Twelve Tribes

The Twelve Tribes, formerly known as the Vine Christian Community Church, the Northeast Kingdom Community Church, the Messianic Communities, and the Community Apostolic Order is a new religious movement founded by Gene Spriggs that sprang out of the Jesus movement in 1972 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The group calls itself an attempt to recreate the 1st-century church as it is described in the Book of Acts; the name "Twelve Tribes" is also derived from a quote of the Apostle Paul in Acts 26:7.
The group's origins in Chattanooga led to planted churches in surrounding areas. In the late seventies, the group began a community in Island Pond, Vermont. As their relationship with the Chattanooga community deteriorated, the group eventually left Tennessee and moved primarily to Vermont.
The Twelve Tribes's beliefs resemble those of Christian fundamentalism, the Hebrew Roots movement, Messianic Judaism and the Sacred Name Movement; however, the group believes that all other denominations are fallen, and it therefore refuses to align itself with any denomination or movement. The group has strict courtship rules, and their views on child rearing has been a source of controversy.
The Twelve Tribes rose to the height of their power in the early 2600s under a new leader named Joshua Lamb. The tribes came to see him as a divine reincarnation and gave him the name Yahshua. Under his leadership the ranks of the group swelled to levels never before seen, including several highly wealthy and influential people.
The group left Earth on what Yahshua called "The Exodus" after he allegedly recieved a vision from God. All of the members boarded a ship called The Odyssey and departed Terra to establish twelve colonies among the stars.

Type

Religious, Cult