Labadists

The Labadists were a Pietist community founded by Jean de Labadie, a French theologian. Pietism, originating in 17th-century Germany, emphasized personal religious experience and devotion over intellectualism. Labadie, a convert from Roman Catholicism, claimed a vision to reform the church and founded small societies focused on frequent communion and holy living.12

The Labadist community practiced communal living, sharing goods and meals. They believed the church consisted only of those regenerated by the Holy Spirit and that sacraments should be administered exclusively to them. While Labadist colonies were established in the Western Hemisphere, they did not survive past 1730, and the European community dissolved in 1732.2