New dunedin project
The New Dunedin Project is a new plan for a deliberate Christian settlement in the upper Midwest. The timeline for the new settlement would be the spring and summer of 2022. Currently, the project is in the stage of planning and praying to see if the Lord would provide families with a like-minded calling.
This project is named after Dunedin, New Zealand, which was formed in 1848 when the Free Church of Scotland organized two ships to sail to Southern New Zealand and start a colony. Dunedin was a good model for how to stay covenantally connected to a sending church and a presbytery. And, they had the same type of mission—to be a distinct city on a hill and a gospel stronghold. “Dunedin” is the Gaelic name for Edinburgh. The idea was for it to be the “Edinburgh of the South.”
The most important part of this endeavor is a potential church plant. The church would be part of the Covenant Presbyterian Church denomination. Our denomination affirms that the Bible is the sole, inerrant authority for the Christian faith, and we are committed to the doctrine Westminster Confession of Faith. Our worship is family-integrated, and we uphold Christian education as a practice rooted in the Scriptures. This particular church plant would allow for paedocommunion and would practice liturgical worship.
The vision for New Dunedin is to build rather than reform. We desire to have a confessional small civilization–local Christendom–covenantally connected to Jesus and his law. We understand our current legal structure goes against this idea, but there are wise ways to go forward, taking advantage of constitutional rights and historic practices of former settlements. The primary plan is to move to a low-population county in the upper Midwest, most likely in Iowa. Iowa has good homeschooling laws and low land regulations.
The plan is to be far enough away from the city to develop our own culture. We want opportunity for people to grow their own food, but we recognize not everyone is interested in that. It will be important to have a town because we would build civilization, not just community.
We desire to have pure worship, a feasting culture, and a beautiful civilization all for God’s glory. It would not be perfect, nor would it be easy. But those who pursue such an endeavor have a solid historical background and the Lord may bless this generationally.
If you would like more information, please email us at newdunedin@theconfessionalists.com