THE WORLD COMMUNITY FOR CHRISTIAN MEDITATION
The roots of the Community lie in the desert tradition of early Christianity. In 1975 John Main started the first Christian Meditation Centre in London where the first of many weekly meditation groups began to meet. In 1991 the John Main Seminar was held in the old Utopian town of New Harmony, Indiana. It was led by Bede Griffiths and was the basis of his book The New Creation in Christ: Meditation and Community.
Meditators from many parts of the world came together on this occasion to discuss the future of the community that had been forming for many years already as a ‘monastery without walls’. They named it The World Community for Christian Meditation. The symbol of the Community is an ancient image that represents the union of the contemplative and active dimensions of life.
It is now growing through 100+ countries. Individuals, weekly groups and centres share the vision of peace and new consciousness that are the spiritual fruits of meditation. Groups meet in homes, parishes, offices, hospitals, prisons and colleges. A number of Christian Meditation Centres, such as that at Georgetown University, helps to share the teaching. Dialogue with other faiths has arisen from this deepening of Christian. The link with the Benedictine monastic family is especially valued and an Oblate Community grows within the larger community of meditators.
In recent years, initiatives have led to the teaching of Christian meditation to children, as an Eleventh Step practice, and has led to a deeper spiritual understanding among those in the business and financial worlds, those working for peace and justice, clergy of all denominations and the sick and dying.
On the eve of its 20th anniversary, the Community opened its Meditatio program, revised its governance structure and undertook a development of its outreach in crucial areas of social concern, technology and the training of young meditators for the next generation of leadership.
The Meditatio centre in London will coordinate a series of seminars as well as the development of our Internet presence and media. Training programs will be created to share the insights of these seminars with national coordinators and group leaders in the different regions of the community. What is learned at the global level will thus be shared at the local level. Meditatio will also help in the formation of young meditators who come from different parts of the world as interns or as part of the "Oblate year" formation program.
Medio Media, the publishing company of the Community, produces and distributes books, CD’s and DVD’s.
Many countries have national WCCM websites and there are special sites for those working with meditation with children, prisoners, peace and justice and those in recovery.
The Mission Statement of the Community was agreed at the John Main Seminar at New Harmony Indiana in 1991 and forms part of the WCCM Constitution accepted by all national communities: To communicate and nurture meditation as passed on through the teaching of John Main in the Christian tradition and in the spirit of serving the unity of all.