🛖 Zion • The Church That Created a Christian UTOPIA

[@52churchesin52weeks]

Two churches left! Hope you enjoyed this week's visit. Let me know what you thought below.

[@philipwheeler7317]

Idk if too late to recommend one? West Salem Mission. In Ohio. It is a SDA church made up of ex Amish. Truly a unique mix.

[@marlalink6746]

David, we missed you last week! In today's podcast you sounded like you may have had a head cold so I am very glad that you seem to be doing well. I have been following you since week 4 and I will truly miss your weekly church synapses after week 52 (only 2 more weeks). May God continue to bless you. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us - the faith, knowledge, respect, and love you manifest have been inspiring and I feel that God is very pleased with your Christian efforts.

[@52churchesin52weeks]

Hey Marla, thanks for joining along - appreciate it! Yeah, think allergies got the best of me for the past week. I'll still post takeaway videos on a near-weekly level, but take a break from the constant weekend travel. It's fun, but definitely settling in on a home church is the way to go.

[@auntkami]

This morning KZbin recommended up your episode about churches being like dating. Your thesis was all about the follow up. This evening I get this. Your experience with one person following up with you is a great example of the point you were making 9 months ago.

[@RestfullyRenewed]

Wow that was wild, the man has done a lot of damage in the past, glad the church are now determined to get it right.

[@alekpratt9787]

Good research. I grew up in Zion and have spent a lot of time researching its history. One thing you got wrong was that “his family left him”. The truth is, dowey had been waiting on an investment from the evangelical church in Chicago. The day he was set to meet them and receive funds, his wife ended up burning to death while straitening her hair with an alcohol bottle. Dowey took this as a sign from god he was smiting him. And that is said to be the time of his downward slope into insanity. The church ended up splitting, Mount Zion was formed in opposition, and dowey lead a tyrannical and dark last few years before he was forced out of the church. A lot of wild history there.

[@brittinendzinisa386]

WOW! I think that is all I can say. My mother and grandmother moved to Zion in 1976, IL after settling in New York for a short time after they left Jamacia. We lived in Zion, IL and although I didn't attend CCC I've been there a few times. This video truly gave me some insight into Zion, IL. The craziest part about it is that I've lived in Eswatini (Swaziland) for the past 7 years and have come in contact with people who praise Zion, IL. I've had deep discussions with people who attend Zionist church and can attest that some weird theologies are going around. What a small world. Thank you for this video. Truly enjoyed it.

[@Mamo-br4nu]

Hello am just curious to learn of the weird doctrines please may you share with me

[@sharonkreider8373]

I grew up in Zion in the Christian Catholic Church. Even though I was born in 1944, not much was different for me since my family was one of the original families to settle in Zion. We had dietary laws as well as faith healing that was still practiced by some famiies. All the streets were in alapbetical order and came from the bible, I lived on Gideon Avenue. The city did eventually change but very slowly. There is a good book about the city, "Zion City, Illinois / Twentieth-Century Utopia by Philip L. Cook." The only correction I will make is that you misprounced Wilber Glenn Voliva's name. I would also make a correction to the the person who said it was his wife that died from from burns while straightening her hair, it was his daughter Esther and she was curling her hair. The only benefit form growing up in Zion was I always felt safe, not something that could be said today.

[@boba.6478]

What a crazy and awesome story. For story points, I think this video wins. Wow. I had heard many things about Ahmadiyyah Islam, but because of this video I had to go and read up on Mirza Ahmad, fascinating. I find it extremely ironic and a little telling that the man who claims to be an incarnation of the inciter and winner of the most famous (actually the only one I had heard of) "prayer duel to the death" (it troubles me that that is such a fun phrase to say) would be so dismissive of the challenge made to him. What a wild story man. My personal perspective, if your tithes are used to build chapels, fund missions, print Bibles, you are probably okay. If you are buying the preacher's million dollar furniture, luxury vehicle, diamond rings, run away (oh, don't burn down the tabernacle, by the way), just run away. Also, if representing your faith to someone means tearing them down or BLASTING someone, well, I'm just not sure that that is what Christ meant when he said to "Let your light so shine before men..." As always, very excellent job, David. Thank you.

[@koilachannel]

Morning friend

[@JohnreyKoji]

Whatever the past is - it should help the present be better like in churches. Its amazing how you are able yo complete your goal of 52 churches in 52 weeks. 🤩

[@tmish969]

Wow! They knew the earth was flat! HalleluYAH! Thanks for the video! The Truth is being covered up about this town for a reason.

[@WheelyArt]

I am South African,interesting information on the Zion connection in South Africa,true that there are Zion churches here,one quite large with strange doctrines.

[@Mamo-br4nu]

Hello I am keen to learn of the strange doctrines you learnt about this church am assuming it's the ZCC church perhaps

[@WheelyArt]

@@Mamo-br4nu correct, its quite large too

[@WheelyArt]

@@Mamo-br4nu Long story short they have combined Christian beliefs with traditional african spiritual beliefs,for example they wear clothing and symbols which they believe keep evil spirits away

[@Mamo-br4nu]

@@WheelyArt thank you for your response

[@elizabethMo]

Most Christians believe in winning a theological matter than looking into the soul. This makes me wonder where the legalism balance lies .

[@rhemasartspace]

It's good that the congregation is aware of the mistakes of the founder's past. And they recognize the importance of spiritual warfare. I just hope they don't become too extreme. Too much spiritual warfare can also be dangerous once we lose sight of God and take the battle into our own hands.

[@cjextreme]

Sorry you got down on your health. Was it the choir singing or the congregation? They sounded great. We've heard so many that are little more than whispering. In Nauvoo, all the roads are named pretty much like that also(just different name sources). From your lion story, I'm beginning to see why churches are losing members, where did the love go? Thumbs up to the man with no name for your attitude to D!

[@52churchesin52weeks]

Hey CJ, hope you're well. I was wondering if that was the case with Nauvoo. I did a little research into Nauvoo to see the similarities with Zion IL. Was surprised to learn what happened after the Latter-day Saints headed west, selling a lot of land to the Icarians, who tried to set-up a socialist utopia based off the ideas of a French writer. Crazy thing was the kids went to a boarding school at the age of 4 and Sundays were the only time when families came together from what I read.

[@cjextreme]

@@52churchesin52weeks lol. Cabet saw the opportunity for free land and houses. Some homes were purchased for 12 dollars. Mostly though, the doors were left open because only people with some morals had the thought to pay something. We find the story(rotf) laughable that he tried to start a utopian community on the ashes of so much hate and war. I guess everyone else realized the irony as well because it didn't last long as there was so much infighting that after Cabet's death, they mostly all left. If I were to build my dream town, it would be right out of a B western, right down to th hitching rails 👍

[@ruthfullyyours]

I think you're right to say it's a crazy story! ☺Dowie and Voliva are unbelievable! That was a good story though. God's eyes are still on Christ Community Church (CCC).

[@monus782]

I’ve heard of many religious communities like Nauvoo but I had no idea about this one, I guess it was much easier to do that type of thing back in the 1800s than it is today The church building looks beautiful despite the modern style and the defensiveness reminds me of my own former community when I was a Catholic, I guess the defensiveness comes from the community’s past.

[@AngelaRivera-nj5op]

I live in Zion, on Gilead Street it is far from peaceful these days.

[@paulblack1799]

Sounds like Dowie's spending habits are in good hands with today's crystal cathedral types. 😂😂😂

[@jessicaweg3839]

My home town born and raised. Go zee bees

[@ZoneTelevision]

They also had to believe in Flat Earth.

[@tracyensleyharp]

Crazy - I grew up in Zion, IL! This founder sounded like a real nutcase, lol

[@tmish969]

Yep, earth is flat and stationary according to the Bible 😄