The purpose of this book is to tell in brief the story of how God has called together Christians from many churches to form an ecumenical, charismatic community of communities based in a common covenant.

The purpose of this book is to tell in brief the story of how God has called together Christians from many churches to form an ecumenical, charismatic community of communities based in a common covenant. Fifty years ago, God began a new thing – calling into being communities of men and women, families and single people, who would covenant themselves together in lives of Christian love, service and mission. This book attempts to trace the history of that work of God and show our own small part in it. The book is a celebration and remembrance of what he has done. Remembering what God has done in the past also prepares us for the next season of mission. We believe in fact that God is calling us to return in a deeper way to the roots of our beginnings – to renew our openness to the power of the Holy Spirit, to restore and deepen our call to ecumenism, to widen the tent pegs of our hearts for new mission and new relationships.

The Sword of the Spirit is a growing network around the world of some 90 communities and more than 100 movements that have a common vision, way of life, and spiritual culture. There are more than 14,000 adult members in these communities and at least as many again in the movements.

We sometimes describe ourselves as a “community of communities”. Each community within the Sword of the Spirit is self-governing but receives help in living out its life as a community from the sharing of resources with other communities around the world.

The Sword of the Spirit has a strong common culture that transcends our international differences. As a result, when members of different communities get together, even though they may be from different parts of the world, there is a very strong sense that we are part of the same international community of communities.

The Sword of the Spirit is ecumenical. Some of our communities are ecumenical in their make-up, with members who belong to various churches – Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox. Other communities are all one denomination. But the call of all our communities is to foster the unity of all Christians. While recognizing our differences, we look to see how we can share in the riches of one another’s Christian traditions and work together for Christ.