Waldensians: A Movement of Faith & Dissent

“Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”  (Luke 19:21)

Torre Pellice is a typical small town in Italy in nearly every way, but it is special to Global Ministries and the United Church of Christ. This is the homeland of the Waldensian Church, the place where a small but mighty movement of the faithful survived despite every hardship and threat. This quiet little setting holds an extraordinary story that is absolute inspiration.

The Waldensians took issue with the Catholic Church of the day. They insisted on the authority of scripture rather than the authority of the Church. They challenged the concept of purgatory, declaring it was not within the proper authority of the clergy to either bestow or deny forgiveness. They were committed to living a life of poverty, refused to swear oaths, and preached from a Bible translated into the local language and available to all.

Their open dissent and non-conforming practices led to them being excommunicated in 1184. Waldensians were forced into hiding. As one document later said, they were “hunted down, banished from the Church and scattered” for more than three hundred years. Waldo himself died in 1206. Yet the Waldensian movement continued to expand across Europe during that same period, thanks to barba, itinerant preachers who went out in pairs, just as Jesus had sent his disciples, to continue spreading the Gospel. 

In 1532, the Waldensians decided to join the Protestant Reformation movement that had begun when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door at the Church of Wittenberg in 1517. Some historians have said that the Waldensians were perhaps the first of the reformers since they had formed their own community of dissent and pushed reform forward nearly 400 years before that. 

The Waldensians experienced one hundred more years of exile and persecution, nearly annihilated altogether in the 17th century. But in 1689-1690, Henri Armand, a minister in the Waldensian Valleys, led the “Glorious Return” from exile. About 1000 fighters pushed their way back; 400 survivors made it to the Waldensian valleys. It is there in those valleys that the town of Torre Pellice sits today. This place is now considered a spiritual “home” for those of Waldensian heritage everywhere.

As I have listened in on their meetings this week, talked with Waldensian members, and learned about their current ministries, I have felt at home with this community of faith. I watched and gave thanks as the entire Synod debated for over three hours about how God was calling them to speak and act in regards to the war on Gaza and the situation in Israel-Palestine. I’ve witnessed their commitment to full inclusion, inside and outside their Church. I rejoiced as they ordained two new ministers, one from Sierra Leone and the other from Albania. I’ve been blessed by their warm and gracious welcome, and touched by their deep and joyous faith. 

The United Church of Christ and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) share a natural bond with the Waldensians. We are each small churches with a big voice and outsized impact. We all feel called by our faith to extend an extravagant welcome, to labor for justice and peace in our world. We all have a spirit of resistance within us that fuels our witness and our work. And today we are engaged in this calling together through Global Ministries, which celebrates and gives life to our partnership.

What a joy it has been to get to know the Waldensian story, a movement and a faith community that calls this sleepy little Italian town its spiritual harbor and home.

The Reverend Shari Prestemon began her service with the national ministries of the United Church of Christ in January 2024. As the Acting Associate General Minister & Co-Executive for Global Ministries she has the privilege of supporting several teams: Global Ministries, Global H.O.P.E., Public Policy & Advocacy Team (Washington, D.C.), our staff liaison at the United Nations, and our Gender & Sexuality Justice Team. She previously served as a local church pastor in Illinois and Wisconsin, the Executive Director at Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, Mississippi, and the Minnesota Conference Minister. Her call to ministry grew, in part, from early Global Ministries experiences, especially service as a Peace & Justice Intern in Dumaguete City, the Philippines.