Fire in our hearts - The Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTSCITY ON A HILLthat make up a full and balanced life — outings to the cinemaand so on.’We were on different wavelengths. Buzz mourned the lossof worldly influences and called us isolationist. Noel, on theother hand, felt it was ‘important to maintain our holy identity’.66Buzz concluded: The Fellowship has a commitment to theirunderstanding of community being an essential part of NewTestament Christianity. And this divides them from their fellowChristians.’ 67Buzz set the tone amongst Christians. At the Greenbelt Festivalour presence was unwelcome and we were regarded asindependent, legalistic — even dangerous! Already the Greenbeltorganisers had given a general warning against ‘sheepstealers’,and one leader, engaged in anti-cult work, distributeda leaflet. Our name appeared in it!Another document had been circulating for a couple of yearsfrom an anti-cult body called FAIR — Family, Action, Information,Rescue. This ‘unfair’ document passed between angryparents and critics, and became standard press material. Itwas inspiring, even entertaining — and libellous!Their ethos is modelled on the Anabaptists, who believed theonly valid baptism was of adults who experienced new birth.Turning from the broader base of established Christianity inthe world, they followed a narrower, purist creed, taking Scriptureas their authority... The Hutterites maintained a high standardof morality, [and] practised community of goods... The BugbrookeFellowship aims to emulate them. Their... fellowship isreal and warm. Their adherence to traditional Christian values208