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Celibate Christian Sect Grows by 50 Percent
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An almost extinct celibate Christian sect is enjoying a 50 percent increase in its numbers—going from two members to three.
Speaking with NPR, the new member, Sister April Baxter, 59, said she had felt "very moved" after visiting the Shaker community at Sabbathday Lake in New Gloucester, Maine. "Something made me feel like I had to come back," Baxter said.
Newsweek has contacted the community at Sabbathday Lake via email.
Why It Matters
There were once tens of thousands of Shakers in the United States. But in 2017, Sister June Carpenter, 87, and Brother Arnold Hadd, 68, became the only two remaining members of the last active Shaker community in the country after a third member, Sister Francis Carr, died at the age of 89.
Their community at Sabbathday Lake was settled in 1783, but their numbers dwindled as the members practice total celibacy.
Signe Lynch, left, and Allie Armstrong work in the garden during Herb Garden Clean Up Day at Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in New Gloucester, Maine, on November 6, 2020.
Signe Lynch, left, and Allie Armstrong work in the garden during Herb Garden Clean Up Day at Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in New Gloucester, Maine, on November 6, 2020.
Daryn Slover/Sun Journal via AP
What To Know
Baxter came to live at Sabbathday Lake in the spring, according to NPR. She had previously been living in an Episcopal convent for four years.
Lloyd Hunt, a member of the official Friends of the Shakers organization, told the outlet that there were more than 1,000 members who believed in Shaker values but were unable to fully commit to the life.
The Shakers, formally known as the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, originated in England in the middle of the 18th century. They were known for ecstatic worship practices, which led to the moniker "Shaking Quakers." Though their style of worship changed long ago, the name stuck.
In 1774, a small group of Shakers led by Ann Lee, a blacksmith's daughter, headed to America and formed more than a dozen communities. They practiced equality of the sexes, pacifism, communal ownership of property and total celibacy.
At its height in the 19th century, the Shaker community numbered about 5,000, The New York Times reported. Over the course of its history, 19 Shaker communities spread out from New England as far west as Indiana and as far south as Florida, according to the newspaper.
What People Are Saying
Sister April Baxter told NPR: "Someone said to me, oh, that must have been a really hard decision for you to make. I'm like, no, it wasn't a decision. It's a calling."
Brother Arnold Hadd, who believed Shakerism was about emulating the life of Christ through the "three Cs," told NPR: "There's the confession of sin, which is the opening of the mind and the gateway to the church. There's a community of goods. Nobody owns everything—anything, but we all own everything. And celibacy, as Christ was celibate."
What Happens Next
Baxter has time before she becomes a full member of the Shaker community, but her remarks indicate that she is fully committed to doing so.
