The Community of the Resurrection (CR) is an Anglican religious community for men in the Church of England. The community was founded in 1892 by Charles Gore and other priests as part of the rise of Anglo-Catholicism in the Anglican church. The CR follows a disciplined community life shaped by the vows of poverty, celibacy and obedience. Members of the CR, who are known as “Resurrectionists”, live together in a few houses in England and Zimbabwe. They balance a life of prayer, worship and study with working and serving in parishes, chaplaincies, schools and other ministries.
History of the Community of the Resurrection
The Community of the Resurrection was founded in 1892 by a small group of Anglican priests led by Charles Gore. Gore had been a fellow at Pusey House in Oxford, which aimed to reinvigorate the catholic roots of Anglicanism. In 1889, Gore and Walter Howard Frere visited the Church of England Benedictine monastery in Nashdom Abbey, which had been founded a few years earlier. They were inspired to establish a religious community that combined the catholic faith and prayer life of monks with active ministry in the Church of England.
After raising funds and gaining supporters, Gore and three other priests – Frere, Henry Scott Holland and Richard Meux Benson – made their vows as the first members of the Community of the Resurrection on December 15, 1892. They moved into a house in Mirfield, West Yorkshire and adopted a disciplined community life shaped by poverty, celibacy and obedience to a superior. The “Resurrectionists”, as they became known, lived together as brothers and followed a rule based on that of the Friars Minor.
The Community of the Resurrection expanded over the following decades, establishing houses in Oxford, London, Johannesburg and other locations. Members focused on worship, theological study, training ordinands and active ministry in parishes and chaplaincies. The community also founded the College of the Resurrection for theological education in Mirfield, which continues today affiliated with the University of Leeds.
Vows and Community Life
Members of the Community of the Resurrection, called companions, live together under the vows of poverty, celibacy and obedience. These evangelical counsels shape their disciplined community life of prayer, worship, study and ministry to God.
Poverty
Companions in the community aim to live a simple life without personal possessions. They share a common purse, with all money and property being owned by the community for the benefit of its mission. Necessities like food, clothing and accommodation are provided by the community.
Celibacy
As part of their commitment to community life, companions remain celibate. They give up marriage and family ties to dedicate themselves fully to God within the community.
Obedience
Companions vow obedience to the Superior of the community. They submit their will to live under the direction of their Superior for the sake of their religious life together.
Community Life
Life in the Community of the Resurrection follows a shared discipline intended to nurture companions’ faith and relationship with God. The main elements include:
- Praying together several times a day, including Mass, morning and evening prayer from the Divine Office and meditative prayer.
- Shared meals together in silence while one companion reads from scripture or a spiritual work.
- Daily manual labor to contribute to the upkeep of the community.
- Spiritual reading and study for personal growth.
- Recreation together in the evenings.
The shared routine of work, worship and meals focuses companions on community life under God. Their houses provide space for private retreat and reflection as well as community activities.
Membership and Ministry
The Community of the Resurrection currently has around 40 companions who live together in houses in Mirfield, Oxford, Johannesburg, Grahamstown and Stellenbosch. They come from various backgrounds across the Anglican Communion and enter the community after initial discernment, postulancy and novitiate phases. After profession of initial vows, companions renew their vows annually and may decide to take life vows after some years.
Companions engage in a range of active ministries while being centered in the shared life of prayer and worship. Ministries include:
- Parish ministry
- Chaplaincies in schools, universities, hospitals and prisons
- Spiritual direction and retreat work
- Teaching at theological colleges
- Serving the church through writing, broadcasting and lecturing
The guiding principle is to be grounded in community life while using their resources to serve the church’s mission. Companions discern together where their gifts are best used for ministry.
The community’s houses provide space for prayer, worship and hospitality. Companions welcome visitors to join the Daily Office, retreats and meals while observing the discipline of silence. The houses thus offer a spiritual resource to nurture faith beyond the community.
Organization and Governance
The Community of the Resurrection is made up of the professed companions living under vows in the community houses. The Superior is elected by the professed companions to exercise authority and spiritual leadership for the community. Assistants to the Superior may be appointed to share in leadership duties.
The overall governance of the community resides with Chapter, which is a council made up of the professed companions. Chapter meets regularly to make decisions concerning admissions, vows, appointments to ministries, and other matters affecting the common life. Significant decisions also require the approval of the Bishop Visitor, who provides episcopal oversight on behalf of the wider church.
Novices and postulants in initial formation live and train alongside the professed companions in the community houses. The Novice Guardian oversees the formation of new entrants to the community’s way of life.
The community’s teaching and ministry work extends beyond the houses through affiliated groups:
- The College of the Resurrection in Mirfield provides theological education and formation for ordained ministry in the Church of England.
- Companions are appointed by the community to serve as wardens, chaplains and in teaching roles at the college.
- The Companions of the Community of the Resurrection consists of Anglican clergy and laypeople who associate themselves with the CR while remaining in their own contexts. Members aim to live by the community’s values in spirituality, prayer and service.
- Friends of the Community of the Resurrection is an open group of lay supporters who pray for the community and assist its works.
These extensions of the community enable the Resurrectionist charism to shape ministry and discipleship more widely through Anglican networks.
Spirituality and Principles
The Community of the Resurrection expresses its spirituality through its shared discipline of life and prayer rooted in the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Some key aspects of CR spirituality include:
Incarnational
Seeing God at work in the midst of everyday life and the world. Finding intimacy with God through lived experience.
Eucharistic
Centering communal and personal spirituality on Christ’s sacrificial presence in the Eucharist.
Catholic
Emphasizing sacramental spirituality, communal worship practices and disciplined prayer in the Anglican Catholic tradition.
Activist
Combining contemplation and action. Engaging in ministry and prophecy as spiritual practice.
Inclusive
Welcoming people of diverse ethnic, cultural and theological backgrounds. Seeing variety as enriching the community’s life.
The Community of the Resurrection is guided by a set of Key Principles that shape its common life:
- Seeking God – through Scripture, sacraments, prayer and ministry
- Listening together – discerning God’s will communally
- Speaking the truth in love – authentic living without avoidance or false piety
- Praying for each other – intercession within the community
- Humbly serving – in mutual service and ministry beyond the community
- Journeying together – unity in diversity on the shared path of faith
These principles reflect the community’s values of seeking God within and beyond the monastic setting through prayer, humility, honesty and service.
Daily Life and Horarium
The community’s shared discipline is structured around a daily horarium. While varying slightly between the community’s houses, it generally includes:
Daily Office
- Early morning – Quiet prayer and reflection
- 7:00 am – Community Eucharist
- 8:00 am – Breakfast
- 8:30 am – Morning Prayer
- 12:30 pm – Midday Prayer
- 6:00 pm – Evening Prayer
- 8:15 pm – Silent Night Prayer
Daily Meals
- 8:00 am – Breakfast
- 12:45 pm – Lunch
- 6:15 pm – Supper
Work
- 9:00 am-12:00 pm – Domestic work around the house and gardens
- Afternoons – Time for study, ministry, correspondence etc.
Recreation
- 7:30 pm – Community recreation together to end the day
In addition, all community members receive an annual eight day retreat for individual spiritual reflection.
This daily rhythm interweaves worship, work, meals and recreation to sustain the communal discipleship of the companions. It provides a structure for being with God and each other wholeheartedly.
Notable Companions
Many distinguished Anglican clergy, monks and theologians have served God as companions in the Community of the Resurrection over the decades. Some notable members include:
Charles Gore
- Founder of the Community of the Resurrection in 1892
- Served as Bishop of Worcester, Birmingham and Oxford
- Leading figure in the Anglo-Catholic movement
Walter Frere
- Co-founder of the community and scholar of liturgy and worship
- Bishop of Truro and assistant bishop in London
- Pivotal role in Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue
Conrad Noel
- “Red Vicar” of Thaxted who hung the red flag in his church
- Christian Socialist advocate for workers’ rights
- Provoked controversy through unorthodox views
Percy Dearmer
- Liturgical reformer and hymn writer
- Promoted arts and crafts movement in worship
- Wrote The Parson’s Handbook to enrich liturgy
Kenneth Kirk
- Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at Oxford
- Pioneer in social theology, medical ethics and moral philosophy
- Advocate for the ministry of the laity
Desmond Tutu
- Novice in the Community of the Resurrection
- Left to protest apartheid in South Africa
- Later became Archbishop of Cape Town and anti-apartheid activist
Among the community’s members have been influential bishops, theologians, social reformers and leading figures who left their mark on Anglicanism.
Conclusion
The Community of the Resurrection has sought to renew the Church of England through its monastic witness for over 125 years. By living under rigorous vows and discipline, companions offer a prophetic sign of radical discipleship. Their shared life of liturgy, prayer, study and service is sustained by a joyful spirit and inclusive Catholic vision. Sent out into ministries near and far, Resurrectionists bring experience of God’s presence to enliven the Church’s worship and work for justice.