OUR STORY
Our Community was founded in Glasgow, Scotland in 1938 by Rev George MacLeod.
A visionary and a social reformer, MacLeod was driven by a belief that faith is grounded in action. In rebuilding the ruined accommodation at Iona Abbey, on the island of Iona, trainee ministers and unemployed workers from Glasgow lived, worked and worshipped together.
This physical rebuilding became, and remains a sign of hope for the rebuilding of individual lives and of community in Scotland and beyond. The community and living spaces of Iona Abbey were reopened in 2021 after extensive renovation. The MacLeod Centre on Iona is a space where our commitment to young people finds its expression. Our adventure Centre at Camas on Mull offers a space for young people to thrive and experience community through immersion in Scotland’s wilderness. We are glad still to be part of the life and economy of Iona and Mull. These are beautiful islands where thriving local communities are layered with a deep spiritual tradition and inspiring landscape and wildlife.
In an age where society is fragmented, families are dispersed and many real social networks have broken down, people live with a hunger for relationship, a sense of belonging and a desire to counter inequality, injustice and exclusion. We find hope, courage and challenge in our faith which calls us to unity in diversity.
From the earliest days pamphlets and flyers describing the heartbeat of the concerns of the Iona Community have been produced. Since then our publishing department has grown so that now we employ a team of dedicated and highly professional staff who publish a range of books and e-books annually on themes of concern to us through Wild Goose Publications.
We are known globally as a community dedidated to prayer in action. We are honoured to work with a visionary team of resource workers who continue to renew and shape the worship of local congregations, world church networks, and all kinds of believers and doubters, in the Wild Goose Resource Group.