Community of Jesus
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The Community of Jesus is an ecumenical community of Christians based in Rock Harbor, Orleans, Massachusetts, in the middle of Cape Cod.
It began with the meeting of two Episcopal women, Judy Sorensen and Cay Andersen, in the late 1950s. The women, both heavily influenced by the Charismatic movement of the time, began attracting followers in the early 1960s. By the early 1970s, many families had moved to the area, forming a sort of compound within a mile radius of the original home of founders Cay and Bill.
As the group grew, Cay and Judy -- referred to internally as "The Founders" or as "Mother Cay and Mother Judy" -- continued to speak God's prophecy to the group, as well as teach the charisms of healing and Glossolalia (or "speaking in tongues").
In 1988, Mother Cay died, and Mother Judy retired shortly thereafter. They were replaced by Betty Pugsley, who also goes by her maiden name Elizabeth Patterson as the director of the Community's choir, Gloriae Dei Cantores, and is known as Mother Betty in her role as the current Prioress of the community. Mother Betty Pugsley has also assigned her children, Rick Pugsley, Jr. and daughter Wendy Pugsley, to leadership roles in the community, while her husband Rick Pugsley, Sr. lives in England.
Today, as might be expected, the community looks much different than it did in early days. It presently consists of about 275 members, all of whom live within a one-mile radius in Orleans.
The Community has not been without controversy, both in terms of a contentious relationship with many residents of the town of Orleans, where it is based, and with many of its ex-members. Some 150 members have left in the ensuing years, many claiming mental abuse and some seeking counseling as a result of their close experience with the community. All five adult children of Cay Andersen and Judy Sorensen have also left the community, having had similar negative experiences with the group.
The entire community is governed by a "Rule of Life," patterned in the Benedictine spirit. "Householders" take monastic vows of stability, conversion, and obedience, and "Brothers" and "Sisters" take additional vows of poverty, chastity and absolute obedience. About a dozen ordained clergy from a variety of denominations serve the community under the direction of the prioress. Non-residents can also join the community as oblates. The community observes the daily office (psalms, hymns, and scripture readings sung in Gregorian chant), gathering for lauds, mid-day, vespers, and compline. Retreatants stay in Bethany Guesthouse and are offered the opportunity to meet with a spiritual director.
However, the Community departs markedly from the true Benedictine tradition in that it does not have a system of visitation whereby the abbot of another monastery (the prioress's peer) visits every two years and speaks to members privately about their lives and well being. Since the Community is not affiliated with or under the authority of any other religious group, its prioress has no peers and therefore there are no corresponding checks and balances.
The Community became affiliated with Grenville Christian College in 1973 after Judy Sorensen and Cay Andersen visited the institution; after this relationship was started, the community would often send its students to GCC as boarding students. GCC was operated by a similar religious community, called the Community of the Good Shepherd. The school closed in July 2007 and has since been embroiled in controversy amid allegations of abuse from former boarding students and alumnae. One lawsuit naming the Community of Jesus as a defendant has been filed in Canadian courts, and another names a community member as a defendant.
In 2000, the community dedicated the Church of the Transfiguration, arguably the most pristine version of a 4th century–style Roman basilica in North America. Additional buildings are currently under construction, including a Retreat Facility, Paraclete House, Bell Tower, and Chapter House. When complete, the complex will be valued at over 50 million dollars.
The community has several other ministries including Spirit of America band, Gloriae Dei Cantores Choir, and Paraclete Press.
Community members have also routinely received personal secret written messages which, according to community leaders (who publicly deny this practice), are dictated personally by the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus to an undisclosed community member and passed along to the appropriate person.
External links http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071005.wjesuschurch0610/BNStory/International/home - on Community Founders http://www.rickross.com/groups/communityofjesus.html - collection of newspaper articles about the Community http://www.communityofjesus.org/ - Community of Jesus official website http://www.paracletepress.com - Paraclete Press http://www.gdcchoir.org/ - Gloriae Dei Cantores http://www.spiritofamericaband.org -Spirit of American Band
