People of Praise is a network of lay Christian intentional communities. ^{[1] [2]} As a parachurch apostolate, membership is open to any baptized Christian who affirms the Nicene Creed, agrees to the community's covenant, and who contributes five percent of their gross income to the organization. ^[3] The majority of its members are Catholics, but Protestants can also join, reflecting the ecumenical nature of People of Praise. It has 22 branches in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean, with approximately 1,700 members. ^[2] It founded Trinity Schools, which are aligned with the philosophy of classical Christian education.

People of Praise was formed in 1971 by Kevin Ranaghan and Paul DeCelles, alongside other Indiana Charasmatic Communities Sword of the Spirit and Word of God. People of Praise and it’s affiliated groups in the parachurch organizations which comprise the Catholic Charismatic Renewal are underpinned by Pentecostal religious experiences such as baptism in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues and prophecy. In its early history, it influenced the institutional development of the Catholic Charismatic movement in the United States and played important roles in national charismatic conferences.

People of Praise practice a form of spiritual direction that involves the supervision, also termed within the group as “heading,” of a member, either by that member’s husband, in the case of women, or by an individual the organization regards as more spiritually mature, in the case of men. Women are directed exclusively by their husbands, whilst men are directed by other members of the organization as deemed appropriate.

People of Praise maintains that members retain their freedom of conscience under such direction. The community, unlike the mainline Catholic Church, excludes women from leadership positions. It nevertheless encourages women to pursue higher education and employment. ^[4]

History

The founding of People of Praise by Kevin Ranaghan and Paul DeCelles in 1971 in South Bend, Indiana, while the two were graduate students, ^[5] was an early and important event within the history of the overall covenant community movement. Various individuals who participated in its founding had attended Cursillo movement retreats, ^[6] including another graduate student, Stephen B. Clark (who came to author Building Christian Communities in 1972). ^[7] In 1963, after having attended the Archdiocesan Cursillo Center in Chicago, Clark organized a Cursillo retreat in South Bend. ^[8] Influenced both by Cursillo, local prayer meetings were formed. After Bill Storey visited from Dequesne University in 1967, elements from out of as well the burgeoning Catholic charismatic renewal of the times, were incorporated into these meetings.

Eventually several Catholic covenant communities were formed. After Word of God community formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967, and the True House (1971–1974) and People of Praise communities (1971–present) were formed in South Bend. ^[9] (Others formed since then include Sword of the Spirit, the Mother of God Community ^[10] as well as constituent members of the North American Network of Charismatic Covenant Communities. ^{[11] [12]}) Such communities initially may have been influenced by the communitarianism of the 1960s counterculture. ^[13]

Historical theologian Paul Thigpen writes that in general these communities "typically involved a commitment to at least some degree of sharing financial resources, regular participation in community gatherings, and submission to the direction of the group’s designated authorities." ^[14] Larger communities were often divided into "households", which did not always mean members were living in the same house. However, members of the same household needed to live close enough to each other to share meals, prayer times and other forms of fellowship. Most households were made up of one or two families, but others might be for single men or women. ^[10]

People of Praise experienced early growth recruiting from major universities and was especially closely connected to the University of Notre Dame. ^[15] The presence of charasmatic catholocism in on-campus communities caused concern at the Vatican, with Pope Paul VI expressing concerns that the evangelical mission of these groups did not fully embrace Catholic teachings. ^[16]

Nevertheless, group helped develop important institutions for the larger Catholic Charismatic movement. Until 1990, the South Bend community was the headquarters for the National Service Committee (a coordinating body for the various Catholic charismatic groups). It was also the headquarters of the Charismatic Renewal Services (a national distribution center for religious books and tapes) and published a magazine called New Heaven, New Earth. It also played a major role in the renewal's annual national conferences. ^[17] By 1987, People of Praise had around 3,000 members, including children. ^[18] By the end of the 1980s, Catholics were 92 percent of the membership. ^[15]

The charismatic catholic community typically focuses primarily on evangelical and not charitable works. However, People of Praise has been noted to engage in and compassionate or charitable efforts, while other charismatic catholic organizations do not make these activities their primary focus. For People of Praise, charitable activities comprise a fraction of their activities, with yearly tithes close to 3.8 million in 2017, salaries and other administrative expenditures comprised approximately 3.3 million for the Indiana parent organization, whilst various charitable works were allocated approximately $500,000, making those charitable efforts. ^[19]

The overall Catholic charismatic renewal had began in the United States in 1967 and saw Pentecostal religious experience and practices such as baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues embraced by members of its organizations. People of Praise became involved with the international body of the Renewal movement through the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services, located first in Brussels and later in Rome. ^[20] They have also worked ecumenically through participation in the International Charismatic Consultation, ^[21] the Charismatic Concerns Committee, the Charismatic Leaders Fellowship ^[22] and, more recently, in the Rome-based Gathering in the Holy Spirit. ^[23] Members also served with Cardinal Josef Suenens in drafting of Malines Documents I and II, ^[24] and with Father Kilian McDonnell, in the writing of Fanning the Flame. ^[25] These documents have contributed to the articulation and understanding of charismatic renewal and its place in the Catholic Church. They have also contributed to an understanding of how this movement can be understood by members of Protestant denominations of Christianity.

The group has drawn media interest due to Judge Amy Coney Barrett's lifelong association with the organization. Numerous media outlets have reported that Barrett as well as her immediate and extended families are members.

Prior to Judge Barrett’s 2017 nomination to the Seventh Circuit bench, the group began purging information from its website that described the group’s activities, beliefs and operations. This included contact information, newsletters, and other descriptions of the group’s day to day activities. A spokesperson for People of Praise stated that the decision to delete this information made in consultation with “members and nonmembers”, and was the direct result of “media attention.” ^{[26] [27] [28]}

Description

People of Praise defines itself as an ecumenical, charismatic covenant community "of families and single people who seek to participate in the mission of the church in our time and to live our lives communally". ^[29] Members live in their own homes, and sometimes single people will live with an unrelated family. ^[30] There are some households in which only single men or single women live together. ^[13]

People of Praise is not a church. All members of the community simultaneously remain members of their local parishes. ^[31] The majority of its members are Catholics, with Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists, Pentecostals and nondenominational Christians also represented. ^[32] The Spirit and Purpose of the People of Praise state that "we will live our lives together as fully as our churches permit, with the hope that we may soon attain a unity of faith in the fullness of Christ our Lord." ^[33]

Members of the People of Praise engage in weekly meetings that include religious teaching, Scripture readings, witnessing, and prayer for those with needs. Local groups may also hold charismatic prayer meetings and meet for dinner, fellowship and praise and worship. Members also meet in small groups. ^[34]

Anthropologist Thomas Csordas has written that People of Praise is theologically conservative with a hierarchical leadership structure, but it is also influenced by the communitarianism of the 1960s counterculture. ^[13]

Covenant

The People of Praise considers itself to be a "covenant community." The community considers the covenant, when entered into among members, to be one of mutual care and service in spiritual, material, and financial matters. ^[35] The covenant is not an oath or vow; a member is released from it if they believe God is calling them to another way of life. ^[32] The covenant states:

Therefore, we covenant ourselves to live our lives together in Christ, our Lord, by the power of his spirit. We agree to be a basic Christian community, to find within our fellowship the essential core of our life in the spirit, in worship and the sacraments, spiritual and moral guidance, service, and apostolic activity. We accept the order of this community, which the Lord is establishing with all the ministry gifts of the Holy Spirit, especially with the foundational ministry gifts of apostles, pastors, prophets, teachers, and evangelists. We agree to obey the direction of the Holy Spirit manifested in and through these ministries in full harmony with the Church. We recognize in the covenant a unique relationship one to another and between the individual and the community. We accept the responsibility for mutual care, concern, and ministry among ourselves. We will serve one another and the community as a whole in all needs: spiritual, material, financial. We agree that the weekly meeting of the community is primary among our commitments and that we will not be absent except for a serious reason. ^[36]

Membership is open to all baptized Christians who believe in the Nicene Creed. ^[13] There are two stages of membership in the community: underway and covenanted. People who are new to the community join as underway members. This stage of membership is meant as a time for people new to the community to freely explore (in consultation with the leadership) whether they belong in the community. While a member is underway, he or she actively participates in all aspects of community life. Full membership occurs when one makes a public commitment to the covenant. Members make this pledge freely after a formation and instruction period that normally lasts three to six years. ^[35]

Organizational leadership

People of Praise is led by an eleven-member all-male board of governors, the chairman of which is the overall coordinator. The board's responsibilities include electing the overall coordinator, establishing new branches, determining official teachings, approving the budget, and approving appointments made by the overall coordinator. Board members serve for six-year terms and cannot serve more than two consecutive terms. ^[37]

Each location of the community is called a branch. The larger branches are led by a group of branch coordinators. These branches are divided into areas, which are each led by an area coordinator. The principal branch coordinator serves as the main leader of the branch. Smaller or newer branches are led by a team of branch leaders. All these coordinators or branch leaders are selected from among the covenanted men in a branch.^{[ citation needed]} On matters of great importance, consultations involving all full or "covenanted" members of the community guide the direction of the community, including (within a branch) the selection of coordinators. Branch members nominate three people, and one is selected to be a coordinator by the overall coordinator. ^[38]

Headships and laypastor–penitant relationships

One highly controversial aspect of the covenant required by People of Praise is the practice of headships or lay-pastoral counselling in which individual members are supervised in their daily lives by a person regarded within the organization as more spiritually mature. ^[39] Pastoral care is considered an important service within the community; it is believed to foster relationships of love, service and charismatic ministry. ^[35]: 15. Each member’s supervisor is referred to as a head. Influenced by Ignatian spirituality (the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola), ^{[11] [40] [41]} heads, in general give correction, become involved in decision-making, and give encouragement. This process is referred to as heading.

Married women are headed by their husbands. Single women and widows usually have other women as their heads. Men and women with the appropriate skills are assigned as heads by the coordinators.^{[ citation needed]} Men have other men as their heads.

According to Sean Connolly, communications director for People of Praise, functions of lay-pastoral counsellors and prayer meeting leaders within the community are not authoritarian in nature: "Freedom of conscience is a key to our diversity. People of Praise members are always free to follow their consciences, as formed by the light of reason, experience, and the teachings of their churches." ^[32]

As a charismatic community, People of Praise recognizes prophecy as one of the spiritual gifts or charisms. Leaders of the community will consider the meaning of messages deemed prophetic when making decisions concerning group life, and sometimes will publish prophecy in community newsletters. There is no formal office of prophet, but the community does have a "word gifts" group made up of members that are considered to be gifted in prophecy on a regular basis. ^[42] The list of those members is not publicly disclosed to those outside the group.

Gender roles

The highest office a woman can hold in the community is "woman leader" (formerly "handmaid"). Women leaders "teach women on womanly affairs, give advice, help in troubled situations" and lead specialized women's activities. ^[4] The term handmaiden was chosen in 1971 as a reference to Mary, the mother of Jesus, who, in most English translations of the Bible, described herself as "the handmaid of the Lord" or a woman who is close to God. ^[13] The community teaches that husbands are the head of the household as well as the spiritual head of their wives. While it emphasizes traditional gender roles, the organization encourages women to pursue higher education and employment. ^[4]

In much of community life, men and women work together without distinction. Both men and women prophesy and exhort at community meetings, teach together in the community sponsored schools, serve together as counselors at community camps, or as members or heads of music ministries, and evangelize together in inner cities. Still, there are some significant distinctions in the roles of men and women. As noted above, women are not able to be coordinators. The community, which refers to itself as a "family of families," sees this patriarchal tradition as following the biblical model of the family. Men and women meet separately each week in small groups called 'men's groups' or 'women's groups.' The purpose is to build deeper relationships as brothers and sisters in Christ by discussing their lives and other issues with the goal of gaining wisdom, deepening friendships, and encouraging one another to be faithful to God. Traditional roles are reinforced by encouraging men to do most of the heavier physical work involved when a family is moving to a new home or re-roofing a house, and when setting up for meetings and similar tasks. Women are encouraged to provide food and childcare and run an effective household. However, these distinctions are not absolute. For example, women have also labored side by side with men in the construction work involved in the community's Allendale outreach. ^{[29] [43]}

Divisions and affiliated organizations

Campus Division

The Campus Division of the People of Praise is made up of mostly college students. Members live together in student households. Most households hold regular prayer together and often eat together. While some are not in school, most members of the Campus Division attend a variety of colleges and universities, including the University of Minnesota, IUPUI, Saint Mary's College, Holy Cross College and the University of Notre Dame. Members of the Campus Division consider their common life together to be part of what the People of Praise has labeled as to its city-building work.

Action Division

According to the organisation’s website, the Action Division consists of high school students and adults working together "to bring Christ's love to impoverished communities in real and tangible ways." ^[44] At this point, their work primarily involves outreach in a poor neighborhood called Allendale in the city of Shreveport, Louisiana. A second location has begun in inner-city Indianapolis, Indiana. However, members say that they could work in other areas in the future. The Action Division aims to "provide those in need with an experience of God's love for them." This consists of providing jobs, affordable housing, strong families, and prayer for physical healing. Action Division members work together to "share all aspects of life" with those who are in need; these needs may be material, financial, spiritual, intellectual or social. ^[45]

Christians in Commerce

Christians in Commerce (CIC) is a movement of business and professional men and women that is dedicated to helping members grow in the Christian life and to influence the world of commerce with the gospel. Although CIC operates independently from the People of Praise, the People of Praise helped form CIC ^[46] and is actively engaged in its work. CIC is organized into over 35 local Men's Chapters, Women's Chapters and Campus Clubs. These chapters have held retreats (Challenge Weekends) that have been attended by over 14,000 men and women. ^[47]

Trinity Schools

Trinity Schools is a group of schools founded by People of Praise which teaches middle school and high school age children. While the schools operate as an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, the goals and procedures are influenced by the approach of the People of Praise. Trinity Schools provide a Classical Christian education heavily influenced by elements of Christian humanism for grades six through twelve. The schools follow an academic core curriculum which includes six years of mathematics, five years of science, 11 semesters of writing, six years of literature, and five years of a foreign language. Students also take one full year and two years of partial courses in music, drawing, and painting and two semesters of drama. The schools are ecumenical Christian. On its website Trinity School (in each of its three instances) is self-described as "an ecumenical Christian school witnessing to the fundamental unity of all who are baptized into Christ." ^[48]

Students take 5 semesters of scriptural studies (through an ecumenical Christian approach) and either a Catholic or Protestant doctrine course. Trinity Schools maintain small classes with single-sex instruction except in a few key courses such as drama, art, and foreign languages. ^[49] The schools teach the theory of evolution, ^[13] that marriage is only between opposite sexes, and to practice abstinence until marriage. ^[50]

There are three locations:

• Greenlawn, in South Bend, Indiana
• Meadow View, in Falls Church, Virginia
• River Ridge, in Eagan, Minnesota

Brotherhood of the People of Praise

The Brotherhood of the People of Praise is a private association of the Christian faithful with official status in the Catholic Church.

While the People of Praise religious community has no official ties with any Christian church or denomination, a number of Catholic men who are members of this community have sought to regularize their status with the Catholic Church in order to be ordained, Catholic priests. This group of men now has official status in the Catholic Church as a private association of the Christian faithful. ^[51] "It has a membership of about 12 men, four of them now priests." ^[52] Peter Leslie Smith, a member of the group, was named an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon by Pope Francis and was ordained a bishop on April 29, 2014. ^{[52] [53]}

Media attention in 2020

The group has received media attention and investigation in 2020 due to Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States and her affiliation with the organization.

Prior to Barrett’s nomination to the Seventh Circuit by Donald Trump in 2017, the group began to purge references to her, and her family, from its website. The purge went so far as to include references to her father, despite the fact that he is a leader of the group, as well as her mother in law who was the primary contact for one of the group’s offices. ^[54]

She, her father, her husband, and five of her children are all purportedly members, although she did not disclose any information regarding the group, or her participation or contributions, on her nomination questionnaire. While a spokesperson noted that religious affiliation is not a required disclosure, People of Praise is not recognized as a church, but rather as a membership organization welcoming people of multiple Christian denominations or faiths. ^[55]

All of the group’s newsletters were also removed, leaving only a handful of operational pages on the site. A spokesman for People of Praise stated that this removal was a reaction to “media attention.” Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). When speaking to the Associated Press in 2020, she described experiences with her "handmaid," to whom she was supposed to confide her innermost thoughts and emotions, and who then repeated what she said to the male heads, who would consult her husband on the proper correction. ^[56]

She alleged that her husband, who was also her head, accompanied her to gynecological appointments to ensure she could not get birth control. ^[56] Theill had eight children from 11 pregnancies during her 20-year marriage. ^[56]

According to The Washington Post, Theill said her time in People of Praise "may have been atypical and extreme and that there may be regional differences." ^[27]

However, Norte Dame Professor of Philosophy and Theology Adrian J Reimers who was one of the early founding members of the South Bend, Indiana branch, published similar accounts in a 1997 book entitled Not Reliable Guides. ^[9] According to additional reporting by the Associated Press, Reiners, one of the group’s first members, wrote that the fundamental principle of the group was St. Paul's stipulation from the Bible that the husband is the "head" of his wife and that the wife is to "submit in all things." ^[56]

Reimers further disclosed that "A married woman is expected always to reflect the fact that she is under her husband's authority." ^[56] "This goes beyond an acknowledgment that the husband is 'head of the home' or head of the family; he is, in fact, her personal pastoral head. Whatever she does requires at least his tacit approval." ^[56]

A spokesperson for People of Praise responded that "men and women share a fundamental equality as bearers of God's image" and "We value independent thinking."^{[ citation needed]}

Anthropologist and scholar of comparative religion Thomas Csordas has written about People of Praise and stated, "I would definitely not use the term cult in its popular sense." ^[13] Csordas said "People of Praise is best described not as a cult but as a religiously-based 'intentional community.'" ^[2]

Critique by mainstream Catholics

Ralph Martin, president of Renewal Ministries, stated in the National Catholic Register that People of Praise is "part of the papally-approved mainstream of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, which has been encouraged by every pope since Vatican II, none more strongly than Pope Francis." ^[1]

While Pope Paul VI expressed concern over the charismatic catholic organizations' portrayal of the Church and sent a personal representative to the United States, mainstream Catholics have asserted that the charismatic catholic branches focus on evangelism and rarely on social good works. He encouraged the movement’s leaders to "see the gifts of the Holy Spirit as at the service of Christian unity and social justice, not just evangelization and personal conversion," and asserted that "that evangelization and humanization are not separate missions but simultaneous and interdependent." ^[57]

Pope Francis renewed this call to Renewal groups generally in light of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, noting that while the Renewal overall is not known for its faith-based social commitment, People of Praise is a Renewal group that has incorporated such service into its mission.^{[ citation needed]}

Notable members

• Amy Coney Barrett, nominee to the United States Supreme Court in September 2020. ^[58]
• Peter Leslie Smith, a Roman Catholic auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, has been a member since 1983. ^{[59] [60]}
• Joe Zakas, a former Indiana state legislator. ^[61]

See also

• Kevin Ranaghan
• Shepherding movement

References

Notes

• Agnew, Mary Barbara (1997). "Charismatic Renewal". In Glazier, Michael; Shelly, Thomas J. (eds.). The Encyclopedia of American Catholic History. Liturgical Press. ISBN  978-0814659199.
• Csordas, Thomas J. (1997). Language, Charisma, and Creativity: The Ritual Life of a Religious Movement. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. ISBN  978-0520204690.
• LaVergne, Colin (2008). "Can A People of Praise Member Be Fully Catholic?" (Document). Resurrection Communications. {{ cite document}}: Unknown parameter |format= ignored ( help); Unknown parameter |url= ignored ( help)
• Ranaghan, Kevin; Dorothy Ranaghan (July–August 2003). "New Move of the Holy Spirit". Goodnews (166). National Service Committees for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in England and Ireland. Archived from the original on February 6, 2007.
• Rath, Ralph (1994). Christian Community: A Reporter's Inside Look. South Bend, Indiana: Peter Publications. ISBN  0-9640167-6-1. Archived from the original on July 18, 2006. Retrieved October 31, 2006.
• Thigpen, T. Paul (2002). "Catholic Charismatic Renewal". In Burgess, Stanley M.; Van der Maas, Eduard M. (eds.). The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements (revised and expanded ed.). Zondervan. ISBN  978-0-310-22481-5.

External links

• Official website
• Official Trinity Schools website
• Official Christians in Commerce website
• Amy Coney Barrett Stephen B Clark and the Origins of Covenant Communities

Category:Charismatic denominations Category:Trinity Schools Category:Religious organizations established in 1971 Category:1971 establishments in Indiana Category:South Bend, Indiana