Twelve Tribes communities

The Twelve Tribes, formerly known as the Vine Christian Community Church, the Northeast Kingdom Community Church, the Messianic Communities, and the Community Apostolic Order, is a movement which is described as either a cult or a new religious movement. It was founded by Gene Spriggs and sprang out of the Jesus movement in 1972 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The group calls itself an attempt to recreate the 1st-century church as it is described in the Book of Acts.

The group's origins in Chattanooga led to planted churches in surrounding areas. In the late seventies, the group began a community in Island Pond, Vermont. The group eventually left Tennessee and moved primarily to Vermont. The Twelve Tribes's beliefs resemble those of Christian fundamentalism, the Hebrew Roots movement, Messianic Judaism, and the Sacred Name Movement; however, the group believes that all other denominations are fallen, and it therefore refuses to align itself with any denomination or movement. The group also exclusively uses its own recreation of the original Hebrew name of Jesus, "Yahshua". Believing that the name "Yahshua" represents the nature of Jesus, the group bestows upon each member a Hebrew name that is meant to reflect the personality of the individual.

They have been criticized for their beliefs and practices, including for their supremacist views towards black and Jewish people. The group's teachings have been characterized as racist, misogynistic and homophobic, and ex-members report excessive corporal punishment, failure to stop child sexual abuse, and exploitation of followers for labor. Authorities removed forty children from the group in Germany after a journalist showed evidence of child abuse. The action was upheld by the European Court of Human Rights.

Common sources for funding, and also that serve as a means to interact with and engage the public, include restaurants like "The Yellow Deli" and community marketplaces.