The lona community is a dispersed Christian community which maintains 3 residential centres on Mull and lona, as well as an office base in Glasgow. The community came into being around the rebuilding of the monastic quarters of the mediaeval abbey on lona during the middle of the 20th century. The community today remains commited to ‘rebuilding the common life’ through working for social and political change, striving for the renewal of the church with an ecumenical emphasis, and exploring new, more inclusive, approaches to worship, all based on an integrated understanding of spirituality.
On Iona we run the Abbey and the Macleod Centres as places which provide an experience of community living for over 90 guests who come for a week at a time. Guests and staff share in meals, worship, work and a variety of programme and social events. The third centre is Camas, on nearby Mull, which is more basic in its facilities, and thus closer to nature and more outdoor-pursuits oriented.
The resident group of staff number about 30, together with children, but during the season (April-October) this number is doubled through volunteers who come for periods of time from 6 weeks upwards. Only a handful are members, but all work and live here on behalf of the lona Community. Resident staff and volunteers work in areas such as maintenance, children’s work, our shop, kitchen, housekeeping, personnel, office, finance… Details of volunteering and staff positions, as well as much more, are available on our frequently updated website.
