Jesus Army

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The multi-coloured camouflage jacket (right) often worn as a Jesus Army "uniform" on the street
The multi-coloured camouflage jacket (right) often worn as a Jesus Army "uniform" on the street

The Jesus Army is the outreach ministry of the Jesus Fellowship Church, an evangelical Christian movement based in the United Kingdom.

The Jesus Fellowship was founded in 1969, when Noel Stanton, the lay pastor of the Bugbrooke village Baptist chapel near Northampton, East Midlands, was inspired by a charismatic experience which led him to successfully expand the congregation, largely by appealing to a younger generation of worshippers.[1][2] The Jesus Army was affected by the Charismatic Movement of the late 1960s and early 70s, and influenced by the Jesus People movement in the USA.[3][4] As the new church grew and became more charismatic in nature, many of the original congregation left to continue worshiping in the more traditional churches.[5]

The Jesus Army frequently engages in evangelistic activities in public places, seeking through outreach to demonstrate the love of Jesus and the moving of the Holy Spirit. The slogan of the Jesus Army is ‘Love, Power & Sacrifice’.

Contents

[edit] Baptist Union and Evangelical Alliance membership

Open air believer's baptism by the Jesus Army
Open air believer's baptism by the Jesus Army

From its inception, the Jesus Army aroused controversy. The original Bugbrooke Jesus Fellowship had long been a part of the Baptist Union. However the sudden expansion in members had made the new church a nationwide movement, which took it out of the ambit of the Baptist Union, which places authority within a specific congregation. The JA was also accused of "isolationism," epitomised by the JA practice of sometimes rebaptising new members who had already been baptised by other Baptist churches, implying that Christian baptism elsewhere may have been invalid. Consequently, in 1986 the Jesus Army was expelled from the Baptist Union, leaving it on the margins of the Baptist denomination.[6][7][8]

In 1982, the Jesus Fellowship had joined the Evangelical Alliance, one of whose membership requirements was that the church remain in close fellowship with other local evangelical churches. Earlier in 1986, the Evangelical Alliance had launched an inquiry into the beliefs and practices of the Jesus Fellowship Church and found that it no longer qualified for membership, citing much the same problems as did the Baptist Union later that year. But at least as relevant in both cases was the fact that the rise of the JA came at a time when an international welter of anti-cult activity was under way. Allegations that the JA had too authoritarian a style of leadership and that members were under pressure to commit to life-long celibacy, together with the fact that corporal punishment of children (rodding) was practised, and that community members were required to hand over their material possessions, left them vulnerable to the accusation that they were a cult. Their intense style and all-engulfing requirement of commitment led to some allegations of abuse from disillusioned former members, and some hostility from more conventional churchgoers.[9]A number of churches within the Evangelical Alliance threatened to leave if the Jesus Fellowship Church was allowed to remain a member.[10]

During the 1990s, the JA examined and changed many of its practices, and in 1999 applied for readmission to the Evangelical Alliance. In autumn 1999, the Jesus Fellowship Church was readmitted to the Evangelical Alliance.[11][12] The Jesus Army has never applied for readmission to the Baptist Union.

[edit] Current practices

Northampton Jesus Centre, based on a refurbished Art Deco cinema, opened by the Jesus Army in 2004
Northampton Jesus Centre, based on a refurbished Art Deco cinema, opened by the Jesus Army in 2004

The community has founded a series of Christian businesses employing some 250 people. Profits from the businesses help fund the wider work of the Jesus Fellowship. Businesses and community houses are owned by a Trust Fund ultimately controlled by the members.

After a probationary period, members may make a "covenant," or pledge of loyalty to the Fellowship,[13] and may then elect to join the Jesus Fellowship Community. They then surrender their possessions for collective use, but may reclaim them should they subsequently decide to leave. While they are members, the value of their contribution is protected by the Trust Fund. Around 700 people, including guests and children, live in the 60 intentional communities, in accordance with their interpretation of Biblical descriptions of the early church, and are collectively known as the "New Creation Christian Community."[14] In 2001, one of the houses was featured in a Channel 4 television documentary, "Battlecentre."(Production summary, Guardian Unlimited Reader Reviews, BBC interview with producer).

Those who do not wish to live within the community may live in their own homes and earn money outside the community. In 2007, there are an estimated 1800 such members.

The JF operates much like the House Church movements, or the more radical elements of the larger, more conventional churches.[15]

The Jesus Army engages in aggressive and effective street evangelism among the marginalized sections of society.[16]

In 2002 the Jesus Fellowship opened the Coventry Jesus Centre including a Drop-In Centre known as "The Bridge", which provides services such as a 70p breakfast, free clothing, showers and hot drinks, as well as social support, job training and medical help to vulnerable people. The Centre also assists in finding rented accommodation for the homeless, though a major emphasis of these activities is evangelistic, "bringing people to Jesus".[17][18] A second Jesus Centre opened in Northampton in 2004, with others to follow.

[edit] Beliefs

The Jesus Fellowship upholds the historic creeds of the Christian faith. The creeds are a set of common beliefs shared with many other Christian churches, and consist of the Apostles' Creed, the Athanasian Creed and the Nicene Creed. It believes in baptism in water and the Holy Spirit, in the Bible as the Word of God, and in acceptance of charismatic gifts.[19]

The Jesus Fellowship is the only new church stream that advocates and practices celibacy for those called to it, claiming it leads to a full life for single people. Within the Fellowship there are couples and there are male and female celibates. JF claims both as high callings. A main justification for celibacy, following St Paul, is that it frees a member for ministry, particularly in the unsocial hours that Jesus Army campaigning requires. Some critics have maintained that JF teaches celibacy as a better or higher way, and that single members have felt pressured into making the vow.[20] Current members deny this.

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ C. Peter Collinson: "All Churches Great and Small" p.78: "Originally this was a Baptist church in the village of Bugbrooke, just west of Northampton. Noel Stanton became the pastor there in 1957, and is still the overall leader. After a charismatic experience in 1969, he led the church into experiencing the supernatural gifts of the spirit, and they grew in numbers quite dramatically."
  2. ^ George D Chryssides, "Exploring New Religions."
  3. ^ Keith Newell in "Charismatic Christianity" ed. Hunt et al p.122:
  4. ^ Nigel Wright in "Charismatic Christianity" ed. Hunt et al p.66:
  5. ^ George D Chryssides, "Exploring New Religions."
  6. ^ Chryssides: Exploring New Religions.
  7. ^ Buzz Magazine, April 1986.
  8. ^ Northampton Mercury and Herald, 22/11/86. 'We shall not be moved - Jesus People to carry on regardless.' The latest blow to the sect, which owns and runs numerous businesses including several Northampton shops, came from 129 of the 137 council members of the Baptist Union. The Jesus Fellowship was expelled from the organisation because of a lack of involvement in denominational life and unilateral programme of recruitment. A statement from the union also said the Fellowship was becoming a national rather than local organisation, and spoke of 'embarrassment' over bad publicity.
  9. ^ Wright, Nigel in Charismatic Christianity p.66
  10. ^ Chryssides: Exploring New Religions.
  11. ^ Christian Herald, 29 July 2000: JOINING THE EA 'FAMILY' Another high-profile movement who joined the EA family last autumn is the Jesus Fellowship Church.
  12. ^ Christian Herald, 29 July 2000. "They again have moved considerably since then. It is an organisation that has had a lot of allegations made against it, most of which are based on past reputation rather than present practice.”
  13. ^ Jesus Army:Vault-Library-Hot Topics (retrieved 11 Dec 07.) In the Jesus Fellowship many have entered into a membership covenant, joining together as a committed brotherhood-church. This covenant, like those made between people in the Bible, is made before God and is viewed as being unbreakable. We agree to be bonded with one another and to work out the implications of such a pledge of brotherly love. [...] We promise never to let one another down. We help one another through difficulties. We forgive and encourage one another. We fight together to save sinners with the gospel, sharing in sufferings and disappointments. We build strong brotherhood relationships and 'find' ourselves. This vow of covenant brotherhood is part of the strength of our church.
  14. ^ William Kay in C. Partridge (ed), Encyclopedia of New Religions, a Guide (Oxford: Lion Publishing, 2004).
  15. ^ Stephen J Hunt: "Alternative Religions" p. 36: A good example of a successful Christian community, however, is the Jesus fellowship -- a British variant of the Jesus movement which emerged in the late 1960s.
  16. ^ Wright, Nigel in Charismatic Christianity p.66
  17. ^ Hunt, Stephen J. ‘The Radical Kingdom of the Jesus Fellowship’ in Pneuma, The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, Vol 20, Number 1, Spring 1998 (Hagerstown, Maryland, USA) Pp.21-41 [pp.39ff]
  18. ^ Coventry Evening Telegraph, May 2, 2007.
  19. ^ William Kay: New Religions, A Guide.
  20. ^ Newell in Charismatic Christianity [p.130] JF is the only new church stream that advocates and practices celibacy for those called to it, claiming it leads to a full life for single people. There are couples and celibates, male and female, and JF claims both as high callings. A main justification for celibacy, following St Paul, is that it frees a member for ministry, particularly in the unsocial hours that Jesus Army campaigning requires. Critics have maintained that JF teaches celibacy as a better or higher way and that single brothers and sisters are pressurized into the vow, though I have not myself seen any evidence of this.

[edit] References

  • Clarke, Peter Bernard (2006). New Religions in Global Perspective: A Study of Religious Change in Modern World. Routledge, 385pp. ISBN 0415257484. [1]
  • Collinson, C Peter (1998). All Churches Great and Small. Carlisle: OM Publishing, 190pp. ISBN 1-85078-311-X. [2]
  • Cooper, Simon & Farrant, Mike (1997). Fire In Our Hearts (2nd edition). Northampton: Multiply, 371pp. ISBN 1-900878-05-4. [3] Multiply Publications is the publishing arm of the Jesus Fellowship.
  • Hunt, Stephen J. (1998) "The Radical Kingdom of the Jesus Fellowship" in Pneuma, The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, Vol 20, Number 1, Spring 1998 (Hagerstown, Maryland, USA) Pp.21-41
  • Kay, William K. (2007). Apostolic Networks in Britain: New Ways of Being Church. Milton Keynes: Paternoster Press, 400pp. ISBN 978-1-55635-480-9. 
  • Newell, Keith (1997) "Charismatic Communitarianism and the Jesus Fellowship", in S. Hunt, M. Hamilton & T. Walter (eds), Charismatic Christianity, Sociological Perspectives (Basingstoke: Macmillan and New York: St. Martin's Press)
  • Saxby, Trevor (1987). Pilgrims of a Common Life: Christian Community of Goods Through the Ages. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 208pp. ISBN 0836134265. 
  • Scotland, Nigel (2000). Charismatics and the New Millennium (2nd ed). Guildford: Eagle, 350pp. ISBN 0 86347 370 9. 
  • Wright, Nigel (1997) "The Nature and Variety of Restorationism and the 'House Church' Movement", in S. Hunt, M. Hamilton & T. Walter (eds), Charismatic Christianity, Sociological Perspectives (Basingstoke: Macmillan and New York: St. Martin's Press)

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