INTENTIONAL COMMUNITIES, SOME INSIDE VIEWS

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The International Emissary Community, British Columbia

Dave Thatcher

A Zulu tribal chieftain, an airline stewardess, an Italian princess, and a solar energy consultant: What do all of these individuals have in common? Well, all are friends dedicated to expressing their innate potential, and all are associated with the International Emissary Society.

This nonprofit organization, among its other activites, operates several large communities and communal homes around the world. The facilities haven't been established to save money, grow organic gardens, or pioneer complementary healing techniques, though their members have developed expertise in these areas. Instead, our passionate concern is with spiritual maturity. Our sense of community is based upon our love and respect for life and its inherent design. We offer spiritual leadership courses, assist any who wish to reveal their potential, and celebrate the myriad ways in which the awakening consciousness of mankind is currently being made evident.

Our association began in 1932, when Lloyd Meeker, the son of a midwestern farmer and minister, discovered—in the course of searching for his purpose—a spiritual identity. In 1940 he met Lord Martin Cecil, who, not long before, had left his family's ancestral home in England to travel the wilderness of British Columbia. These men immediately found a shared sense of commission, and, as they continued living with vision and integrity, many chose to associate with them.

Today, Emissaries reside in some 200 centers, including communal facilities, from New York to California and from England to South Africa, but many members can be found dwelling in suburban homes and working in cities and on farms. Rather than spotlighting any one of our 14 larger communities, I believe it would be more useful to attempt to convey the essence of our collective experience as a body of friends and, secondarily, as an organization spanning six continents.

Each center is a unique combination of factors and reflects the individuals who compose it. In some communities, several residents are employed in the local economy and pay room and board, or cover such costs as are required: the mortgage, house maintenance, food, etc.... some operate businesses, from medical offices to farms and janitorial services... and others, occupied with running homes and raising children, are supported by those generating income.

Communal living proves useful in bringing together people with diverse personalities and backgrounds, since it requires each individual to interact in a deep and genuine way in order for the necessary blending to occur. For example, I correspond with and visit intentional communities throughout the world. However, before departing for, say, Denmark or Louisiana, I have to take into account the necessities of my home, where 125 people reside. Will there be a sufficient number on hand to take care of the canning and juicing at harvest time? Perhaps I need to take a paying position locally and bring home an income for a period of time. Perhaps I don't need to travel at all! In short, each of us is required to be aware of his or her own sphere of activity and more, since our worlds are larger than our tiny communities.

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