community looking at the possibilities - by philip crossan ebook

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Community Looking at the Possibilities

An in-depth discussion considering the Bible,

the Anabaptists, Messianic Believers, and others.

Philip Crossan



Crossan Publishing

PO Box 564 Sugarcreek, OH 44681

Copyright©2012 Philip Crossan. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be copied or reproduced in

any form or by any means, without express written

permission from the author, except for reviews of 100words or less.

Te information in this publication is true and

correct to the best of the knowledge of the author

and publisher. Te author and publisher disclaim any

liability in connection with any ethnic or religiousgroup or use of information.

All Scripture quotes are King James Version.

ISBN: 978-0-9848172-1-4



able of Contents

About the Author .........................................................I

Chapter 1

Nuts and Bolts ..................................................... Page 1

Chapter 2

Considering Possibilities ................................. Page 15

Chapter 3

Many Forms o Community ........................... Page 21

Chapter 4

Community in the Oldest estament ............ Page 47

Chapter 5Community in the Newest estament ........... Page 61

Chapter 6

Community in the Church Age ...................... Page 75

Chapter 7

My Visions o Community .............................. Page 87

Bibliography .................................................... Page 103



Community: Looking at the Possibilities



I

About the Author

About the Author

Philip Crossan dedicated his lie to YHVH (God)

and the risen Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) in 1998 and points

to that year as when he became converted or born

again. Philip became a Messianic Believer or some

years beore he began simultaneously attending various

Anabaptist churches. He was ordained in 2003 with a

prison ministry where he served as a pastor. He was

also a ounder and elder o Christ’s Bible Fellowship in

Canton Ohio in 2004, which is today known as Beth

Shalom Messianic Ministries.

Philip has independently studied various Hebraic

and Anabaptist Christian communal groups and has

been active with some since about 1999. He is especially interested in those who practice a more sustainable

liestyle. Philip is very motivated about sharing the

Gospel, mainly through literature.



1

Chapter 1 Nuts and Bolts

Chapter 1

Nuts and Bolts

Tis book is compiled rom several years o

studies and relationships. Tere are several modern-

day groups and intentional communities that I

mention in this book, however; I only talk about how

they unction and I do not reveal all o their identities

or several reasons. Firstly; to God be the glory,some o these groups would not want to be known

as anything more than believers who are about their

Father’s business, and they wouldn’t like it much i

other people were holding them up like some kind

o idealistic society. Secondly; some communities

are regularly bombarded with sel-invited guests




2

who behave as though they were visiting the zoo,

and I don’t want to contribute to that problem

either. Tirdly I can discuss their strong points and

weaknesses more reely with this approach.

Although I think the majority o readers will be

rom either an Anabaptist or Messianic background.Tis book is intended to reach the broadest audience

o people who believe and ollow the Messiah Yeshua

(Jesus). Tereore, I use the words Messianic or

Christian in this book in the broadest sense o the

words and have chosen in most places to use the word

Believers. Tus, I’m including all the believers in the

risen Messiah when I use these terms. I have chosen

to use the name Yeshua rather than Jesus because

that is His actual name. I’m prone to use either name

when speaking to dierent groups o people however

or a written work such as this I eel more comortable

to use His Aramaic name, Yeshua. Tis is the name

that the Messiah Himsel and all the apostles would

have used. I also use the title God to reer to YHVH

the Creator and God o the Bible. Tis is a title that

can be understood by all my readers without much

explanation.

I’d also like to point out that this book is not

a critique o any particular community or their



3

possibly unique practices. Additionally I have not

researched absolutely every little detail about every

group, and I’m sure that certain groups do things

that I do not completely agree with. I share here

cases o both good and bad. My intentions are not

to show a certain slant on community but to show all sides to some extent. I you are interested in any

o the groups I mention in this book then it is up to

you to locate and contact them personally to nd

out more about them or yoursel. While you are

at it you’ll probably realize that there are several

hundred Christian based communal groups in the

U.S. alone. Most o these groups are small. Tere

are a ew directories that list communal groups,

some list both Christian and non-Christian. One

publisher lists over 1,200 communities; however

they are not all Christian and I’m not sure how

many are. I might also point out, or those o you

who might locate and use some o these directories;

not very many o the communities that I mention in

my book would be ound in a directory. Most o the

groups I talk about are basically Anabaptist or have

branched o o some Anabaptist type o church. A

ew are Messianic groups and would share some

Anabaptist theology but also have some dierences.





4

I would also like to make it known right rom

the start that this book is not about some kind o

communistic approach to the Bible. I you have to

apply a label to what we’re discussing in this book

then the term communalism might t a little better.

Communalism is when a group or organization,typically a religious organization, operates on a

communal basis to any extent, in addition; this is done

voluntarily. Communalism could be interpreted to

mean co-ownership o possessions. But it could also

mean that the individuals in the group share their

possessions although ownership is retained by the

individuals in the group. An even simpler denition

could be ‘sharing your stu ’.

What we are discussing in this book is converted

ollowers o the Messiah who want to do more or

God and who choose or themselves to live in some

kind o community with other believers, that is why

I eel that the term “communalism” more closely ts

with what this book is about.

Tis book is also not intended to give alse utopian

type ideas to anyone. Furthermore; I do not believe,

and I do not intend to promote, any o the many

orms o communal lie as being a commandment

which becomes a requirement o salvation.



5

Among truly converted people various orms o

community lie can be a real blessing and can enable

a ministry to accomplish ar greater things or the

Kingdom o God than what a ministry ounded by

individualism could oer. I do not believe that God

wants everyone to live communally, but I do believethat God wants everyone to be in some orm o

community, meaning working within a truly Biblical

network to spread the Gospel. Tat could be as simple

as physically and nancially supporting a local Bible

based ellowship, or it could mean selling everything

you have, joining a commune and spending your lie

in ull time service to God. I’m not going to tell you

which one is right or you, because that is between

you and God. But I believe that God blesses both o

these examples, so long as they’re truly done unto

Him.

When I mention the term “community ”, I’m

talking about a group o believers who choose to

share their lives to some degree or another.

And when I use the term “born again” or

“conversion” or “converted” I’m reerring to people

who have repented o their sins and have completely

changed, or are changing, their habits and liestyle to

ollow the Messiah. Additionally a converted person





6

gives everything they have to God and will desire

ellowship and community to some extent.

I would also like to point out that community

requires love. I we don’t really love each other as

brothers and sisters in Messiah; and i we don’t

really love Messiah; then the community will ail.Tat doesn’t mean that every ailed community was

without love, and it doesn’t mean that every long term

community has love. I’m just saying that true success

requires love. We need to see the ellowship as our

amily, because according to Scripture, the ellowship

is our amily.

Matthew 12:49-50

And he stretched orth his hand toward his

disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my

brethren.

For whosoever shall do the will o my Father

which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister,

and mother.

In addition let us also remember Yeshua’s last

prayer or His disciples at the end o his personal

earthly ministry.



7

John 17:21-23

Tat they all may be one: as thou, Father, art in

me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that

the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

And the glory which thou gavest me I have given

them; that they may be one, even as we are one:I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made

perect in one; and that the world may know that

thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast

loved me.

Tere is also a verse in Acts which speaks o some

o the great blessings o love and unity.

Acts 4:33

And with great power gave the apostles witness o

the resurrection o the Lord Yeshua: and great grace

was upon them all.

Notice that “great grace was upon them all”. It

would seem that many believers want to have that

same kind o blessing, but we must examine why the

early believers had such a blessing. Te answer is in

the verses beore and aer.





8

Acts 4:32

And the multitude o them that believed were o

one heart and o one soul: neither said any o them

that ought o the things which he possessed was his

own; but they had all things common.

Acts 4:34-35

Neither was there any among them that lacked:

or as many as were possessors o lands or houses

sold them, and brought the prices o the things that

were sold,

And laid them down at the apostles’ eet: and

distribution was made unto every man according as

he had need.

Te second chapter o Acts also records the closeness

o the early believers.

Acts 2:44-46

And all that believed were together, and had all

things common;

And sold their possessions and goods, and parted

them to all men, as every man had need.

And they, continuing daily with one accord in the

temple, and breaking bread rom house to house, did



9

eat their meat with gladness and singleness o heart,

Te above verses show us a literal example that no

truth-seeker can dispute. Te early believers, at least

at Jerusalem, were living in a very close community.

Also notice the context, get out your Bible andread and you will see that these verses are talking

about two dierent time periods. Te rst period is

usually argued to have taken place just aer Shavuot

(Pentecost), and the Assembly had such exponential

growth that they had to do this, and that might or

might not have been the case. However; in chapter

our it’s a dierent period. Most likely these periods

were not very ar apart maybe a year or so, only God

knows. Te indication that I get out o reading these

verses in context is that; there probably was a need in

chapter two and that may be why they had all things

common and that time past on, but in chapter our

they looked back to the blessings they had when they

were in community and simply adopted that pattern

rom here on. Other verses in Acts also show us an

example o community: Acts 4:23-24, 6:1-6.

Tere are two extremes that usually surace when

we start talking about community in conjunction

with the above verses in Acts. Te one extreme is the





10

“Community Haters” and the other extreme is the

“Commune Only People”.

Te “Community Haters” seem to have a phobia

against communal eorts. Usually these are marginal

believers or misguided believers. Oen they have a ear

that every community minded group is a dangerouscult that is out to get them. Tis can be understandable

to a point as there have been many bad examples and

actual cults that have suraced, come and gone, that

have practiced community. Te result oen leads a

Community Hater to hate community so much that

they’ll twist Acts chapters 2 & 4 and other parts o the

Bible in an attempt to make them sound like they’re

saying something other than what they literally say.

But that doesn’t change the acts.

Te “Commune Only People” will build entire

doctrines on the above verses in Acts, about how we

all need to live in a commune. I’ve ound that many

times these people are the most giving people around,

but many are over-zealous, to a point that some don’t

take care o their amilies or themselves. Others that

might all into this category are power hungry and

want to be the boss, while everyone else serves them.

Still others might adopt an arrogant attitude, looking

down on people who don’t see things their way.



11

Te middle ground is the best place to be. We

need to recognize that there was community among

the early believers, but also not everyone was living

in a commune. rue conversion enables us to see

things in truth and talk about them in honesty;

true conversion lets us see the big picture. Tere areother verses in Acts that tell us about people living

individualistically to some extent, probably like the

“Relaxed Community Model” (which we will discuss

later). We have to read between the lines a little bit,

but in Acts 11:29 Paul made a collection rom the

assemblies outside o Jerusalem. Each man gave

“according to his ability”. I can guarantee you this; i

all the early believers co-owned everything, then no

man could’ve given “according to his ability”, because

he wouldn’t have had anything to give. My point

is; yes there is commune type community in the

Bible, but there is also a more individualistic type o

community shown as well, in addition to the nomadic

communal lie. And all three are obviously approved

o by God, or He never gave any commandment

upholding or degrading any o the examples.

However, the individualistic lie comes with more

snares and stumbling blocks. I’ve lived, to one degree

or another, all three o these examples o liestyle, and





12

as long as everyone is at the same place spiritually

and they all have the same goal and vision, then I

preer community lie. However; I’m not going to put

mysel or my amily in a position o helplessness with

strangers ruling over us, as is sometimes the case in

certain communities.Personally, I eel lie in community is much

more enjoyable. As a believer, I nd it easier to deal

with other likeminded believers rather than with

unbelievers on a continual basis. Evangelism is

dicult enough, but when we work and live among

people who do not share our values, lie in many

cases becomes more stressul. Community still takes

work. Even though we may all be believers, we will

not always agree.



13





14



15

Chapter 2 Considering Possibilities

Chapter 2

Considering Possibilities

I can see many good things in community,

but there are also down sides. So let’s consider the

possibilities o community. Let’s study what others

have done in the past, what has worked, and what

has not worked. Let’s discuss the possible blessings

o community. Let’s also think about the evangelistic value o community as well.

Imagine or a moment the possibility o a

brotherhood living in some orm o community.

Perhaps they own all property in common or maybe

they simply own the land and buildings in common.

Te taxes and upkeep are paid by the community




16

business or divided equally among the members who

might run their own small amily businesses. Te

nancial benets are obvious and their purpose is

this; each member is expected to, in some way, under

the direction o the brotherhood, take part in the

ministry o spreading the Gospel.Te rst witness to outsiders is the community

itsel. When we choose to live this way many eyes are

on us and we can be an example or the glory o God.

Te community should also practice sustainable

living as much as possible. Tis is another witness

to outsiders. When I say sustainable I mean growing

our own ood, making our own clothes, and things

along those lines, as much as realistically possible.

As we stand together and work together and meet

each others needs together and remove ourselves, as

much as possible, rom the world’s system this also

will gloriy God, in addition to lowering our cost o

living. We need to be dependent on God and each

other. We need to get away rom the excessive and

expensive ‘have it big have it now’ attitudes o the

world, which only puts people in bondage.

Here is an example o where these things all start

to show up. Let’s say a van load o brothers are sent o

to the big city or a couple weeks o street preaching



17

and witnessing, or helping another ministry. Tese

brothers have nothing to worry about. Teir bills

are already paid. Tey are covered at work; others

have volunteered to work extra. Teir wives and

children won’t eel so alone because the community

is all around them. I the brothers need somethingthey can always call home and someone will be there

to answer. And these brothers are not going out to

try and enlarged their community. Tey are simply

going out to win souls or God and to help guide

others to Bible based groups. o these brothers, the

community is where they live and its purpose is to

give them an advantage so they can spend more time

in ministry and less time earning their income. Te

last thing they want is to unnecessarily enlarge the

community, because this community is not just or

living in, it’s a home base or missionaries. And it’s

certainly not a place or lazy people to loa around

all day. It’s a place where every member will go out to

the real Work or a time and then they’ll come back

so that another group can go out.

Could that be a blessing?





18

Tis is just one o the many innumerable

possibilities o a real community o believers, and

that is what this book is about. Te goal is evangelism,

and I mean sharing the Gospel to save lost souls and

calling people out o Babylon.

Are we living in a lost and dying world?

Are these the last days?

Are we responsible or sharing the Gospel?

I so many believers say the answer to these ew

questions is “yes”, then why are so ew o them willing

to give all and ollow Yeshua? Why are so ew willing

to sacrice comorts and luxuries to save a lost soul?

Why is the bulk o the work that every believer is called

to being carried by a very small group? Why are the

majority o believers resistant to any and every orm

o community lie? Why, when there are so many lost

people in the world? Why, when community could be

used to reach so many o the lost?

Community is a tool that has been used in the

past, many times. Community is Scriptural; examples,

which we will discuss throughout this book, can be



19

ound throughout the Bible and especially in the

Gospels and in the book o Acts. Community is

historical; it has been practiced by God’s people since

beore the time o Messiah and has been used in this

“Christian Era” rom the time o Messiah unto this

very day. Even the earliest colonies o English settlersin America were communities o believers, and their

original purpose was to minister the Gospel to the

natives. Long beore that, Biblical Christianity was

spread throughout Europe and much o the known

world partly because o communal groups that were

in the habit o regularly sending out missionaries. O

course not every believer and not every assembly in

the past was involved in community. But in this book

we are talking about the assemblies and believers

that were and are involved in community. And the

question is also asked, why don’t you take part in

some orm o community?





20



21

Chapter 3 Many Forms o Community

Chapter 3

Many Forms of

Community

It’s kind o unny that most o the time when a

discussion about believers in community begins;

people automatically start thinking you must be

talking about a commune. But there are actually

several ways to interpret the term community, even

with the limited denition that I gave to the term

in the rst chapter. And that is what this chapter is

about; various orms o community.

Beore going any urther I’d like to point out that;

it doesn’t matter i we’re talking about a commune




22

or whatever else, Yeshua must be the ocus. oo

oen human nature wants to get the numbers up.

Unortunately this also happens in churches and

communities. However, people should not be allowed

to join the community unless they can show that they

do have Messiah as their ocus.At one time I thought that even people who don’t

ully serve Yeshua (marginal believers) and even non-

believers, who show interest could join a community

and the good infuence rom the real believers would

only strengthen the marginal believers and eventually

convert the non-believers. But I learned that is not

always true, at least in the more closed communal

setting. I we are not careul non-believers and

marginal believers can weaken the community more

than what the community strengthens them.

Relaxed Community

My invention o this term “Relaxed Community”

is only meant to imply that these types o communities

are not intentionally structured to operate

communally, and they are very relaxed about the

communal lie. However; they do live communally

to some degree, even though their liestyle is also

somewhat individualistic. What I’m reerring to



23

by the use o this term is a type o community that

usually rises out o a close-knit ellowship. Everybody

owns their own property and possessions. Tey all

live in their own houses. However, many o them

are neighbors. Tey would typically share their

possessions, although they would not typically practice co-ownership. Many o these people would

visit each other’s stores or businesses beore going

anywhere else to shop. Tey oen work together,

choosing ellowship and brotherly love over college

degrees or work experience and lengthy resumes. It

is also common to nd these groups contributing

to one another’s unexpected medical expenses and

other expenses as well. Te communal aspects o

these types o communities are ound in their regular

meetings; work-bees, helping each other, and opening

their homes to one another.

Community One; is an Amish church in Ohio.

Tis particular group is just one that I got to know

some o the people. Te members o this small church

live in close proximity to one another. Most o them

are armers. Te armers each owned some harvesting

equipment, but they didn’t each own everything

they needed. As a combined group all the necessary

equipment was owned by one or another o them. So





24

these armers annually harvested their crops together.

Tey started on one arm then harvested the next

one, then the next one, and so on, until everyone’s

crops were in. Most o these armers worked together

at times throughout the year helping each other.

Tis church likewise had other members o similaroccupations who regularly helped one another. Tey

also had several occasions when various members

would request help with building projects or other

projects that needed to get done quickly. Te Amish

community as a whole oen helps with und raisers

or members in need. It is not uncommon to hear

about auctions to raise unds or a school or medical

needs, etc.

Community wo; is a non-denominational

Anabaptist leaning church located in Ohio. At this

church I ound a people who helped each other with

just about everything. Many o them were together

a ew times a week or more. Several even worked

together or businesses that were owned by other

church members. Canning projects, butchering

projects, garden planting; these were normal group

activities. In addition to undraisers and workdays;

many in this group also opened their homes and

shared their own possessions regularly. Tis group



25

however put a greater emphasis on spreading the

Gospel and this was their drive behind their helping

one another so much. Because o their sharing and

giving hearts, many more brothers were able to

participate in spreading the Gospel.

Community Tree; is a Church o the Brethrencongregation. Tis church impressed me with how

quickly they met each others needs. Someone in the

church needed help with medical bills and that was

taken care o that week. Another amily was starting

a small business and the whole church pitched in and

bought many o the supplies they needed. A amily

in another church needed ood and a couple brothers

were chosen to deliver several boxes and they were

sent on the same sunday that the announcement

was made. Every week a women’s sewing group got

together to make quilts and other things, that would

be donated to needy people. Trough the summer

the church also held canning days where people in

the church gathered in the church house kitchen

and helped can each others ruits and vegetables.

Fellowship meals were held every month, which to

me was not oen enough but most churches today

don’t have any ellowship meals. Get-togethers and

work-bees brought the people closer together and





26

encouraged a very communal atmosphere. At this

church I got to know the elder (pastor) airly well

and discovered that he was very community minded.

In act the elder and his wie had, at one time, been

involved in ounding a commune type o community.

Acts-type-Community

For lack o a better term; the Acts-type-

Community is one that is hard to dene. Tese are

groups that would be similar in practice to what is

described in Acts chapters two and our. I’ve seen

several examples o communities who would claim

to all into this category, and perhaps sharing some o

those examples is the best way to explain what I mean

by inventing this term.

Community One; this group lives on a arm.

Te way they had it all set up; the land, buildings,

and equipment, was communally owned. Te arm

supplied most o the ood needed or the group, and

every able-bodied member helped operate the arm.

Tey did not sell arm products as a group. Because

the arm was used to supply the community’s ood

needs the work load was small. Each amily lived in a

house on the arm, and each amily ran their own small

amily business on or near the property. Expenses



27

or upkeep were split between the member amilies.

Tey had their own school. And even though they

did share what they had with each other, everyone

owned his own possessions, and was responsible

or his own actions and expenses. Membership was

limited to those who were converted and the groupknew very well. Tey were less interested in growing

a community and more interested in using it to share

the Gospel.

Community wo; Reba Place Fellowship located

in Evanston, IL. Tey began in 1957 in Chicago and

at some point moved to Evanston. Tere is also an

oshoot group that is still located in Chicago. Te

groups own closely located single amily homes,

apartment buildings, and commercial buildings.

Some o the houses are large and unction similarly

to communes. Other members live in the apartment

buildings. Some members have jobs outside the

community, while others work or the community

businesses.

Community Tree; in this example the group

owns everything communally. Te land and houses

are owned by the community and all the possessions

that the members use are also owned by the whole

community. Tey have a manuacturing business





28

where every member works. Daily needs, clothing,

ood, soap, and whatever else is needed, is supplied

by elected members (deacons) and paid or out o

the “community purse”. Te community purse is

where all the community’s income goes. I a member

needs something they just make their need knownand it is supplied. Any extra money at the end o

the month is used or mission work or given away

to another ministry. Although members are supplied

with houses to live in, most meals are eaten in the

community dining hall. Membership is limited to

those who show a desire and interest in their way o

lie over a course o a year or more. Conversion was

stressed and required or potential members. Upon

joining a new member would give all his possessions

to the group to be distributed, donated, or disposed

o as the church saw t. As I observed this group, I

noticed the turn over o members that came and went

was, in my opinion, too high. But o those members

who seemed to be very sincere this community is a

blessing. Tey’ve been around or about eighty years.

Community Four; I do not have rst hand

experience with this group. Tis example was relayed

by one o the community’s members. I I remember

the story correctly, this community began with our



29

amilies. Tey bought ve houses on a couple acres

a piece. All ve properties adjoined each other. Te

amilies moved into the houses and started their

ministry. Tey did not co-own personal possessions

at rst. But as time went on, and a ew more amilies

joined, the community began to become more like acommune. Tey started having co-ownership o all

possessions and they began promoting the community

more than they promoted the Gospel. In the end I

think there were een amilies living in these ve

overcrowded single-amily houses. Even the garages

o the houses were turned into living quarters. Te

leaders kept promising to build more housing, but

could not aord to. Ten several members decided to

leave, and a bad situation got worse. All the members

had previously decided to give all their possessions to

the group; they urthermore decided that i anyone

wanted to leave, the remaining members would buy

out their shares in the community. Tat was ne or

the rst ew members that le, but as the membership

dwindled, the whole thing blew apart. Tis was the

worst example o community I’d ever heard o. In the

end two or three amilies ended up getting loans and

racking up mountains o debt to buy out the others.

And we can just imagine as the members le, the





30

business’s workorce got smaller, and the ability to

buy out got smaller and smaller. Te lesson we can

learn rom this example is, once again, Yeshua must

be the ocus. In addition, it’s dangerous to promise to

buy out shares o members as they leave. I someone

gives something into the community, then it shouldremain as community property. I can understand

not wanting to send people away empty handed, in

act I’d encourage that ex-members always be sent

away with something. But I would never encourage

promising some kind o buy out. Tis isn’t the stock

market. And we can’t possibly know what the uture

income and ability o the community is going to be,

so we can’t possibly make such promises.

Community Five; Homestead Heritage located

in Chalk Blu exas. Tis group has been around

since the 1970’s. Tey have over 500 acres o land and

about 270 members living on that land. In addition

other members live on individually owned properties

nearby. Te community property is a working arm

and also has an area that’s open to the public. Tey

have several shops where members either work or sell

their products to visitors. Te community also has a

school where they teach homesteading skills. I had

the pleasure o meeting a amily rom the community



31

some years ago. As o the time o this writing I am

yet to take up their invitation to visit the community;

although several o my riends have visited. Te

community hosts an annual air or open-house event

where they demonstrate various things they do.

Community Six; the Christian Communitiesstarted by Elmo Stoll. Elmo Stoll was an Old Order

Amish bishop he also wrote a regular column in

Family Lie Magazine, beore leaving the Amish and

starting these communities. Tere were a total o

our o these communities Cookeville N, Holland

KY, Decatur N, and New Brunswick NB. Te

CC’s attracted members rom several backgrounds

Amish, German Baptists, Old Order Mennonites,

and non-plain churches as well. Te members o

the CC’s co-owned the land and buildings but not

personal possessions. Aer the death o Elmo Stoll

in 1998 all the CC’s eventually dissolved. I’m told

that there are three other communities that grew out

o that movement, one is in Scottsville KY another

is in Delano N both o which are now under the

oversight o the Old Order Mennonites, and as or

the third community I have not been able to locate it.

Community Seven; is a Messianic community

called the House o Aaron. I have not visited their





32

communities, as o the time o this writing, but I

have gone over their website a bit. Tey have our

communities in total, three in Utah and one in

Missouri. As I understand they have communal meals

in a community dining hall. Each amily lives in their

own home but the community retains ownership o the property. Te community has a thriving arm in

the Utah desert. Tey have a very interesting video

online.

Community Eight; is a Messianic community

in Idaho. It is a large arm. Tere are three amilies

living there and some single people. Te land and

buildings are owned by one amily and the other

members technically rent rom them. Tere are a

couple o houses and small cabins as well, though

I do not recall exactly how many. As I understand

there is community work in a large vegetable garden

but most everyone works outside o the community

or their income. Te amily that owns the property

actually arms the acreage or their own income.

Meetings are held in member homes and rotated each

Sabbath. Tey do not have a community purse and

seemed to be strongly opposed to the idea. Everyone

owns their possessions yet they do share the use o

their possessions with one another.



33

Campground Community

I haven’t known just a whole bunch o people who

have actually done this, but I have known a ew. Te

basic idea is one o the simplest orms o community.

I should add that these kinds o communities don’t

seem to last very long. Every now and then I hear o small groups who might buy an old campground, or

maybe buy some reclaimed strip-mine land, or some

other so-called waste land. Te members live in old

RV’s, or school buses, or mobile home trailers, or put

up simple cabins or mini-barns. Unless you live in

an RV, everyone has an outhouse (pit privy). Because

there are no permanent buildings or septic systems,

maintenance and taxes are very cheap. Members have

part time jobs, or small businesses. Tese groups

rarely have a community purse and they rarely have

co-ownership o possessions. ypically each amily is

responsible or themselves, however i a need arises

it is quickly met by the brotherhood. Te sharing o

the Gospel usually is a ocal point or these groups, as

the members oen pile into a bus or van and go street

preaching or witnessing.

Community One; the group does not have a

name but they have been reerred to as the uckahoe

Community. Te community was started in the late





34

1990’s by Alred Amstutz and was located in the U.S.,

in southern Ohio. Te group had a ew cabins and a

trailer, and another amily had a large mini-barn they

converted into a home. Tey all lived very simply.

Each house had a water pump outside, a ew steps

rom the door, they did not have electricity or indoorplumbing and they all had outhouses. I understood

that they grew some o their own ood, in addition;

they visited local stores to see when the store would

be throwing out ood that was past its due-by-date.

Everyone was sel-employed and had the reedom

to travel on short missionary journeys. Te group

started in the U.S., and continued or about two

years or so beore most o the community decided

to move to Bolivia. When I spoke with Alred about

the community in late 2007 he inormed me that the

community in Bolivia had eight amilies and some

singles in addition to the people that they minister

to. Tey also have their own school. Te community

seems to be doing better in Bolivia than what they

ever did in the U.S.

Community wo; was started by a Messianic

Jewish brother, David Cohen, who or a time had

lived in the uckahoe Community previously

mentioned. David also bought land in Bolivia and is



35

likewise building a community there. Te last time

I talked with him, he was in the process o building

three houses. His vision or the community was a very

simple arm. Members would share community work

etc. He intended to retain ownership o the property

until a core group was established.Community Tree; was started by another

acquaintance o mine who wouldn’t like his name

shared. Te community would have been Anabaptist

leaning. As I understood he bought a campground

which had some small cabins. Teir intent was to

have a community that lived very simply with a back

to basics approach. Tis ultimately led to more amily

time and time or helping others. Several people

moved there and they seemed to be doing well or a

while. As I understand the community lasted three or

our years. oday he is rethinking what to do with the

campground as his amily is currently the only amily

living there.

About the closest I’ve come to experiencing

this kind o community was as a boy. Te church

we attended co-owned a campground along with a

couple other churches. Revival meetings and week

long amily camps took place at the campground

annually. I remember days o revival meetings and





36

nights o ellowship. Te campground had a sort o

hotel-type o building and a communal dining hall,

staed by volunteers. Te most memorable events

or me were the amily camps. Most people brought

along tents or RV’s. Every evening several campres

were lit and various amilies, in a cell-group ashion,would gather together or ellowship meals. I was

deeply impacted by the adult’s conversations about

God, church, the Bible and missions. We stayed up

late into the night ellowshipping and discussing

these issues. Te mornings started with gathering

in the dining hall or breakast and devotional time,

ollowed by amily time that took us up to lunchtime.

Each amily provided lunch or themselves. Te

aernoon was spent in a revival service that lasted

into the evening time. Ten we’d break or that nightly

ellowship meal. Although such meetings only lasted

a week at a time, I’ve many times refected on how

much o a blessing this kind o atmosphere was to

me. And many times I’ve thought o how a similarly

structured community could also be a blessing. I

even tried to buy that campground several years later

with the thought o reopening it as a community.



37

Commune

In this case, I’m talking about a group o believers

who live in the same house or a building which would

resemble a large house in that it would have various

public rooms (common rooms) and the bedrooms

and bathrooms would probably be the only privaterooms in the building. “Commune” in most cases

would also mean that all meals are on a set schedule

and eaten together in the dining hall. ypically this

orm o community would also have a business where

each member would work. Commune might also

mean that all the possessions are co-owned. Tis is a

very cost eective orm o community, but it comes at

a price o great sel-sacrice.

Commune requires that you live like one big

amily. Personal time may be dicult to get. Babies

crying at night might wake up the whole commune.

Large groups o children playing together are much

louder than just a ew. I a disagreement arises

between individuals, they still have to live in the same

house. On the other hand, the benets o community

are multiplied in commune. Commune could bring

close amilies closer together. Commune will greatly

reduce living expenses. It could also be done on

a smaller piece o land than most other orms o





38

community.

Community One; when I had rst caught on to

the idea o community, I decided to open my home to

some relatives. Some people might have considered

it a commune, and I suppose it was. Tere where ve

adults at the start; by the end there were six adults,one child, and a seventh adult preparing to move in.

Everyone had their own jobs and we split expenses.

Everyone loved the idea o living in one house and

saving money on just about everything. Living costs

were cheaper and car insurance was cheaper; we also

sometimes shared cars. But everyone really did have

their own ideas, opinions, and agendas or being

there. Te whole thing lasted a total o only two and a

hal years. During that time however, everyone built

up a nice savings which was a help in many ways.

Community wo; Te Sojourners, this group

started in the 1970’s, located in Southern Columbia

Heights, in Washington, D.C. In 1971 they began

to publish an evangelical magazine called the Post

American. In 1975, when the group moved to

Washington, D.C., the magazine name was changed

to Sojourners magazine, aer the name o the

community. Tey had a community purse and lived

in common households. Te group continued to grow



39

and as I understood they developed a “neighborhood

center” and have several outreach programs. Te

magazine is still in publication today, however I’m

not sure i they still have a unctioning commune or

not.

Community Tree; I didn’t get a real good chanceto know these people. Tey were Hmong people who

had gotten in contact with a Mennonite church and

moved to the U.S. Tese Hmong people had their

own church, which had much in common with the

Mennonites. Anyway, they bought an apartment

building and built a metal building next to it, to use

as a meeting house. I got the privilege o helping with

the project and connecting the buildings together.

Everyone in the church, as ar as I knew, lived in the

apartment building. As I understood it, communal

living was part o their culture and they could very

easily see how it extended into their aith.

Nomadic Community

Tese are groups that mostly live communally

and share most or all o their possessions, sometimes

possessions are owned individually. As the name

suggests these people are nomadic and move rom

place to place.





40

Community One; Nomadic Christians is a

name that has been applied to a nameless group o

Christians living in Kenya. Tey roam rom place

to place sharing the Gospel. Tey send small groups

into Sudan to seek opportunities to share the Gospel.

I won’t say much here about these people, because o the persecution that Christians are going through in

Sudan, but I do believe these people are one o the

best examples o the nomadic groups. I’m actually

impressed by their willingness to give everything to

God. Tese people risk their lives daily to share the

Gospel.

Community wo; the Roma or Romani live

primarily in Europe. Tey are actually an ethnic

group and they are not all Christians, but some are.

Tey are one o the ethnic groups that Hitler wanted

to eradicate, during World War II over 500,000 Roma

were sent to Nazi death camps. Governments have

enslaved and persecuted these people or centuries.

Te Roma have been reerred to as gypsies, a word

that implies that they came rom Egypt. Some

scholars believe the Roma may have originally come

rom Northern India. It has also been suggested that

they were o Jewish ancestry. Some o them still live in

caravans, a covered horse drawn wagon. Some Roma



41

have settled into communities. As I understand it,

these people, although typically closed to outsiders,

are very open to sharing what they own with each

other. Tey are very strong on their traditions and

have very strong amily ties.

Radical Nomadic Community

I elt it necessary to put the ollowing groups in

a classication o their own, mostly because they

are very dierent rom the groups that I previously

mentioned. Tese examples also inspire me but

sometimes concern me. My concern is in how it’s

done and why it’s done. Most o these kinds o groups

even I would classiy as cults, but not all. Some are

devout believers who are willing to completely deny

themselves to serve God and share the Gospel. I

would not pass o every radical nomadic group.

I also want to make it clear that I’m not promoting

these groups or their way o living. However, these

kinds o groups are actually growing at a steady rate

and they are attracting enough interest and attention

that I eel I should at least mention some o them and

discuss their approach to community lie.

I’d also like to point out that none o these groups

have any connection to any Anabaptist churches or





42

Messianic groups that I’m aware o. I’ve listed the ve

best known radical nomadic groups here, but not in

any particular order. Tese groups have also had an

impact, in some way, on the larger society around

them. Tey all also have oshoot groups that grew

out o the main group as certain issues arose.Te wo-by-wos, there are at least three nomadic

groups reerred to by this name. One o these groups

traces its history back to 1895. oday that particular

group has about 600,000 members worldwide, the

majority o them live in Europe and also some o

them live in the U.S.

Te Jesus Christians have been around since 1980

they started out in Australia and today have members

in the U.S., U.K., Kenya, and India.

Te Brothers and Sisters also called the Robert’s

People started in the U.S. in 1971. oday it’s estimated

that they have around 100 members.

Te Community o Believers is a group that

started in the U.S. in the 1970’s. Tey estimate their

membership at about 10,000 members worldwide.

Tey are an international nomadic Christian

movement.

Each one o these groups is dierent and each one

unctions dierently. However, there are usually three



43

ways in which this type o community is lived out.

And most o these groups would unction similarly.

ype One; these kinds o groups typically live in

the cities. Tey nd an area that they eel is suitable

and they rent a house. Te brothers all go out and

look or jobs. Te ones that get hired quickly will bethe bread winners, while the others will do most o

the ministry work. Te sisters, o course, take care o

the house, cooking, cleaning, small children, etc. Te

brothers who minister spend the day on the streets

getting to know the people. Te group stays at their

location until they eel that their work in the area is

done. At that time they might send some brothers to

scout a new location. Ten they pack up their ew

possessions and move to the next place. Singles make

up the majority o the membership among the groups

that operate this way or similarly. Married members

usually leave aer having a child or two.

ype wo; in these groups each amily owns an

old RV, usually a camper-van, or a small motor home,

or a big van converted into a camper, which they live

in. Te group moves rom place to place, and sends

certain amilies to dierent areas or evangelistic

purposes. Tey might park their RV at a campground,

a park, rest-areas, or at truck-stops. Some would





44

even park over-night in parking lots o large stores

or shopping malls. Upon entering a new location the

man gets a temporary job. Enough money is earned

to cover basic living expenses some is set aside or

traveling and or covering periods o unemployment

during which time evangelism becomes the ocus.ype Tree; is a bit more radical than the others.

Tese groups would pitch tents in secluded locations,

or just sleep outside under the stars, or maybe sleep

in an abandoned building, or nd temporary work in

exchange or a room. Living this way is a little more

rare, it is oen done while traveling to a new location;

however, a ew groups do live this way most o the

time.

Radical Nomadic community is rare. Personally

I can see why. It is very dicult to live this way

continually. Single men could more easily live this

lie, but once they marry and children start being

born it’s more dicult. And by the time a child is

school age, it’s so hard to live like this that the parents

pretty much have to leave the community.

Te biggest problem I have with these “radical

groups” is that most have no amily lie. Historically

Yeshua and the Apostles lived this way while they

traveled, but the Apostles had houses and their



45

amilies stayed there while they were gone. In

addition they were not really gone or very long

either. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, all o them and

their people lived nomadically to, but the groups were

large enough that needs could be easily met, and the

amily lie didn’t suer or get pushed aside, not only that, they actually traveled around a small area and it

was accepted in their culture.

Living expenses are kept very low by all o

these kinds o groups, and in most cases only real

necessities are purchased. Free ood is oen searched

out at each new location. In America grocery stores

are required by law to discard all oods that have not

been sold by there due-by-date (expiration date).

Most o the time these oods are still good, but the

law requires that they be thrown out anyway. Most

o the radical nomadic groups know about this and

they visit grocery stores and ask the manager i they

could sort through and have the ood that was being

discarded by the store. Te same is true or bakeries.

Day old products are sold cheaply, and products that

are a couple days old will get thrown away, unless

someone asks to have them. Restaurants, particularly

buet restaurants, throw out ood every night,

and o course some o the groups will try and nd





46

arrangements to take the wasted ood beore it hits

the garbage can. Some groups have been known to

even si through garbage dumpsters at stores and

restaurants; a practice I’d greatly discourage and it

clearly goes against Scripture.

In some ways though I can see a great toolo missions work in the idea o radical nomadic

community. Te ability to reach the lost is multiplied

even beyond that o the commune. Because, although

this is typically a orm o commune, the groups

are smaller, the amounts o possessions are ewer,

and the mobility o the group is greater. I can see a

group o missionaries coming rom another orm o

community and living this way to a very limited extent

or a time, then returning home to their community.



47

Chapter 4 Community in the Oldest Testament

Chapter 4

Community in the

Oldest estament

When reading the anach (Old estament) i we

try and notice the culture or try and put together a

model o everyday lie in that time it really is dicult,

because it doesn’t say a whole lot in that area. Te

anach (Old estament) does give us small glimpses

into the everyday lives o the people, but we have

to look hard and pay attention. By paying attention

we can see acts o community in some degree or

another, the ollowing is just a ew o those examples.

In addition I also mention some Israelite groups who

began in the anach (Old estament) time period,




48

who may not be mentioned in the Bible.

Noah

Genesis 5:28-10:32; read the Biblical account o

Noah and his amily very careully. Ten ask yoursel

this question; how dicult would it have been to livean individualistic liestyle while sealed inside the

ark or about a year (compare Genesis 7:11 & 8:14)?

Also be sure to notice how aer the food Noah and

his adult sons seemed to have stayed together. Also

consider that beore the food they must have been

very close as well, how else could they have stayed

pure and separate rom the ungodliness that was

going on around them?

Abraham & Isaac

Genesis 12:5, 13:7-8, & 14:14 are some o the

verses which let us in on the act that Abraham was

not traveling alone. Tere are also places that tell us

Abraham was wealthy. So many people automatically

assume that Abraham’s wealth must have been or

himsel, but what they don’t realize, probably because

o lack o reading and studying the Scripture, is that

Abraham was taking care o a big group o people.

In act Genesis 14:14 tells us that among Abraham’s



49

group, notice this was aer he and Lot separated, there

were three hundred eighteen (318) trained ghting

men, that number doesn’t include the untrained men

or the numbers in the amilies o all the men either. I

we only considered the three hundred eighteen (318)

and thought about the act that most o them, andmore likely all o them, were probably married and

had children. Ten we’d come to the realization that

there would have been probably over three hundred

eighteen (318) amilies as well. Tat’s a big group. I

we calculate that every man had one wie and only

our children then we come up with one thousand

nine hundred eight (1,908) people not including

Abraham and Sarah or the unmarried adults, and

again we’re also not including the untrained men

and their amilies. Now let me ll you in on another

actor. During this time it was not uncommon or a

man and his wie to have six, eight, or more children.

And also during this time some men would take two

wives and sometimes more. So we really don’t know

how big o a group Abraham was traveling with,

but using extremely conservative numbers we came

up with one thousand nine hundred eight (1,908)

people, however the real numbers could have been

two or three times more. So Abraham’s wealth was





50

obviously being used to take care o all these people.

Abraham and his people were nomadic; they

traveled around the land that God gave Abraham.

Tey lived in tents, they were shepherds. Tey spun

wool to make clothing and tents. Tey probably

traded with some other people as well. But basiceveryday things like ood, water, clothing, garbage,

sewage. How do you think they dealt with these

things?

Tey must have lived communally to some

extent. Not every individual could have owned all

the equipment and supplies or spinning, sewing,

dying wool, looms or making cloth, equipment or

butchering and preparing and preserving oods, rope

and rope making equipment, tools or digging wells,

jars and jar making equipment, baskets and basket

making equipment, tools or metal working, tools

or leather making, equipment or making harnesses

and saddles or camels or donkeys, and hundreds o

other things. I every individual would have owned

all these things, then they would have needed a feet

o hundreds o semi-trucks to move rom place

to place. Tat sounds ridiculous, right, we know

they didn’t have semis. But we do know that they

moved rom place to place. So it’s obvious that some



51

amilies worked together. Some doing one thing and

some another but ultimately sharing their skills and

possessions with one another.

How unlike the modern world! oday, in

developed countries, particularly here in the U.S.

just about everyone has a lawn mower, two or threeautomobiles, hand-tools, power-tools, appliances

that get used once in a while, and the list goes on and

on. And all these things cost thousands o dollars

and take up several square eet o storage space. But

when we live in community it’s dierent. Te man

who’s an auto mechanic has the automotive tools.

Te woodworker has the wood working tools. Te

grounds keeper has the lawn mower and tiller. And

so on, and so on. I you need to borrow something

then you go and borrow it. What a savings on time,

space, money, and worrying about how to get it all

done. And the benet gotten rom that liestyle, more

ree time, should be spent in service to God and

amily time.

Jacob

Aer Jacob le his ather’s group, and aer Jacob

went through his ordeal with Laban, Jacob had a

really big amily. When Jacob’s children grew up they





52

all stayed together with all their amilies, everyone

accept Joseph. Jacob’s group was also nomadic. And

surely these people shared their skills and goods as

well.

MosesMoses and the Israelites were nomadic like

Abraham’s group. However, the Bible gives us the

impression that Moses’ group moved around more

than Abraham’s group did. Some sources estimate

that there might have been as many as three million

people in this group. So not every individual owned

all kinds o things; so it’s obvious that they shared

possessions, they had to. Now I’m not trying to say

that they co-owned everything, I’m just saying that

they shared what they had.

Exodus 16:18

…he that gathered much had nothing over, and

he that gathered little had no lack…

Te act that Moses’ group daily gathered their

manna together is an example o communal work

and also amily work; as each amily was responsible

to gather manna or themselves.



53

King David

Certainly the time when David was running rom

King Saul and hiding in remote places, David and his

men had to live in some orm o communal system.

Otherwise they would not have been able to avoid

Saul as well as they did. Keep in mind that these guyshad their wives and children along.

In 1 Samuel chapter 30, David was on his way

to battle. In act David and his brethren were going

to rescue their wives and children, and some o his

brethren could not go on. Tey were too weak to go

any urther. So David and the others went ahead.

And upon returning rom the battle, the Bible tells

us, that it was wicked men who said not to share the

spoils o the battle with those who stayed behind.

And David rebuked them and parted the goods

equally. Furthermore David made it a law rom that

day orward that all spoils were to be divided equally

between the people.

1 Samuel 30:21-25

And David came to the two hundred men, which

were so aint that they could not ollow David, whom

they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and

they went orth to meet David, and to meet the people





54

that were with him: and when David came near to the

people, he saluted them.

Ten answered all the wicked men and men

o Belial, o those that went with David, and said,

Because they went not with us, we will not give them

ought o the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wie and his children, that they may

lead them away, and depart.

Ten said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren,

with that which the Lord hath given us, who hath

preserved us, and delivered the company that came

against us into our hand

For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but

as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his

part be that tarrieth by the stu: they shall part alike.

And it was so rom that day orward, that he made

it a statute and an ordinance or Israel unto this day.

Te Sons of the Prophets (9th Century BC? – 8th

Century BC?)

Te main Biblical reerence that I’m going to use

or this group is 2 Kings 6:1-7 & 4:38-44, however;

there are other verses that I encourage you to nd on

your own, just do a study on the lives o Elijah and

Elisha and you will nd them.



55

Te Sons o the Prophets were the ollowers o

Elijah and Elisha. Te communal attitude o this

group is easily seen in 2 Kings Chapter 6, especially

in verses 2 & 3. In these verses the whole group wants

to move together to an area along the Jordan River,

urthermore they are asking Elisha to come andlive with them. Te Simplistic attitude o the group

is easily seen in the 5th verse o 2 Kings Chapter 6,

reerring to the act that they borrowed some o

the tools they needed rather than running out and

buying them. An example o a communal meal is

given in 2 Kings Chapter 4. In verse 39 and verse 42

is an example o sharing among the brotherhood.

Other historical sources (see Bibliography) tell us

that there were at least three o these communities.

Tey were located in Bethel, Jericho, and Gilgal, the

Bible also makes reerence to them. We may not

know exactly to what extent this group practiced

communal living, but we can see it in the Biblical

narrative alone, then upon taking into consideration

the rest o the Scriptures and the obvious history o

God’s people, it’s not hard to see.

Te Rechabites (9th Century BC – 6th Century BC?)

Te Bible introduces us to this group in Jeremiah





56

chapter 35, and 2 Kings 10:15-28, and reers to them

in several other places. History tells us the Rechabites

existed mostly unchanged or more than two

hundred y years. Teir history seems to become

unclear around the time o the Babylonian exile in

the 6th

Century BC. However, Rechabites had specialduties in the emple that was built aer the return

rom exile.

Te Rechabites strongly opposed Baal worship.

Tey rejected all luxuries, the settled liestyle, and

religious political corruption. Living as a nomadic

communal group they dwelled in tents and moved

rom place to place in the land. Another practice they

maintained, which was similar to the Nazarites, the

Rechabites would not drink wine; however their vow

was or lie.

Te Jews Previous to Yeshua’s ime

In this case I’m reerring to the Israelite group in

Judea about the time just prior to the Intertestamental

period, and the Intertestamental period itsel, and

continuing on through the time o Yeshua.

I a young man wanted to get married one o the

things he did was; he had to talk with his ather rst.

Various things were done, but typically one o those



57

things was that the young man built a “mansion”. A

mansion is a room. It’s a room built on to his ather’s

house. Te young man would labor on his room and

when he thought he was nished his ather would

inspect it. Te ather would either approve the room

or give the young man urther direction. But whenthe room was nished the young man would go

get his bride. Some sources say that normally the

newlyweds would live in their mansion, their room,

or their entire married lie; other sources say some

newlyweds would live there or only their rst year

o marriage, yet others claim up to ve years. But

either way, they would sleep in that room with their

children (i they were there that long) and that room

was their private space, their apartment. Te ather’s

house would have many mansions. Tere was a large

main room, a sort o living room and dining room all

in one. Te kitchen was in the back, although most

cooking was done outside. Te mansions were added

on as needed. I the ather had ve married sons then

there would be ve mansions. I there were eight or

ten sons then there were eight or ten mansions. Te

sons would normally all live in their ather’s house

along with their wives and children as long as there

was room. When the Father died the eldest son got the





58

house and his brother’s sons, as they began to marry,

would have to go and build their own houses. But it

was not uncommon to nd a house lled with three

and our generations living together on a continual

basis.

Essenes (2nd Century BC – 2nd Century AD)

Tis was a communal order o Jewish men.

Teir communities were located in the area reerred

to as Palestine and also in Syria. Teir estimated

membership seemed to stay around 4,000 members.

New members joined upon renouncing wealth and

material possessions. New Members came not only

rom the outside but also rom among the orphaned

children the society adopted, and rom reed slaves.

Te Essenes condemned slavery and bought slaves

only to ree them. In addition; neither the reed slaves

nor the adopted children the society raised, none o

them were obligated to join the order.

A novice member would have a probationary

period o three years beore being allowed to become

a ull member. New members would be baptized by

ull immersion upon joining the Essenes; this was

also practiced by most other Jewish groups o the

period. Tis practice was also adopted by John the



59

Baptist and continued into the ormation o the early

assemblies or churches.

Te main belies and practices o the Essenes were;

a love or God, virtue, and human lie. Tey practiced

community o goods (co-ownership o possessions);

all property was handed over to the community upon joining. Distribution o goods was made as needed.

Te Essenes were strict Sabbath keepers, and strict

about cleanliness. Tey wore white clothing. Tey

prohibited animal sacrice, swearing oaths, making

weapons, and participation in commerce. Teir

communities were sel-sucient arms.

Terapeutae

Tis was a Jewish group which thrived during the

rst century AD. Te Terapeutae are only described

in De vita contemplativa by the Hellenistic-Jewish

philosopher Philo Judaeus. Te group’s members

lived in separate rooms. Tey mainly spent their

days studying Scripture and also in prayer. Members

only ate an evening meal where the men and women

sat separately. On the Sabbath the members met or

their communal meal and a time o discussion and

singing. Religious meetings would last most o the

night, at times possibly going into the early morning





60

hours.

Te Terapeutae had many things in common

with the early Christian monastic orders. Some

scholars believe that the Terapeutae may have been

Jewish-Christians, however most insist that they were

strictly a Jewish group. Some have suggested that thegroup may have separated rom the Essenes.

Other Groups

Tere were actually several other communal

groups which existed during anach or Old

estament times. I’m just going to list some o these

other groups here and the interpretation o what

their name means. I encourage you to look up urther

inormation on your own.

Hashshaim (the “silent ones”)

Hasidim Harishonim (the “ancient saints or

elders”)

Nigiyye Had Da ‘ath (the “pure o mind”)

senium (the “modest or chaste ones”)

Wattiqim (the “men o exactitude”)



61

Chapter 5 Community in the Newest Testament

Chapter 5

Community in the

Newest estament

Te Rabbis

During the Intertestamental Period and

continuing through the lie o Yeshua, and beyond,

was the Jewish practice where a person, who was

highly educated in Scripture, or thought to be a

prophet, or a spiritual or religious teacher, was called

a rabbi. Te word rabbi literally means “my master”.

It also reers to “my ather”, speaking o a religious

ather. Yeshua specically tells us:




62

Matthew 23:8-10

But be not ye called Rabbi: or one is your Master,

even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

And call no man your ather upon the earth: or

one is your Father, which is in heaven.

Neither be ye called masters: or one is yourMaster, even Christ.

What these rabbis did was teach people how to

live and behave according to their interpretation o

God’s Word. For the most part, a rabbi would have

disciples who ollowed him around and listened to his

teaching. His disciples would also eat with him and

in many cases sleep in the same house; they would

typically live as closely as possible. Te rabbis disciples

were more than just students, their relationship

would be much like that o a amily, a ather and his

children. Te disciples wanted not only to know what

the rabbi knew but to be what the rabbi was. As a

result, communities o ollowers developed as the

rabbis ollowing grew. Groups such as the Pharisees,

Sadducees, Herodians, Essenes, Zealots, and all the

others, would have ormed in this way. When Yeshua

condemned the actions o the Pharisees, He was not

condemning what they supposedly stood or. Instead



63

He was condemning the act that they held rituals

and religious traditions in higher regard than what

they did the people. Furthermore they didn’t always

practice what they preached, even though they

claimed to be righteous.

When we read about John the Baptist, we see thathe not only came baptizing but he also had disciples,

and had no problem with his disciples leaving him to

ollow Yeshua.

John 1:35-39

Again, the next day afer John stood, and two o

his disciples;

And looking upon Yeshua as he walked, he saith,

Behold the Lamb o God.

And the two disciples heard him speak, and they

ollowed Yeshua.

Ten Yeshua turned, and saw them ollowing, and

saith unto them, What seek ye? Tey said unto him,

Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,)

where dwellest thou?

He saith unto them, Come and see. Tey came

and saw where he dwelt, and abode with Him that

day: or it was about the tenth hour.





64

John’s disciples would not have been any dierent

rom any others, in how they ollowed him. Tey

would have lived in the desert with John, and ate

whatever he ate. Tey most likely would have dressed

as he dressed. Tey would have assisted him and

listened to his every word in an attempt to one day be like him. Likewise the same was true with Yeshua.

His disciples ollowed Him in the same way.

Tere was never a rabbi who ever had the

ollowing that Yeshua has. Te Gospels tell us about

Yeshua appointing twelve as apostles. His ollowing

grew and He later appointed another seventy (see

Luke chapter 10). Tese other seventy are not

typically viewed as apostles. Yeshua’s ollowing was so

large that He would go to remote places to deliver His

sermons. When John the Baptist was killed, Yeshua

sailed away to be alone but when He landed on the

shore there were people waiting or Him to hear His

Words (see Matthew 14:13-14). Although Yeshua

had this huge ollowing not all these people were

real disciples, but many did regard Him as a prophet.

However; many o those ollowers had worldly things

in mind and not the spiritual things that Yeshua

was ultimately talking about. By the time o the

Crucixion, Yeshua’s ollowing was so large that His



65

enemies had to arrest Him in the middle o the night

just beore the Passover, when Jerusalem was lled

with Jews rom all over, who probably did not know

about Yeshua’s miracles or teachings. All this because

they knew there would be a riot i this were done

during the day, when everyone could see and hear o it. But it would also seem that once Yeshua was in the

hands o the rulers, almost everyone abandoned Him

completely. And so unknowingly these men took part

in the ulllment o prophecy. Yeshua was crucied

in the morning. Te Bible says the third hour, about

9:00 AM in today’s terms. By the time anyone else

really knew what was happening He was completely

in the hands o the Romans. Aer His resurrection,

the Book o Acts tells us about the community o the

believers. How they encouraged one another, and

shared their possessions.

Communities continued to sprout rom what

came to called Christianity up to the beginnings o

the Catholic church, in the early ourth century. Even

through the Middle-Ages and through the Reormation,

communities o believers were established.

Qumran Brotherhood (1st Century AD)

In 1947 the Dead Sea Scrolls were ound. Since





68

Luke 21:37

And in the day time he was teaching in the

temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the

mount that is called the mount o Olives.

John 18:1-2When Yeshua had spoken these words, he went

orth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where

was a garden, into which he entered, and his disciples.

And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the

place: or Yeshua oimes resorted thither with his

disciples.

John 10:40

And went away again beyond Jordan into the

place where John at rst baptized; and there he abode.

Being that Yeshua lived a homeless and nomadic

liestyle, His disciples would have also lived like this.

Yeshua taught His disciples not to worry about where

they would sleep, or what they would eat, or what they

would wear. Yeshua taught His disciples to not even

think about these things, that God would provide as

long as they did their part.



69

Luke 12:22-34

And he said unto his disciples, Tereore I say

unto you, ake no thought or your lie, what ye shall

eat; neither or the body, what ye shall put on.

Te lie is more than meat, and the body is more

than raiment.Consider the ravens: or they neither sow nor

reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and

God eedeth them: how much more are ye better than

the owls?

And which o you with taking thought can add to

his stature one cubit?

I ye then be not able to do that thing which is

least, why take ye thought or the rest?

Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not,

they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in

all his glory was not arrayed like one o these.

I God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the

eld, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much

more will he clothe you, O ye o little aith?

And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall

drink, neither be ye o doubtul mind.

For all these things do the nations o the world

seek aer: and your Father knoweth that ye have

need o these things.





70

But rather seek ye the kingdom o God; and all

these things shall be added unto you.

Fear not, little fock; or it is your Father’s good

pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves

bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens thataileth not, where no thie approacheth, neither moth

corrupteth.

For where your treasure is, there will your heart

be also.

Notice in the above verses Yeshua was talking to

all the disciples. Yeshua taught His disciples to sell

o unnecessary items, and some people would even

say, He taught them to sell absolutely everything. I

personally believe Yeshua’s teachings are that we sell

whatever we don’t need, which in modern America

is just about everything, and give the money to the

poor.

Matthew 19:21-24

Yeshua Said unto him, i thou wilt be perect, go

and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou

shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and ollow

me.



71

But when the young man heard that saying, he

went away sorrowul: or he had great possessions.

Ten said Yeshua unto his disciples, Verily I say

unto you, Tat a rich man shall hardly enter into the

kingdom o heaven.

And again I say unto you, It is easier or a camelto go through the eye o a needle, than or a rich man

to enter into the kingdom o God.

Luke 12:33

Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves

bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that

aileth not, where no thie approacheth, neither moth

corrupteth.

Luke 18:22-24

Now when Yeshua heard these things, he said

unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing : sell all that thou

hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt

have treasure in heaven: and come, ollow me.

And when he heard this, he was very sorrowul:

or he was very rich.

And when Yeshua saw that he was very sorrowul,

he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter

into the kingdom o God!





72

Luke 19:8-10

And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord;

Behold, Lord, the hal o my goods I give to the poor;

and i I have taken any thing rom any man by alse

accusation, I restore him ourold.

And Yeshua said unto him, Tis day is salvationcome to this house, orsomuch as he also is a son o

Abraham.

For the Son o man is come to seek and to save

that which was lost.

Tese are just a ew verses that show us how

counterculture Yeshua’s teachings were then, and are

today. Yeshua taught His disciples to live a very simple

lie. Living a nomadic liestyle Yeshua and His disciples

would have also had to have lived communally. Tis

is also supported in the Scripture. Another example

is in John 12:6 which tells us that Judas was in charge

o the money bag; so they obviously did the common

purse thing when traveling.

Te homeless and nomadic mode that Yeshua

used is probably the most eective orm o missionary

work. oday many missionaries spend more time

raising money to support their mission than what

they actually spend in the mission eld. Te idea



73

o living by aith, as taught by Yeshua, is seldom

practiced these days. By taking this mode Yeshua and

His disciples were able to travel more reely and they

didn’t worry about stepping on someone’s spiritual

toes either. Many modern mission boards or church

positions are paid positions and the ministers think they have to be careul not to upset the people who

ultimately pay their salary. But not taking thought

o these things, like Yeshua, would result in the

whole o Scripture being preached. No candy coated

preaching went on with Yeshua. He told the truth

and many people were oended at Him, at one point

most o His ollowers le because o this, read John

6:66. However Yeshua was able to weed out the alse

disciples, and ultimately, in the book o Acts, we see a

stronger early church because o this.




75

Chapter 6 Community in the Church Age

Chapter 6

Community in

the Church Age

Christian Monastic Orders

I’m not really going to say much about these

groups in this book, but I will say this; there wereseveral groups that would all into this classication.

Some o those groups were good, some were bad,

some were real devout believers and some were not.

Most o these groups aded into Catholicism, some

did not. Tey were all communal and there were

possibly hundreds o them. Beyond that, I won’t say




76

anymore here. I’ll leave it up to the individual reader

to search out urther inormation. My main ocus in

this chapter is going to be on the communities that

have been largely classied as Anabaptist and groups

who were never part o the Catholic church.

Waldensian Brethren

Tere are actually two histories presented or

the Waldensians. One is that the group originated in

the twelh century with a man named Peter Waldo

and by the eenth century they were all destroyed

by the Catholic crusades against them. Te other

story, the one that ts with actual history, is that the

Waldensians existed many centuries prior to Peter

Waldo, and there are still certain branches o the

Waldensians today.

In Italy in the area known as Piedmont, the

mountainous area bordering France, there have been

these people reerred to as “valley dwellers” or “people

o the valleys”, Valdenses. Some sources claim they’ve

been there dating back to the rst century. But in

the ourth and sixth centuries there apparently were

Catholic crusades against a religious group living

in these areas, and these people were reerred to as

Valdenses or Waldenses. Tese Waldenses lived very



77

simply and mostly communally. Tey remind me o

Hebrews 11:36-40, which I encourage you to read.

Tese Waldensian Brethren lived in caves or simple

structures or houses. Teir clothing was made o un-

dyed wool, whatever color the sheep wore, is whatever

color the Waldensians wore. Tey did not wastemoney on things that were not a necessity to lie.

Tey met daily or prayer or some kind o religious

meeting, and they hand-copied and translated

Scriptures. We are also inormed by history that they

kept the Sabbath although we are not inormed as to

which day they believed the Sabbath was. I’ll just ask

you a question though. I the Catholic church taught

that sunday was the Sabbath and the Catholic church

persecuted the Waldensians or keeping the Sabbath;

Do you think the Waldensians must have been

keeping a dierent day than the Catholic church?

Among the Waldensians some brothers would go

out on missionary journeys and the other brethren

at home took care o their houses i necessary.

Missionaries went out empty-handed, trusting God

to supply each need. Tey wandered rom place to

place and house to house, possibly at times sleeping

outdoors. Food was sought as a necessity and not to

supply the appetite, days o asting may have been out





78

o necessity at times as well as done unto God. Tese

people were serious about spreading the true Gospel

and their communities and sel-denial helped enable

them to do much more.

In the twelh century a rich merchant in Lyons,

France, who was later given the name Peter Waldo,became convicted when reading the Bible. In

obedience to the command to “sell all”, he took all

his possessions and sold them. With his money he

had the Bible translated into the common language;

then he gave everything else away to the poor. A

group o ollowers grew up around Peter, and the

people o the area called them “the Poor Men o

Lyons”. Teir doctrine was very much in line with the

Word o God, but certain things lacked. At rst, Peter

sought license rom the Catholic Pope to preach and

he apparently got his license, or a time. Eventually

Peter was approached by some o the missionaries o

the Waldenses. Te Waldenses expounded the Word

to him more perectly. Peter’s group preached the

Word o God more reely not taking any concern o

what the Catholic church had to say. From their start

Peter’s group lived communally and nomadically,

they were homeless. Selling o possessions and giving

away wealth was part o joining the brotherhood.



79

Sharing their ew remaining possessions and moving

rom place to place with little more than the clothes

on their backs they preached the Gospel. Aer

some time the Poor Men o Lyons merged with the

Waldensians, who continued to live communally just

as they always had. Peter became the reormer o the Waldensians, who reerred to him as “Peter the

Restorer”. Tis unication o the two groups brought

in a revival that spread across Europe like wild re.

More Catholic crusades were led against the

Waldensians, but because o this their doctrine

was spread urther. Tere were Waldensians in

Italy, France, Spain, England, Germany, Austria,

Switzerland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and

the Netherlands. It is said that Waldensians have

been throughout all o Europe. Te Waldensian

communities helped give rise to the Hussites, Swiss

Brethren, Hutterites and many others.

Some Waldensians immigrated to America with

colonies in Delaware in the seventeenth century and

their largest settlement I know o being Valdese,

North Carolina in the nineteenth century. Although

much has changed, today there are still some

Waldensian communities and churches. Tere are

also Waldensians in South America; Argentina and





80

Uruguay. I’m not really sure how many Waldensians

hold to their groups original belies.

Lollards

In the 14th Century John Wyclie translated

the Bible to English. He also began teaching a very simplistic approach to Christianity. A ollowing grew

around John Wyclie, the group was reerred to as the

“Poor Preachers” and as “Lollards”. Te word Lollard

comes rom a Dutch word similar to the English

word “Lullaby”, they were reerred to by this name

because o the way they prayed. Te Lollards believed

in and practiced voluntary poverty and sharing what

possessions they had. Tey traveled around preaching

and passing out portions o Scripture and at times

even complete hand copied Bibles when available.

Te Lollards believed the Bible to be the only

rule o aith and practice. Tey opposed war, the

Catholic church, and the worship o images. Tey

urthermore believed in a classless society and

equality. Te Lollards continued into the Protestant

Reormation and merged with some Anabaptists, and

ormer ollowers o Balthasar Hubmaier, in or around

England, and this gave rise to the English Baptists.

From the English Baptists came the American



81

Baptists and all their branches.

Bohemian Brethren

Greatly infuenced by both the Lollards and the

Waldensian Brethren, in the early 15th Century, the

Bohemian Brethren began to rise. Teir communitieswere mixed in how they unctioned. Some had a

common purse while others le things in the hands

o the individual amilies. Te Bohemian Brethren

lived simply and they were equally dedicated to

evangelism.

Hutterian Brethren

Tese were Anabaptist reugees lead by Jacob

Widemann rom Germany and the yrol who came to

Nikolsburg, Moravia, seeking reuge beore being told

to leave. Widemann’s group was not accepted among

the Anabaptists o Nikolsburg, who were lead by

Balthasar Hubmaier. Many other penniless reugees

came to the area and Hubmaier’s group apparently

would not give aid to any. Jacob Widemann’s group

previously practiced community o goods to some

extent; this became a necessity as so many reugees

were coming into the area.

In 1528 Widemann’s group, 200-300 people, were





82

orced to leave Nikolsburg. Tey camped in a vacated

village called Bogenitz. Tey chose “ministers o

temporal needs”. Te ministers spread a cloak on the

ground beore the people and everyone laid what ew

things they had in a pile on that cloak. Tis was the

beginning o community o goods (co-ownership o possessions) with these people and a new church or

assembly, the Bruderho (the place o brothers). Tis

group eventually came to be known as Hutterites.

Te name Hutterite was applied by their persecutors,

aer the name o one o their most popular ministers,

Jacob Hutter.

Te Hutterite communities were a place o

spiritual reuge or many, even though they were

moved rom place to place. Having much in common

with the Waldensians the Hutterian Bruderhos were

simple yet at times Hutterite doctors were sought

out and Hutterite handicras and workmanship

was considered some o the best. Te Hutterite

colonies sent out many missionaries “yearly”, as the

old writings say. Te missionaries traveled through

surrounding countries going as ar as what their

language skills permitted them to communicate.

oday all the Hutterite colonies are located in the

northwestern United States and in Canada.



83

In Germany in 1920, a community called the

Society o Brothers was ounded, which would later

also be called the Bruderho Communities and the

Bruderho Movement. Te ounder o this group

was a man called Eberhard Arnold. Inspired by the

doctrines and ideas o the Hutterites o long ago thisgroup ormed unaware that there were still Hutterite

colonies in existence. Some time later Eberhard got

in contact with the Hutterites and was eventually

ordained as a Hutterite Elder, and was thought o as

a reormer. Te Society o Brothers moved around a

bit beore settling in Paraguay, then moving to the

eastern United States. During their time in Germany

and in England, during World War II, they seem

to have had much zeal. Tey urthermore gave aid

to many Jewish reugees, while in England, and

helped them prepare or lie in the Kibbutz (Jewish

communal arms in Israel).

Tere are also several other spin-o groups rom

the Hutterites. I’m not amiliar with very many o

the others. Another spin o group is in Japan and

another one is located in Australia; there are a ew

others in the U.S. and Nigeria. Although I have not

been able to veriy it, I’ve heard there might also be

another spin-o group in India.





84

Zoarites

Te Separatist Society o Zoar also known as the

Zoarites was a communal group in nineteenth century

America. Tis is a group that somewhat impressed

me in my early walk with the Messiah as I began to

study church history and communal societies o thepast. But as with so many other groups some o their

practices I ound to be unimpressive.

Te Zoarites are a group that we really don’t

know that much about. Tey did not do any extensive

writings at all. Some discourses by their ounder

Joseph Bimeler were written down or a dea member

to read but not much else. Other people wrote about

them but they themselves wrote very little. Tere

are many photos available o these people and part

o their communal town still stands in Ohio. Tey

came to the U.S. in 1817 and basically died out as

a communal society by 1898. Some o their ormer

members continued to live in the old village until

much later.

Teir original property was 5,500 acres and their

original group was about three hundred members.

Te group did not observe any Sabbath at all, a

practice I disagree with. Tey had a church service

on sunday out o custom but they put no special



85

emphasis on sunday at all. Tey likewise did not

celebrate Christmas, Easter, or any other traditional

Christian holidays. Each morning a clay horn made

to resemble a ram’s horn was blown to call everyone

to communal work. Te group had no evangelistic

outreach at all; but they ran a hotel and various otherbusinesses, believing that through these they would

come into contact with others and by the testimony

o their own lives and actions be an example.




87

Chapter 7 My Visions o Community

Chapter 7

My Visions of

Community

Te ollowing are some brie accounts o

hypothetical communities. Tey are my personal

ideas and opinions o how a community could be

run. I’ve taken into consideration many things I’ve

seen in other communities. Tose things that I think

do not work very well, I’ve discarded. Tose things

that I think do work well, I’ve included. O course my

hypothetical community, like any other, cannot work

correctly without God at the center.




88

Community One; this community is modeled aer

the Relaxed Community. Basically all the members

live as riends and neighbors in close proximity

to each other, perhaps in the same neighborhood

or ten mile radius. Every amily owns their homes

and possessions. Everyone has common belies andpractices thereore they choose to live closer. Te

thing that brings them together is the community

center.

Te community center is a building that can be

used or religious services etc. but also could contain

a private library, and bookstore, perhaps even a place

to exercise. Ministry oces could be a good idea. Te

community center should be a place that people go to

oen and or various reasons, not just a once a week

church. Tere should be a rental hall with kitchen

available to members o the community center.

Maybe the center could even house a caé.

Perhaps the community center houses the

ellowship hall or church meeting place. Similarly

believing ministries within the community might

use the oce suites within the building as well. For

example maybe Mr. A has a ministry dedicated

to teaching the youth. While Mr. B has a ministry

dedicated to teaching Bible study and Biblical history.



89

Tey could both have space in the community center

building and both participate in the weekly church or

ellowship even though neither is the ocial leader

o the church or ellowship. Perhaps even the weekly

ellowship is led by someone else; Mr. A and Mr. B and

their amilies attend services there and are memberso the community center. I think a small plaza or strip

mall type o building would work best or the actual

community center building. Te church/ellowship

would be in one area with the other ministries oces

in a separate area signiying that they are in act

separate.

Perhaps in this kind o community we can see

more people desiring to participate. Yes it could

lead to a bit more diversity than desired as well. Yet

I can see more believers in today’s modern America

gravitating toward something like this. Te necessary

component is a core group that upholds the values

etc. that the community itsel should portray. New

members oen imitate the core group as they try

to nd their place in a ellowship. It would be much

the same in this situation. As long as the group size

does not grow too quickly, the core group’s values

should remain intact. Although in this type o

community the majority o amilies would live in





90

their own homes; some could come together into

small commune situations as well. Also reaching

out to other communities and networking with

them to some extent would help stabilize this type o

community as well.

Community wo; this community is mostly

modeled aer the Acts-type-Community and also

the Campground Community. Membership would

be limited to those converted believers who show

that they have a deep love or Yeshua, their neighbor

and the sharing o the Gospel. Each member would

be required to have a desire to reach others and to

take part in local missionary trips that might occur

every month. Te trips might be or a day or two,

a weekend, a week, or possibly as long as a month,

maybe longer, depending on what the community and

the brothers involved can aord. Te trips and other

matters would be discussed and decided at an ocial

monthly brothers meeting, where each brother has a

voice and decisions must be unanimous, no majority

votes.

Concerning the idea o a unanimous vote; not

every brother will always agree right away. But within

a close community which has real brotherly love, it



91

will be easier to openly discuss the issues with those

brothers who are in disagreement. In unctioning

this way perhaps the majority would see another

perspective and be won over to the same decision as

the minority or perhaps the minority will understand

the issue dierently and change their minds and ollow the majority. But i no decision can be reached then

the issue can be put on hold or set aside completely

or in some cases the leadership can make the nal

decision. Also keep in mind that the Bible does not

require decisions to be run past the brotherhood, but

actually sets the decisions on the laps o the leaders.

Tere should not be any hierarchical structure,

but there does need to be leadership. Te Bible gives

us two basic positions o leadership within a singular

ellowship; elders (also called bishops or pastors) and

deacons, and these positions are always plural (more

than one) or each individual ellowship. Te elders

are the leaders but not the rulers. Tey are to guide

the ministry and teach sound doctrine and correct

errors. Te deacons are also teachers and leaders but

their position alls under the authority o the elders.

In Scripture the ocus o the deacons is more on

material help. Tese elders and deacons together lead.

Te Bible does also indicate that the elder’s decisions





92

are the nal authority in the congregation. However,

by including the brotherhood and discussing most

issues the elders will be better equipped to lead

and everyone will eel better being including in the

decision making process.

Earlier I mentioned monthly mission trips.Funding or those missionary trips might be paid or

out o a und that the community maintains solely or

this purpose. Member amilies could each contribute

to the und. Members rom other ellowships would

also be encouraged to contribute to the und.

Each amily could own their own small amily

business or even work outside the community i

necessary. It would be encouraged that businesses

be kept small enough that members do not need to

hire employees, but rather each amily would ully

sta their business with their own amily members

or i needed possibly other community members. Or

there could be a community business where most

members or all the members work.

Tere would be a property o y, one hundred,

or one thousand acres in size. Te amount o land

would depend on the number o people and intended

land use. Tere might be several cabins or mobile

homes, each house having its own one or two acre



93

parcel surrounding it. On each parcel there would

also be a small barn, its use would be le up to

what the residing amily needed to use it or. Each

parcel, i legal in that area, would have an outhouse

or composting toilet rather than a septic system.

Te parcels could be spread out and not necessarily all bunched together in the middle o the property.

I would at least encourage some green space, trees

and wildlie habitat, between each parcel. In addition

the houses would not have electricity ran to them

or maybe they could have limited electricity, or

example; the houses might have electricity in the

kitchens. Te heat source or each home would

be a wood stove and possibly an electric heater or

backup. Te land and the buildings would be owned

by the community. An individual amily would each

get the use o a house on its parcel. Every member

o the community would own his own possessions

and each would be responsible or themselves. Each

amily would be responsible or their own bills,

ood, etc. Each member amily could pay rent to the

community. Te rent would be an estimated average

o annual maintenance and taxes divided by twelve

months, then divided by the number o member

amilies. Everyone would be encouraged to share





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their possessions but not required.

Te benet rom the community retaining

ownership o the land and buildings is; i someone

leaves or gets put out o the community, then the

community can continue to control the uture use

o the land. Te benet o cabins or mobile homesrather than traditional houses is; lower taxes, lower

initial investment and less maintenance. In most

areas mobile homes, pole buildings, buildings

built on piers, are considered to have temporary

oundations and usually have much lower taxes.

Likewise a composting toilet rather than a septic

system is much less expensive. Currently in my area

a small septic system costs over ten thousand dollars,

and I’ve heard some people say they’ve spent up to

twenty thousand dollars. But an outhouse can be built

or under a hundred dollars and it’s legal here (at least

at the time o this writing). And i someone struggles

with the outhouse idea then use a composting toilet,

prices start out around eight hundred dollars. Te

issue o limited or no electricity in the houses is; it’s

very expensive to wire a whole community. And it’s

something that can be easily lived without, just look

at the majority o the world. Although i a mobile

home has good wiring already in it, then don’t eel bad



95

about occasional use o the electricity. My suggestion

o one or two acre parcels is that it’s more than big

enough or most amilies to grow all their ood,

including small meat animals. Yet the parcels are

also small enough to keep the houses close. Everyone

retaining personal ownership o possessions ratherthan community o goods or co-ownership would

have the opportunity to share their goods voluntarily

rather than by orce. Additionally; i someone would

leave or get put out o the community, then they

wouldn’t go away empty-handed. oo many times,

I’ve known o ex-community members, whose old

communities had co-ownership o goods and who

have been asked to leave their old communities;

these people gave everything they owned to the

community when they joined and have been sent

away empty-handed. Te empty-handed ones in

many cases become some o the worst enemies o that

community. But o communities whose ex-members

retained their personal possessions upon leaving,

usually because they never practiced co-ownership

o goods, they seem to heal quicker. Likewise also;

communities with co-ownership o goods, when a

member is put out, he might come back with a alse

repentance due to economic pressure in order to be





96

accepted back into the ellowship, rather than start

lie on the outside with nothing.

Te community would also need some public

spaces; areas that are intended to be used by all the

members at any time. In the center o the community

could be a meeting house. Te meeting houseshould have electricity and a basement. Community

meetings would take place there, and although I’d

preer to see home-schooling certain school projects

could also take place in this building. Te meeting

house could have a Laundromat, and a room or

reezers. Te meeting house should also have a

communal kitchen and dining hall or ellowship

meals and community ood canning projects. Visitors

could also stay in the meeting house when needed. A

small community park or a community garden could

be beside the meeting house. Tere might also be a

community parking area near the meeting house.

Additional elds could be used or raising bee, dairy

cows, sheep, goats, etc. A community woods might

also be useul or many purposes. rails through the

community woods might be nice or walks as well as

they’d help with access or occasional small logging

projects, or gathering rewood.

I had mentioned that each amily could run



97

their own business. Te businesses should be home

based or amily businesses. I at all possible retail

or anything else that would depend on customers

coming onto community property should be

discouraged; zoning laws are the rst reason or this.

Also, in the U.S., any new buildings intended to beopen to the general public, like retail space, must

legally be designed by a state licensed architect or

proessional engineer and might even need to be

built by state licensed contractors. In addition to

this; retail brings more potential liability issues, and

it will tie members down to a rigid schedule. Tis

would interere with their reedom to participate in

their evangelistic responsibilities. And the biggest

reason, too much outside infuence on the children.

Some suggestions I would make or businesses are as

ollows, however I might add that these will require

urther thought and research by anyone considering

them. Small scale manuacturing, publishing, mail

order, proessional services, consulting, book writing,

taxi service, hauling service, basket making, lawn

mowing and yard maintenance, janitorial, importing

or brokering necessary and useul items, advising,

undraising, small scale arming, specialty arming,

building maintenance, contracting, logging small





98

acreage; these kinds o businesses and things along

these lines, usually do not require any customers

to come around. Tese types o businesses, in most

cases, can have a very fexible schedule.

On the more important issues o the community,

the spiritual and religious issues, true conversion isa must. Tis community is going to encourage and

challenge every member to take part in spreading the

Gospel. Every potential member must have a clear

testimony, and their lie needs to be consistent with

that testimony.

Meetings can be scheduled on a daily basis,

but also everyone should be encouraged to visit

other groups as well. Te reason or this is that the

community has the privilege o meeting together

daily, but most believers do not. And we know other

believers in other ellowships, and we might not see

them oen.

All the sel-sacrice in this hypothetical

community, the low cost housing, limited or no

electric in houses, growing ood, and community

itsel, all these bring nancial benets. Te nancial

benets are so that the brothers can spend less time

working or worldly income, which the Bible calls

“lthy lucre”, and spend more time working on



99

eternal matters.

Tis is not just a place to live; it’s a home base or

the ministry. Te idea is not to grow the community.

Te idea is to grow the Kingdom. Te members will

guide new converts to Bible based ellowships and

help them get established in their aith. I you’ve everbeen out witnessing or any great length o time, then

you know we all need a place to come home to, we

all get worn out rom time to time. Also community

members can greatly strengthen each other in their

own lives as well. However, i any believers are

considering starting a community; the prospective

members must also be close; close enough to see each

others aults, close enough to overlook each others

aults, and close enough to live with each others

aults. I’m not saying to overlook sin; I’m talking

about minor aults and mistakes.

Tis part o the vision I barely started describing

in the beginning o the book. And as I also said

beore; among truly converted people various orms

o community lie can be a real blessing and can

enable a ministry to accomplish ar greater things or

the Kingdom o God than what a ministry ounded

by individualism could oer.

And so I close with questions, and I hope that you





100

will consider the answers, and how to achieve them.

Are we living in a lost and dying world?

Are these the last days?

Are we responsible or sharing the Gospel?

How will we share the Gospel?

Who will stand with me as I share?

Is my lie too busy to share the Gospel?

Have many believers have lost their vision?

Have I lost mine?

Isaiah 6:8

Also I heard the voice o the Lord, saying, Whom

shall I send, and who will go or us?...



101




102



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Bibliography

Bibliography

Primary Sources:

Holy Bible, Authorized King James Version

Encarta Encyclopedia 2002

Fox’s Christian Martyrs, by John Foxe

How Much is Enough?, Arthur Simon, 2003

Martyrs Mirror, by Tieleman J. Van Braght

Te Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered, by Robert Eisenman

& Michael Wise, 1992

Te Hutterian Brethren, By John Horsch, 1994

Te Kingdom Tat urned Te World Upside Down,




104

by David W. Bercot, 2003

Te Reormers and Teir Stepchildren, by Leonard

Verduin, 1964

Webster’s Dictionary, 1983

Will Te Real Heretics Please Stand Up, by David W.

Bercot, 1989

Also personal experience, and independent studies

o various communal groups that either currently

exist or have existed, both throughout history and

modern times.

Friends and acquaintances rom some o the

communities discussed in this book, as well as other

communities, and when available, their own writings

concerning their particular community.

Secondary Sources:

Community in Paraguay, A Visit to the Bruderho,

Bob and Shirley Wagoner, 1991

Te Anabaptists, By Norman H. Wells



105

Te Hutterian Brethren: Believers in Community,

Starland Hutterian Brethren, 1997

Te rail o Blood, Dr. J. M. Carroll

Te Waldenses and Teir Contemporariesaken rom “Te Story o the Baptists”,

By Richard B. Cook



Community, Looking at the Possibilities,by Philip Crossan, is an in depth discussionbased on personal experiences with variouscommunal groups. Te topic o community is discussed in a well balanced ormat takinginto consideration that there are various

types or orms o community lie. Examplesare given; ranging rom: Messianic, toAnabaptist communities including brie discussions on the Amish, Brethren,Hutterites and others. Te author showshow examples o communal eforts arepresent in the Bible as well as throughout

church history. In addition, the ocus o thecommunity must be on Yeshua (Jesus) theMessiah. He also extends to the reader thecall to some orm o community. Tat call isnot limited to any one orm o community but could range rom participation in aclose knit ellowship to commune lie, and

community looking at the possibilities - by philip crossan ebook

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