Friends generally have always had deep reservations about the professional ministry. George Fox railed against the "hireling" priests who were in the business only for the pay and the honor. Responding to the abuses of the clergy in the 17th Century, he and his followers had no ordained clergy in their movement. Today Friends continue the conviction that all members, as they are called and led by the Spirit, are ministers. Ministry cannot be delegated to a particular class or group within the church. This concept is often called the universal ministry.

While it is the tradition of Friends not to have clergy, some eventually felt the need for designated pastoral leadership. Today many Friends continue the practice of not having any persons named pastor, while the majority have moved to a pastoral system. Referring to their forms for meeting for worship, the former are generally referred to as "unprogrammed," and the latter as "programmed." Some programmed Friends call themselves "churches" while others continue to use the more traditional term, "meeting." Also, some programmed meetings are calling themselves "semi-programmed" in that they include in their meetings for worship an open period in which any who feel led are encouraged to speak. In these meetings, it occasionally happens that the one who has come prepared to speak does not deliver it because it is not right for the meeting.

Friends whose meetings for worship are unprogrammed do at times have paid staff sometimes called "meeting secretary." The secretary's duties often are similar to the Friends pastor except they do not prepare and preach sermons in meeting for worship.