Righteousness”
I have been a bit too busy working on video editing to continually update the “press” section of my website on the fly, as coverage comes in. Most of the attention so far has come from blogs, which (luckily) leave the posts up forever. Here are some of the blogs mentioning my project since its release:
Blog Posts
How Do We Save Quakerism?
Are your Meeting’s numbers dwindling? Do you worry that there won’t be a “next” generation to pass Quakerism on to?
Can Self-Promotion Be Spirit-Led?
When I first received the call to do this work, my core values were offended. Hadn’t I already rejected the part of myself that strives for public attention? I was so attached to my humbleness that I refused to “self-promote”. Ironically, it was my pride and self-will that got in the way of my calling to publicize this ministry.
12 Pieces of Advice for Quakers on the Internet
I recently said in an interview with Friends Journal that I would like to challenge Friends to get clear about our relationship with the internet. Getting clear would look like one of these two things: A. We…
Why You Should Listen to Eyedea
In the year 2000, when I was first getting into underground hip hop, I came across this rapper from Minneapolis who blew my mind. Edit 12.12: Eyedea was from St. Paul Eyedea was a musical prodigy, beginning…
We Don’t Need A Holiday To Give Thanks!
As Quakers, we traditionally do not honor traditions such as Christmas, Halloween, the naming of weeks and months, swearing on the Bible. Wait… what? Does anybody actually do this anymore? Nobody that I know. The Quakers I…
What is a Quaker Ministry? (What Isn’t?)
In 2006 I chose to turn to the model of Quaker ministry to inform my making music. Getting low. Being humble. Only writing songs that felt like a message from the Spirit. Knowing that the message is not my own. Attempting to be a vessel. Releasing my agenda, knowing my limited perspective. Letting go and letting God.
Support a Minister. Sell Your Meetinghouse.
Vital ministry is essential to vitality. Vital ministry breaks us open, stirs us up, inspires conversations, exposes us, makes us uncomfortable, puts us through the refiners fire. Ministers activate people. In short, without vital ministry, we are lost.
Is it Time to Strip Quakerism Naked?
Our spiritual forefathers and mothers spoke of a “Light” that was an intense spotlight, something distinctly uncomfortable, that would shine on the the dark places inside of ourselves and reveal the things that we are trying to hide. This “Light”, honestly, sounds horrifying. It is no wonder they also called it the “refiner’s fire”.
Stop Robbing Us of Your Gifts.
But here is my point: we spend too much of our lives feeling insignificant, feeling not-powerful, waiting for someone to tell us that its okay to use our voice now.
Stop waiting for cultural credentials to write your book. Write it now. Stop holding back from singing in the streets. Stop waiting for an “appropriate” message to stand up with in Meeting for Worship. Stop robbing us of your gifts.
Why Being Told I Wasn’t a Quaker Was the Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me
Yesterday my co-minister and partner in crime Maggie posted a blog entry entitled “YOU’RE NOT A QUAKER (so please stop calling yourself one)” The post has provoked some great discussion and obviously real feelings from some of…