Experiment in communal living hits bureaucracy

Eleven residents of living quarters carved out of former office and classroom space on the top floor of First Congregational Church were evicted by fire marshals after a Sunday feature story about them appeared in The Commercial Appeal newspaper.

The church, a member of the United Church of Christ, is in a central part of Memphis called Midtown. It is active in community affairs, including anti-war efforts and ministries for the homeless, battered women and AIDS patients.

The residential project began about year ago, growing out of classes the church sponsored on conserving natural resources through sharing.

Several of the Pilgrim House residents sold their houses to take part in the experiment. Residents range in age from 3 months to 65 years.

They have been offered temporary shelter in a house owned by another church, Parkway Gardens Presbyterian.

Pilgrim House consists of four small apartments with a communal primary room, a single kitchen and four bathrooms.

Residents met twice daily for prayer services.

“We want to try to do something other than a typical American lifestyle … which encourages a kind of inflated individualism and self-sufficiency,” resident Michael Schiefelbein, 46, told the newspaper.

Church leaders say they will work toward meeting fire and building codes in hopes the residents can return.

“It never occurred to us that a church can’t show this kind of hospitality,” said Julia Hicks, director of missions. “We’ve been treated nicely through this whole process and we realize that the officials are doing their jobs.”

A primary problem for Pilgrim House is that it’s located on a site zoned for commercial rather than residential use.

Also, work on the church to make the residential quarters was done without city permits.

Bobby Decker, an assistant fire marshal, said Pilgrim House had no fire extinguishers or smoke alarms.

Rent at Pilgrim House was $300 a month, plus $25 a week for adults and $12.50 for children to purchase food for communal meals.

C.C. Russell, 29, an unemployed mother of five children, was being helped by other residents in studying for a high school equivalency diploma.

“Everyone here has helped me to better myself and life for my children,” Russell said. “I’ve never had anyone to be here for me … to really listen to me and give me advice based on their own experiences.”