Word of God (community)
Encyclopedia
The Word of God is an ecumenical, charismatic, missionary Christian community that started in Ann Arbor, Michigan
. It is composed of Christians from many different church backgrounds. The Word of God began in 1967 as an evangelistic outreach to students at The University of Michigan. Initially the group was made up of Catholics, but eventually expanded to include people from all Christian backgrounds or no Christian background. Now Presbyterians, Lutherans, Baptists, Catholics and others all join together to express the unity they share in Christ as members of The Word of God.
Movement office in Lansing, Michigan) and Jim Cavnar and Gerry Rauch who were involved in renewal work at the University of Notre Dame. They were young Catholics who came to Ann Arbor, Michigan
after being asked to leave the ministry in Lansing they were involved in after they became charismatic. They were inspired by the recent encounter they had had with the Charismatic movement
. It was sparked by the “Duquesne weekend” an event that is considered to be the Pentecost
of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal
.
The men began having Prayer meetings in their apartment around the University of Michigan
’s main campus with four people. The meetings began to grow and soon there was a sizable group coming to every meeting. They moved to Saint Mary's in Ann Arbor to accommodate the growing numbers. By 1973 the numbers had grown to 1000. They started to organize the gathering into groups of people to meet together. As meetings grew so did their venues. Soon there were many meetings throughout the week. Membership had grown to 3000 by 1976.
and Eastern Michigan University
. The different households began to be split up into different “districts.”
Members of the community attended Sunday morning church, a weekly district prayer meeting, and a monthly city-wide prayer meeting. Many families home-schooled their children and the community also had its own school. Spanking children was encouraged as a form of discipline. Adult members of the community each had a "spiritual leader" who was another member of the community. A married woman's "spiritual leader" was her husband. A single woman's "spiritual leader" was typically a married woman. A single man's "spiritual leader" was typically a married man.
and to coordinate its national activities.
to send teams to investigate the community and determine if what they were teaching was orthodox. Neither investigations concluded that the community was teaching heresy, or warranted the denotation of a cult.
These groups became a source of controversy between the years 2000 and 2004 under the leadership of John Luton. There were two lawsuits filed by individuals against their schools over issues of discrimination against Christians. The first was filed by Betsy Hansen against Pioneer High School after her group, Pioneers for Christ, was allegedly barred from discussion in a forum on homosexuality during the schools diversity fair. The second lawsuit was filed by John Luton against Washtenaw Community College after his group was denied official group status over issues of free speech. In both cases they were represented by attorneys at the Thomas More Law Center
. The Hansen case was featured on The O'Reilly Factor
, and Hannity and Combs.
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
. It is composed of Christians from many different church backgrounds. The Word of God began in 1967 as an evangelistic outreach to students at The University of Michigan. Initially the group was made up of Catholics, but eventually expanded to include people from all Christian backgrounds or no Christian background. Now Presbyterians, Lutherans, Baptists, Catholics and others all join together to express the unity they share in Christ as members of The Word of God.
Origins 1967-1976
The Word of God was founded in 1967 by four men, Ralph Martin and Steve Clark (formerly involved in the CursilloCursillo
Cursillos in Christianity is a ministry of the Roman Catholic Church...
Movement office in Lansing, Michigan) and Jim Cavnar and Gerry Rauch who were involved in renewal work at the University of Notre Dame. They were young Catholics who came to Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
after being asked to leave the ministry in Lansing they were involved in after they became charismatic. They were inspired by the recent encounter they had had with the Charismatic movement
Charismatic movement
The term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
. It was sparked by the “Duquesne weekend” an event that is considered to be the Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal
Catholic Charismatic Renewal
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal is a movement within the Catholic Church. Worship is characterized by vibrant Masses, as well as prayer meetings featuring prophecy, healing and "praying in tongues." This movement is based on the belief that certain charismata , bestowed by the Holy Spirit, such as...
.
The men began having Prayer meetings in their apartment around the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
’s main campus with four people. The meetings began to grow and soon there was a sizable group coming to every meeting. They moved to Saint Mary's in Ann Arbor to accommodate the growing numbers. By 1973 the numbers had grown to 1000. They started to organize the gathering into groups of people to meet together. As meetings grew so did their venues. Soon there were many meetings throughout the week. Membership had grown to 3000 by 1976.
Community Life
The members of the community, in many cases, lived in common together in houses. There were houses for married couples and houses for single men or women. They also had dorm households at the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
. The different households began to be split up into different “districts.”
Members of the community attended Sunday morning church, a weekly district prayer meeting, and a monthly city-wide prayer meeting. Many families home-schooled their children and the community also had its own school. Spanking children was encouraged as a form of discipline. Adult members of the community each had a "spiritual leader" who was another member of the community. A married woman's "spiritual leader" was her husband. A single woman's "spiritual leader" was typically a married woman. A single man's "spiritual leader" was typically a married man.
National and Global Expansion
As their influence grew they soon began to create communities in other areas. An ecumenical association of charismatic communities was created in 1983 called “Sword of the Spirit.” When it began it included communities in The United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Philippines, Great Britain, Austria, and Belgium. As of 2009, it has over 60 associated communities.Fellowships
Between 1972 and 1976 The Word of God created four churches or “fellowships.” These were created to help people live out aspects of their faith they could not live in a strictly interdenominational setting. The four fellowships were the Catholic Fellowship of the Word of God (Now Christ the King Catholic Church), Cross and Resurrection Lutheran, Covenant Presbyterian, and Emmaus Fellowship (Now Vineyard Church of Ann Arbor).Servant Publications
A publishing house affiliated with the Community, Servant Publications, published works by contemporary Catholic and Evangelical authors, including community members Bert Ghezzi, Stephen Clark, and Ralph Martin. Around two million songbooks in the series Songs of Praise were circulated. These presented songs used in charismatic renewal prayer groups, many written by members of the Word of God Community. Servant Publications ceased operations in 2003.New Covenant Magazine
The community published a magazine called New Covenant to teach and guide the charismatic movementCatholic Charismatic Renewal
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal is a movement within the Catholic Church. Worship is characterized by vibrant Masses, as well as prayer meetings featuring prophecy, healing and "praying in tongues." This movement is based on the belief that certain charismata , bestowed by the Holy Spirit, such as...
and to coordinate its national activities.
The Cult Question
In the 1980s allegations that The Word of God was practicing too much control over its members prompted leadership of both The Roman Catholic Church, and The Lutheran Church - Missouri SynodLutheran Church - Missouri Synod
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 2.3 million members, it is both the eighth largest Protestant denomination and the second-largest Lutheran body in the U.S. after the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Synod...
to send teams to investigate the community and determine if what they were teaching was orthodox. Neither investigations concluded that the community was teaching heresy, or warranted the denotation of a cult.
The Split
In 1990 some of the differences that the leadership felt on how to move forward came to a head. The Word of God split into two groups: The Word of God, and Washtenaw Covenant Community (Now Word of Life).Mission Christ
In the late 1990s the Word of God began a youth outreach in the Washtenaw county area called Mission Christ. Mission Christ began as a weekly meeting, but soon spread to include meetings at many of the local high schools and Universities, including: Huron High School (Alpha Omega), Pioneer High School (Pioneers for Christ), Ypsilanti High School, Father Gabriel Richard High School, Dexter High School (Genesis), Eastern Michigan University (Mission Christ Outreach), Concordia College, Washtenaw Community College, and the University of Michigan.These groups became a source of controversy between the years 2000 and 2004 under the leadership of John Luton. There were two lawsuits filed by individuals against their schools over issues of discrimination against Christians. The first was filed by Betsy Hansen against Pioneer High School after her group, Pioneers for Christ, was allegedly barred from discussion in a forum on homosexuality during the schools diversity fair. The second lawsuit was filed by John Luton against Washtenaw Community College after his group was denied official group status over issues of free speech. In both cases they were represented by attorneys at the Thomas More Law Center
Thomas More Law Center
The Thomas More Law Center is a prominent conservative Christian, not-for-profit law center based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and is active throughout the United States. Its stated goals are defending the religious freedom of Christians, restoring "time honored values" and protecting the sanctity of...
. The Hansen case was featured on The O'Reilly Factor
The O'Reilly Factor
The O'Reilly Factor, originally titled The O'Reilly Report from 1996 to 1998 and often called The Factor, is an American talk show on the Fox News Channel hosted by commentator Bill O'Reilly, who often discusses current controversial political issues with guests.The program was the most watched...
, and Hannity and Combs.