Darvell Bruderhof Community

Darvell is the oldest and most populous Bruderhof settlement in Europe. We are similar to other large communities in that we are made up of a mix of families and singles, young and old. Bruderhof children attend our independent school, and adults work within the settlement.   Darvell Bruderhof is a living, working intentional community, not a retreat center or spiritual getaway. During your visit you’ll be hosted by one of our families and participate in our daily life, from joining the workforce to taking part in meals and worship.   We are convinced that a life in church community is the greatest service we can offer humanity and the best way we can proclaim Christ. To be part of the Bruderhof movement is not a lifestyle choice. It is an answer to Jesus’ insistent call to humankind as expressed in the Gospels, especially the Sermon on the Mount. While we follow the communal traditions of the early church, we believe our way of life is a compelling answer to the problems of contemporary society, with its emphasis on wealth and self and its resulting isolation, conflict, and inequality.   Through community, we have experienced Christ’s transforming love. He makes the impossible possible: for ordinary and flawed men and women to live together in forgiveness and mutual trust, as brothers and sisters. It is his Spirit that calls Bruderhof members to a life of love where work, worship, mission, education, and family life are brought together into a single whole.