Fire in our hearts - The Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTSCITY ON A HILL‘People join us because they like our vision,’ explained Ian,‘and we receive them with baptism, if needed, and “the righthand of fellowship”. Not everyone enters community and wehave many non-residential members. Families often first moveinto the Bugbrooke estate and later join a large communityhouse.’‘So how do the community finances work?’ asked Jim.‘Over to you, Mike,’ Ian nodded.‘Right,’ said Mike. ‘New friends, as we call them, pay boardand lodging, if they stay around, but members share incomethrough a common purse account. Any surplus goes into theCommunity Trust, which also receives capital from membersover twenty-one who have completed a probationary periodof at least six months.’‘And where does it all go?’ Jim smiled.‘Not on holidays in the Bahamas!’ Ian chuckled.‘Seriously, chaps,’ said Mike, ‘none of it is money in thebank! It’s all tied up in our property and capital goods, likecars and furniture. The accounts are open to members, auditedby outside accountants and presented at the annualchurch business meeting.’‘What if people want to leave?’‘Well, the Trustees are empowered to return their capital.If they’d had nothing to contribute, the Trust normally makesa payment to cover immediate expenses.’As we walked back to the Hall, Jim mentioned a few criticismshe’d heard.‘Some people say the Fellowship is legalistic,’ said Jim.‘All holiness depends on the baptism of the Holy Spirit,’ Iexplained. ‘That’s how it all started, when the life of God was203