I arrived at New Sprout Farm to pick up Elli, an Austrian farm volunteer I had met on Malcolm Island. As I pulled into a large complex of well-kept buildings and lush gardens surrounded by fields, a woman got out of a van with a stroller and started struggling, arms laden with shopping bags, into what turned out to be the main community kitchen building. I said I was looking for Elli and offered to help carry bags. As we walked into the kitchen I realized this wasn't just your average farm. It had the look of a camp kitchen. There were 3 women working at various cooking tasks, and several toddlers wandering around. The women all had a similar style of dress that reminded me of an edgier Mennonite look. Once Elli had been located I was offered a farm tour while my friend got her suitcases together and said her goodbyes. As I was toured around the various outbuildings, animal pens, gardens, homeschooling trailer and sleeping quarters, my guide gradually revealed some of the philosophy and history of the commune on which I found myself. Later, in Courtenay, we also stopped at the Common Ground Cafe, a cozy organic cafe run by New Sprout. We were welcomed into the back kitchen as Elli said her goodbyes, gave hugs, and chatted with the children who were helping out and playing outside. A teenage girl shyly gave me a homemade maca energy bar for the road, and a bottle of water, and loaded Elli up with food for the trip. My overall impression was of a strict way of living, a strong idea of right and wrong, and a philosophy of kindness and giving.
Here's how Wikipedia describes The Twelve Tribes:
The Twelve Tribes, formerly known as the Vine Christian Community Church, Northeast Kingdom Community Church, the Messianic Communities, and the Community Apostolic Order is an international confederation of religious communities founded by Gene Spriggs (now known as Yoneq) that sprang out of the Jesus Movement in 1972 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The group is an attempt to recreate the 1st-century church in the Book of Acts; the name "Twelve Tribes" also derives from a quote of the Apostle Paul in Acts 26:7.The group has also been referred to as The Yellow Deli People and informally as The Community.
The woman I spoke with did not think of their community as a cult, nor did she even like to use the term "religious", preferring to describe it as a group of 30 people who gathered and worshiped together daily, was biblically based, and was founded on principles of love and of letting go of self. People are free to come and go as they please. Everyone works hard on the farm, in the kitchens, and in the organic cafe they run in Courtenay.
Elli said that, although the work day was long, beginning at 7am and not ending till evening, she did not feel pressured in any way (except to attend gatherings and other events out of respect) and in fact felt much love, generosity, teamwork, and caring. Though she was tempted to stay longer, and found it hard to say goodbye to these new families who had befriended her, she also felt that to settle down there would mean giving up her independence for the common good, and a requirement to follow some strict rules of behaviour which she was not inclined to adopt.
The Twelve Tribes have thousands of members and locations all over the world. For a fascinating glimpse into their world, click on the following links:
Here's how Wikipedia describes The Twelve Tribes:
The Twelve Tribes, formerly known as the Vine Christian Community Church, Northeast Kingdom Community Church, the Messianic Communities, and the Community Apostolic Order is an international confederation of religious communities founded by Gene Spriggs (now known as Yoneq) that sprang out of the Jesus Movement in 1972 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The group is an attempt to recreate the 1st-century church in the Book of Acts; the name "Twelve Tribes" also derives from a quote of the Apostle Paul in Acts 26:7.The group has also been referred to as The Yellow Deli People and informally as The Community.
The woman I spoke with did not think of their community as a cult, nor did she even like to use the term "religious", preferring to describe it as a group of 30 people who gathered and worshiped together daily, was biblically based, and was founded on principles of love and of letting go of self. People are free to come and go as they please. Everyone works hard on the farm, in the kitchens, and in the organic cafe they run in Courtenay.
Elli said that, although the work day was long, beginning at 7am and not ending till evening, she did not feel pressured in any way (except to attend gatherings and other events out of respect) and in fact felt much love, generosity, teamwork, and caring. Though she was tempted to stay longer, and found it hard to say goodbye to these new families who had befriended her, she also felt that to settle down there would mean giving up her independence for the common good, and a requirement to follow some strict rules of behaviour which she was not inclined to adopt.
The Twelve Tribes have thousands of members and locations all over the world. For a fascinating glimpse into their world, click on the following links: