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One Example of a Christian Community in Idaho |
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Written by Paul Smith
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The idea of starting a Christian community in Idaho is nothing new. There was a group of Christians led by Bo Gritz in the mid 1990's, whose collective goal was to establish a "Christian Covenant Community" in northern Idaho named "Almost Heaven". Bo Gritz, a highly decorated Green Beret, Vietnam veteran, and Special Forces agent, had been in the media spotlight numerous times, particularly when his much-publicized attempt to rescue MIA POW's from Vietnam failed in the late 1980's. He had been a harsh critic of the political machine in Washington, and was convinced, like most of us, that the government wants a subservient population; and that liberty-minded Christians, who refuse to bow the knee to Caesar, should come out from among them.
He apparently decided that since the implementation of the police state was escalating unabated, it was time to head for the hills. At that time, he had a significant following- many of whom who were "survivalist" oriented. Gritz studied locations throughout North America and decided that the area around Kamiah, Idaho is most suitable for establishing a self-reliant community.
The controversies and problems began almost immediately. Gritz was not liked by the press, and the feeling was mutual. When word got out about “Almost Heaven”, the press had a field day with it. Bo fought back, and unfortunately was not very discerning in who the real enemy was, so he alienated many of the locals as a result of his tongue lashings. The “Christian Covenant Community” business plan was somewhat naive and not very well-thought out. A number of property owners found that there were legal problems associated with getting title possession, since Idaho law does not recognize common law deeds. There was a lot of internal friction within Almost Heaven as well.
Investors filed charges in court and consumer complaints with the Attorney General. In addition, Gritz was going through marital problems. His battles with the press and locals led to them painting him as a racist Christian extremist. In 1996, after just two years, the movement came to a virtual standstill. Bo Gritz decided to withdraw from a leadership role, and moved back to Nevada. Some land owners who had not yet built homes there sold their property, but others remained.
I think the lessons for us are obvious. We should be Christ-like in our dealings with all of our neighbors, even those we disagree with. Our Lord admonished us to pray for and bless those that despise us. Second, we should not gravitate toward a famous or authoritarian personality as a leader. Third, we should not become entangled in community real-estate ventures where the opportunity for profit might present a conflict of interest.
It should be noted that while the "Almost Heaven" project has lost much of it's momentum over the years, some families continue to relocate to the area. Jack McLamb, one of the founders of the movement, continues to encourage those interested in participating through his website and radio program.
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Nov.12
