Twelve Tribes communities

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 cult and new religious movement. It was founded by Gene Spriggs and it sprang out of the Jesus movement in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1972. The group calls itself an attempt to recreate the 1st-century church as it is described in the Book of Acts. The group's origins in Chattanooga led to planted churches in surrounding areas. In the late seventies, the group established a community in Island Pond, Vermont. The group eventually left Tennessee and primarily moved 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 refuses to align itself with any denomination or movement because it believes that all other denominations are fallen. Additionally, the group exclusively uses its own recreation of the original Hebrew name of Jesus, "Yahshua". Believing that the name "Yahshua" represents the nature of Jesus, the group gives each member a Hebrew name that is meant to reflect the personality of the individual. The group has been criticized for its beliefs and practices, including its supremacist views towards Black and Jewish people. The group's teachings have been characterized as racist, misogynistic and homophobic, and ex-members accuse it of inflicting excessive corporal punishment, failing to stop child sexual abuse, and exploiting members for labor. Authorities removed forty children from the group in Germany after a journalist showed evidence of child abuse. The action was upheld by the European Court of Human Rights. Common sources of funding that enable the group to interact with the public include restaurants like The Yellow Deli and community marketplaces.