the lindisfarne
community
The restoration of the church will surely come from a new kind of monasticism, which will have nothing in common with the old but a life of uncompromising adherence to the Sermon on the Mount in imitation of Christ. I believe the time has come to rally people together for this.
 
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

History of the Lindisfarne Community


The Lindisfarne Community has been in process of development since the late 1980s, when its Abbess and Abbot came into contact with Celtic Christian spirituality with a group of church leaders, Northumbria Ministries, in the North East of England. At the time Andy Fitz-Gibbon was pastor of Stocksfield Baptist Church, Northumberland.


"In Christ Ministries" began as the outreach ministries of the church (writing, seminars etc) around 1990. In 1993 ICM Inc was established as a 501(c) Not For Profit Corporation in New York to help facilitate their work in the United States.


In 1994, after ten years ministry at Stocksfield Baptist Church and with the blessing of the church, Andy was seconded by the Baptist Union of Great Britain to explore the idea of Christian community based in homes, looking at patterns in the New Testament and beyond. Jane joined Andy as co-director and ICM Trust was established in the UK to facilitate their work. A new community was begun in Hexham Northumberland.


In 1995, the Fitz-Gibbons moved to Ithaca NY and established a new home based community and a ministry of spiritual renewal. 


In 1998, the community became known as "Community of Friends in Renewal."

• Community . . . the idea of intentional, face-to-face church, small, home-based.

• Friends . . . at the heart of who we are is the practice of "godly friendship." The community is a network of friendships.

• In Renewal . . . exploring a deep spirituality.


Also, in 1998, Jane was formally ordained at an ecumenical service in Ithaca NY.


Influences that have shaped the community include:


• The Anabaptist radicals of the sixteenth century, those at the time of the Reformation who practiced their faith "against the flow." They valued community, peace and radical commitment. They had a dynamic spirituality. The Wesleyan movement in the seventeenth century had similar values with regard to discipleship and small groups.

• The Celtic Christain emphases of the fifth to ninth centuries in Britain and Ireland. Here was a less hierarchical spirituality that valued prophecy, the arts, music, poetry, had a healthy view of the goodnesss of creation and affirmed women in ways the church has rarely done.

• The monastic movement of the desert and the early middle ages. The Celts led us to look again at the spirituality of the desert fathers and mothers and the later development of monasticism.

• The Christian feminist movement of the last quarter of the twentieth century. We believe that the movement has helped the church to consider again the radical, embryonic potential of freedom found in the gospels and in Paul's early charismatic practice.

• The charismatic movement of the latter half of the twentieth century and a rediscovery of spiritual gifts, new forms of worship and the dynamism of the Holy Spirit.

• The Convergence Movement synthesizing sacramental, evangelical and charismatic emphases.

• Diverse spiritualities and practices from eastern traditions, Buddhism, Daoism, Hindusim.


We are an intentional "new monastic" or "secular monastic "community. We have a rule (a Way of Living) which is based around the Daily Office and the values and commitments we share as a community. Although we do not formally take vows, we encourage folk to live a balanced life of prayer, study, work and rest.


In 2001, the community was chartered as a jurisdiction in the one holy, cathloic and apostolic church by by Archbishop Wayne Boosahda of the Archdiocese of St. Patrick, Community of Evangelical Episcopal Churches. Jane and Andy Fitz-Gibbon had their ordinations reaffirmed with the grace of episcopal ordination, and were appointed Abbot and Abbess, "apostolic overseers" of the community. The first four deacons of the community were also ordained by Archbishop Boosahda.


In Spring 2003 it was agreed by the Board of ICM Inc that:

The name "The Lindisfarne Community" be the working name of the community. ("ICM Inc" remains the legal name.)


In June 2003, Andrew and Jane were both consecrated bishops in apostolic succession by Archbishop Wayne Boosahda (the CEEC), Archbishop Joseph Grenier (Celtic Christian Church) and Archabbess Charlotte Rogers Buckans (Anglican Catholic Communion, USA).


A paper, written in June 2003, introducing the Community can be found here. The file is in Adobe pdf format and can be read with an Adobe Acrobat Reader. free Acrobat Reader from Adobe.]