Community of True Inspiration facts for kids

The Community of True Inspiration is a Christian group. They are also known as the True Inspiration Congregations or the Amana Church Society. This group comes from German, Swiss, and Austrian settlers. They first moved to West Seneca, New York, after buying land from a Native American reservation. Later, they moved to Amana, Iowa. They felt that Erie County and the city of Buffalo, New York were becoming too crowded.

History of the Inspirationalists

How the Inspirés Began

For many years, France allowed Calvinist Protestants, called Huguenots, to practice their faith. But in 1685, King Louis XIV changed this. He ordered Huguenot churches and schools to close. This was an attempt to stop their religion.

Some Huguenots in Southern France became known as the Inspirés ("Inspired"). They felt a strong connection to God. They started traveling and preaching that the end of time was near. They believed they were inspired by God with prophecies. For many years, they lived as refugees in the Netherlands and England. Later, many settled in Halle, a center for religious groups.

The Pott Brothers' Influence

The Inspirés had a big impact on three brothers named Pott. The Pott brothers lived in Halle. They were later forced to leave and went to Hanau and Wetteravia in 1714. These areas were east of Frankfurt. Many other religious people, called Pietists, also came there. They liked that the local counts allowed religious freedom.

The Pott brothers gave powerful speeches. People believed these speeches were inspired by God. They sometimes moved their bodies in strong, uncontrolled ways while preaching. This was seen as a sign that a divine spirit was with them. Their main message was a call for people to change their ways and awaken their faith.

The Early Inspirationalist Group

Many people were drawn to the Pott brothers. A new group formed around them in late 1714. This group became known as the Inspirationalists. Soon, other people also began preaching in a similar way. They also experienced similar strong movements. Important early leaders included Eberhard Ludwig Gruber, Johann Friedrich Rock, and Ursula Meyer.

Wherever the Inspirés and Inspirationalists went, communities grew around them. But in those times, political freedom was very limited. The Inspirationalists were often forced to leave places. They could not find a permanent home in Europe. Their religious beliefs caused problems with German leaders. For example, they refused to serve in the military. They also refused to take oaths. Many of their communities did not last long. Their leaders kept traveling and were often banished. Some main centers for the Inspirationalists were Himbach (until 1740), the castle of Gelnhausen (until 1753), Lieblos, and then Herrnhaag (until the 1820s). Later leaders in the 18th century included Wilhelm Ludwig Kampf and Paul Giesebert Nagel.

Gruber stayed for a while with a group called the Schwarzenau Brethren in Schwarzenau. However, the Inspirationalists felt the Brethren were too strict. They thought the Brethren lacked their own strong, inspired missionary spirit. Ursula Meyer, one of the Inspirationalist prophets, disagreed with Brethren leader Alexander Mack. She also disapproved of Anabaptist Andreas Boni. The two groups had different ideas. This likely led the Brethren to leave Schwarzenau for the Netherlands in 1720.

Decline and Revival

The Inspirationalist religion continued to grow until leaders Gruber and Rock passed away. After that, the group's numbers went down. But then, a man named Michael Krausert started preaching for a revival. He had a lot of support, and the group began to grow again.

Moving to North America

In the 1840s, new rules and religious restrictions from rulers made the Inspirationalists decide to move. They migrated as a group to North America. Their first settlements were near Buffalo, on both sides of the Niagara River. These places included West Seneca and the Town of Elma.

They immediately started practicing a "community of goods." This meant they shared everything they owned. They worked in textiles (making cloth) and farming. This settlement became known as the Ebenezer Colonies. Soon, they were unhappy with the area. It was crowded, and the growing city of Buffalo was too close. They also had conflicts with the Seneca Indians. So, in 1854, many Inspirationalists moved to the Iowa River Valley. There, they founded the Amana Colonies.

In 1925, the group had 1,534 official members. Their membership was still over a thousand in the 1980s.

Legacy of the Community

The Community of True Inspiration Residence was recognized as an important historical place. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.

Notable Members

• Conrad Beissel: He joined the group in 1715 in Germany. He later started the Ephrata Cloister.
• Barbara Heinemann Landmann
• Christian Metz