Church: the communist way
Monday, May 23, 2005

Yes, the rumors are true: I am living in a commune in San Francisco this summer. Or something similar to that. While working during the week for InnerCHANGE, I am housed with Church of the Sojourners (COS). Sojourners (not the Jim Wallace branch) takes seriously the idea that our faith is not primarily an individual one (though that is part of it) but more importantly a communal thing that need to be fleshed out within the body of Christ. Loving one another is our primary calling, and to do that right takes a full-time commitment to each other! Life decisions, relationships, family, and faith need the support and accountability of the body of Christ, and these people have chosen to form their lifestyle around what they believe to be truth.

Members of COS range from Edith in her 50's who joined back in the 80's to Dan and Katie, young newlyweds and new members who are just joining the church. There are college-aged singles, young families with toddlers, and empty nest-ers; ex hippies, conservative Christians, and myself, about 40 in all. These brothers and sisters in Christ live together in a handful of houses in the same neighborhood and share common living quarters except for bedrooms. I am learning from them what it means to love one another as a full time calling and way of life, not just an option for those who have the time and the energy.

Posted by Benjamin Washam 12:31 AM  

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2 Comments:

  1. Caleb Graham said...
    10:51 AM  
    This intense form of perhaps lifelong commitment to one community is interesting - what have you learned from the church of the sojourners about their involvement in ministry or missions? In other words, how do they keep from being an ingrown community? Are people "sent out" by the community? Also, how frequently does the community give a person or family the permission or blessing to leave?
    Benjamin Washam said...
    1:50 PM  
    Sojourners is a church community where people live, but almost all of them have "day jobs" where they minister outside of the church. These range from being teachers in public schools, doing construction, volunteering at hospitals, working at detentions centers, and working for other Christian organizations, etc. In a way, Church of the Sojourners (COS) is like a home base from which it's members are sent out every day to do ministry.

    Some community churches like COS have started their own ministries or businesses, but that can be very complicated. COS has chosen to be the support to each individual's ministry. COS does partner with other churches in the area and does support missionaries.

    Persons and families are in no way forced to stay, but the philosophy of the church is that decisions are best made by a community; they hope that a person feeling the direction of God to leave would cooperate with the church to reach that decision, but in no way would the church force someone to stay against their conscisounce. People and families have left with the church's blessing, but I don't know how often.

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