Founding Principles
Bartimaeus Cohousing Community is an innovative, consensus-governed, voluntary association of individuals, whose commitment to service is based on a foundation of Christian faith and practice. We are not a denomination or a substitute for other local church involvement. Personal declarations of faith are not required or expected as a prerequisite to membership in Bartimaeus Cohousing Community, LLC, or to home ownership. We ask our members to respect one another’s individual beliefs, and the foundational spiritual principles upon which the community and its actions are based. These principles can be summarized in the historic creeds of the Christian church, including the Apostles’ Creed of the early 4th Century. The principles upon which the Bartimaeus Cohousing Community is built:
The Bible is the inspired Word of God, is reliable, and is the final authority for faith and practice.
Eternal salvation and significant restoration in body, soul, mind, and relationships are possible through the living Christ by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
All persons are made in the image of God and are encouraged to reflect that image in the community, respecting the equality and dignity of men and women of all races, ages, and classes.
Men and women are encouraged to develop and use their God-given gifts for the good of the home, church, and society.
Healthy community is based on mutually developed trust and accountability to one another rather than legalistic regulations that would stifle freedom and spontaneity. Such trust and accountability depends on commitment to a shared vision of what constitutes a healthy community.
The family, celibate singleness, and faithful heterosexual marriage are God’s ideal.
While it is not essential for all members to adhere to the Christian faith, all persons living at the Bartimaeus Cohousing Community are encouraged to respect the founding principles of the community, and contribute to the vision of community formed around these ideals.
NOTE: While many, if not most, of the residents at Meadow Wood currently hold to the above founding principles, the community does not require residents to hold such views. On the contrary, members of the community currently hold a diverse range of beliefs, and residents who hold minority opinion views on these subjects are treated with the same respect and dignity as any other resident.
In accordance with local, state, and federal Fair Housing Law, the Bartimaeus Community does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, sexual orientation, and handicap (disability) in the sale or rental of properties.
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