Jesus People USA (JPUSA) is a Christian intentional community in the Evangelical Covenant Church denomination.[1] JPUSA self-described in 2012 as having emerged in 1972[2] from Jesus People Milwaukee;[3] JPUSA had "around 450 members plus other residents" in 1999.[3] As of 2022, around 200 remained community members[4].

Background

Jesus People USA was described in 1999 as being "one of the largest single-site communes in the United States".[3] In 2005, it was one of only a few communes with an eclectic cultural mix of hippies, punks, "crusties" and other members from various subcultures.[5] The JPUSA community produced Cornerstone magazine from 1971-2003.[6] JPUSA put on and ran Cornerstone festival from 1984-2012. [7] "Many members of JPUSA come as artists, photographers and musicians".[4]


JPUSA's social significance has been described as stemming from the group's continued presence in Chicago and its historic roots in the 1960s, according to sociologist Shawn David Young, and as one of the most significant of contemporary groups from the Jesus movement era:

Founded in 1972, this community is one of the most significant surviving expressions of the original Jesus Movement of the sixties and seventies and represents a radical expression of contemporary countercultural evangelicalism. JPUSA's blend of Christian Socialism, theological orthodoxy, postmodern theory and ethos of edgy artistic expression (as demonstrated at their annual music festival) prove what some scholars have longed suspected: evangelicalism is a diverse, complex movement, which simply does not yield to any attempt at categorization.[8]

Controversy

Enroth controversy

As described by the Chicago Tribune in a 2001 longform article, JPUSA elders learned that Ronald Enroth was researching a sequel to his book Churches That Abuse, which was said to mention issues of abuse within JPUSA.[9] Despite efforts of elders to convince Enroth to edit JPUSA out of the book, it was published in 1994 and included a full chapter of accounts of alleged abuse within the group.[9]

As the Tribune reports, the release of the book

set off a firestorm of debate among religious scholars. Dozens, like Ruth Tucker, a professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, would defend [JPUSA] vehemently, saying Enroth was "sadly misdirected and his research methods seriously flawed." Others, like Paul Martin, the director of Wellspring Retreat and Resource Center, one of the few residential treatment centers in the world for former members of "abusive groups," would support Enroth's findings, saying that his facility had been getting a flood of requests for help from former members and that the commune "displays virtually every sign that I watch for in overly authoritarian and totalistic groups."[9]

Ronald Enroth responded to JPUSA's attempt, through their earlier correspondence, to influence his work, stating in the book:

There has been much correspondence between leaders of the Covenant Church and JPUSA and me since I began to do the research for this book. They have questioned the integrity of my reports, the reliability of my respondents, and my sociological methodology, but I have conducted more than seventy hours of in-depth interviews and telephone conversations with more than forty former members of JPUSA. They have also largely discounted the reports of abusive conditions past and present in the JPUSA community. ... Unwilling to admit serious deficiencies and insensitivity in their pastoral style, the leaders of JPUSA have instead sought to discredit the former members who have cooperated with my research efforts.[10][page needed]

As the Chicago Tribune notes in the same article, the leaders of JPUSA "would come to believe the book was 'poison in the well.'"[9] In the second part of the Tribune series on the group, Kirsten Scharnberg reports that as a result of the book's description of JPUSA, scores of members decided to leave the group.[11]

Chicago Tribune criticism

In 2001, the Chicago Tribune published a two-part article primarily critical of the movement, with quotes from several ex-members accusing the group of authoritarian practices.[9][11] One of the JPUSA activities criticized in the article includes "adult spankings," employed after charismatic leader Jack Winters introduced it as a means to heal the "inner child." The practice, which lasted approximately four years in the mid-1970s, was abandoned by the group, with leaders citing it as reflective of how "spiritually immature" the group was at the time.[9]

JPUSA issued a response to the two-part article, found on their website, which accuses the article of "anti-religious bias and cultural intolerance."[12]

Accusations of sexual abuse

A lawsuit was filed in January 2014 against JPUSA and its parent denomination, the Evangelical Covenant Church, claiming that children were sexually abused by members of JPUSA and its leadership covered it up for years.[13] As of March 3, 2015, the court case had been dismissed for want of prosecution.[14] That same year, the documentary No Place to Call Home shared the stories of former children of JPUSA members who allegedly were sexually abused.[15] Over 70 former members reached out to documentary filmmakers regarding abuse or assault that occurred during their time with the organization.[4] according to the ECC, child safety policies were implemented and legal claims were settled by 2019[16] In March of 2023, Jesus People released a public statement to those harmed in community. The statement includes an apology for the harms committed and also dismissive reactions by some at hearing stories. [17] LOVE SONG: No Place To Call Home | Ten Years Later was uploaded in February 2024. This follow up documentary includes additional interviews, reflections on the legal process, and calls for restorative justice and healing. [18] This decription also linked to an open letter demanding urgency and transparency in the accountability process. [19]

References

  1. ↑ Friedman, Stan (August 30, 2011). "Call of God Can Go in Unexpected Directions". Covenant News (covchurch.org). Chicago, IL: The Evangelical Covenant Church. Retrieved January 28, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  2. ↑ JPUSA Staff (August 29, 2012). "About Us". JPUSA.org. Chicago, IL: Jesus People USA (JPUSA). Archived from the original on August 29, 2012. Retrieved November 6, 2025. In 1972 JPUSA began when a ragtag group of Christians wanted to change the world for Jesus. Now more than forty years later, they are still at it. What started as simply inviting folks in for a meal became a feeding program. What began as a phone call from a mother looking for housing eventually became a shelter, and now a complex of ministries dedicated to housing and resource services. Working together, ordinary people have been able to accomplish extraordinary things.
  3. 1 2 3 Miller, Timothy (1999). "The Sixties Communes: Hippies and Beyond". Syracuse Studies on Peace and Conflict Resolution (illustr. ed.). Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press. p. 99. ISBN 9780815606017. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 Smelser, Kamy. "Uptown commune Jesus People USA turns 50 and faces dwindling membership". The Columbia Chronicle. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
  5. ↑ Young, Shawn David (2005). Hippies, Jesus Freaks, and Music. Ann Arbor, MI: Xanedu/Copley Original Works. ISBN 1593992017.[page needed]
  6. ↑ "Jon Trott". CBE International. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Virtualmin". www.cornerstonefestival.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
  8. ↑ Young, Shawn David (Summer 2010). "From Hippies to Jesus Freaks: Christian Radicalism in Chicago's Inner-City". Journal of Religion and Popular Culture. 22 (2): 3. doi:10.3138/jrpc.22.2.003.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Trib Staff (August 20, 2021) [April 1, 2001]. "Commune's Iron Grip Tests Faith of Converts" (first of a two part series). Chicago Tribune (Trib). Retrieved November 6, 2025.
  10. ↑ Enroth, Ronald M. (1994). Recovering from churches that abuse. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House. ISBN 9780310398707. OCLC 30318174.[page needed]
  11. 1 2 Scharnberg, Kirsten (April 2, 2001). "Exodus From Commune Ignites Battle for Souls" (first of a two part series). Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
  12. ↑ Thor (February 9, 2007). "An Official Response To The Chicago Tribune From Jesus People USA". jpusa.org. Archived from the original on February 9, 2007.
  13. ↑ "Dozens of Children Abused at Evangelical Commune, Adult Survivors Allege". Gleanings - ChristianityToday.com. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Case Information Summary for Case Number 2014-L-003364". Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court Electronic Docket Search. March 3, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  15. ↑ "JPUSA: A Tragic History of Sexual Abuse". Slow Church. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  16. ↑ Peterson, Cathy Norman (April 5, 2023). "More Than the Worst Thing". The Evangelical Covenant Church. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Public Statement Resources". Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  18. ↑ Jaime Prater (February 28, 2024). LOVE SONG: No Place To Call Home | Ten Years Later. Retrieved July 10, 2026 – via YouTube.
  19. ↑ JesusPeopleKids (July 13, 2023). "JPUSA Kids Blog: Responding to the Jesus People Leadership's Public Statement". JesusPeopleKids. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_People_USA