IONA COMMUNITY (THE)

What IONA COMMUNITY (THE) does

The Iona Community is a dispersed ecumenical Christian movement founded in Glasgow in 1938 by Rev George MacLeod, currently led by Ruth Harvey and registered as a Scottish charity (Charity No: SC003794; Company No: SC096243). It operates two physical centres — Iona Abbey on the Isle of Iona and the Camas Outdoor Centre on the Isle of Mull — which function as retreat, pilgrimage, worship, and hospitality venues offering residential programme weeks, themed retreats, and day visits. The organization is governed by approximately 280 full Members with a wider community of more than 2,000 Associate Members, Young Adults, and Friends spread across Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, mainland Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.

Its portfolio of sub-brands includes Wild Goose Publications (a publishing arm selling books, e-books, and liturgical resources via ionabooks.com), the Wild Goose Resource Group (creative worship, liturgy, and music development), Iona Community Learn (training and formation resources), Coracle and eCoracle (bimonthly magazine and newsletter), Daily Worship (online worship following the Abbey pattern), the Prayer Circle (global prayer network), Common Concern Networks (issue-based advocacy on environment, migration, LGBTQ+, peace, Israel/Palestine, racism, and interfaith relations), and Iona Youth. The Abbey site is preserved in cooperation with the Iona Cathedral Trust and Historic Environment Scotland.

The business model is donation- and activity-funded rather than commercial: primary income streams are charitable donations and legacies, guest payments at Iona Abbey and Camas, Wild Goose Publications book sales, and on-site retail at the Welcome Centre shop. The organization operates as a membership-based community with regional and Family Group gatherings worldwide, distributing its offering through both physical visitor engagement and online channels (Daily Worship, ionabooks.com, newsletters, and social media).

Name

IONA COMMUNITY (THE)

Legal name

Iona Community

Website

https://iona.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Iona Community is a dispersed ecumenical Christian movement, founded 1938 in Glasgow, operating Iona Abbey and Camas retreat centres on Scottish islands alongside Wild Goose Publications, serving ~2,280 global Members, visitors, and readers through worship, retreats, and resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious community and retreat services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents) (BPAGAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL), Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

Keywords

• Religious community
• Spiritual retreats
• Christian worship
• Ecumenical movement
• Faith publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Giving: Primary funding source: donations, gifts in Will, and charitable contributions from supporters worldwide. The organization states 'for nearly 90 years, our work has been funded through donations, gifts in Will, book sales and guests at Iona Abbey.'
2. Guest Accommodations and Hospitality: Revenue from visitors staying at Iona Abbey and Camas Outdoor Centre on Mull. Guests pay for accommodation and programs when staying in the Abbey.
3. Book and Publication Sales: Wild Goose Publications sells books, e-books, and resources published by the community. This includes liturgy booklets, poetry, and theological materials.
4. Retail Sales: The Welcome Centre and Shop on Iona sells books, gifts, and merchandise to visitors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Iona Community is an ecumenical Christian charity that operates retreat and hospitality centres (Iona Abbey, Camas on Mull, and a Glasgow base), runs worship, prayer, learning, youth, and justice-and-peace programmes, and produces books and worship resources through its Wild Goose Publications imprint and Wild Goose Resource Group. Its offer combines residential pilgrimages and retreats with publishing, retail, membership, and donation-supported community life.

Product overview

The Iona Community is a dispersed ecumenical Christian movement offering a portfolio of spiritual, educational, and hospitality services. The core offerings are the Iona Abbey Centre and Camas Outdoor Centre retreat facilities on the Scottish islands of Iona and Mull. Supporting these are the Wild Goose Publications publishing arm and Wild Goose Resource Group creative team, which produce worship resources, liturgies, and books. Additional products include Iona Community Learn (training resources), Daily Worship online prayer resources, the Prayer Circle global prayer network, Coracle & eCoracle publications, and Common Concern Networks for social justice issues. The organization also provides membership programmes including Iona Youth for young adults. Together these form a complete ecosystem for Christian formation, spiritual practice, and justice-focused community building.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wild Goose Publications: Christian publishing division producing books, e-books on faith, justice, peace, and worship resources
• Wild Goose Resource Group
• Camas Centre
• Iona Community Learn
• Coracle & eCoracle
• Iona Youth

Products and services

• Iona Abbey Centre (MacLeod Centre and Abbey)

Quantifiable outcome

• Daily worship available online for global community members through Daily Worship program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 January 2026The Iona Community announced a new partnership with the Joint Public Issues Team on MLK Jr. Day (January 2026), coinciding with the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. JPIT is a cross-denominational organization working on public policy and advocacy.
• Week of Prayer for World PeacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1974The Iona Community was there at the beginning of WPWP in 1974 when George MacLeod was among faith leaders who signed 'A Call to Prayer for World Peace.' Interfaith Relations and Peace CCNs now collaborate with WPWP.
• Interfaith AlignmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Interfaith Alignment and the Week of Prayer for World Peace to produce daily prayers from eight different faith traditions. The partnership brings together leaders from Jewish, Baha'i, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Indigenous, and Pagan traditions.
• Iona Cathedral TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Iona Community works in close cooperation with the Iona Cathedral Trust and islanders to ensure the Abbey is accessible to all. The Trust was given Iona Abbey in 1899 and works with the community on preservation and access.
• Historic Environment ScotlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHES cares for the fabric of Iona Abbey and the Nunnery and opens the Abbey site to the public. They offer guided tours of the ecclesiastical buildings.
• National Trust for ScotlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNTS is a conservation charity which protects Scotland's heritage. They work with the island community to preserve and protect heritage, coastline and landscape of Iona.
• Mull and Iona Community Trust (MICT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMICT works to improve the social, economic, and environmental strengths of the islands of Mull and Iona.
• Wellspring CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParallel, values-aligned community in Australia with strong and deepening relations. Collaborated on Creation Care pilgrimage across Australia in 2023, sharing resources and supporting one another while remaining distinct communities.
• Iona Parish ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Church of Scotland parishes of Iona linked with Kilfinichen and Kilvickeon and the Ross of Mull.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Corrymeela Community: Northern Ireland-based Christian community dedicated to peace-building, reconciliation, and hospitality — directly comparable focus on justice/peace work, ecumenical membership, and residential retreat experience.
• Lee Abbey: UK-based Christian retreat and conference community offering residential programmes focused on spiritual formation and discipleship — comparable mission, residential guest model, and ecumenical Christian positioning.
• Launde Abbey: Diocesan retreat house in Leicestershire offering Christian retreat, quiet days, and residential programmes for individuals and groups — comparable UK retreat/hospitality model with residential guest business.
• Taizé Community: Ecumenical monastic community in Burgundy, France, focused on prayer, reconciliation, and youth gatherings — the closest functional analogue to the Iona Community, with a similarly dispersed membership and global young-adult pilgrimage model.
• St Beuno's Jesuit Spirituality Centre: Welsh Jesuit retreat house offering individually guided and themed retreats with a residential guest model — directly comparable spiritual-retreat offering, denominationally rooted residential programme, and UK geographic footprint.
• Wellspring Community: Australia-based intentional Christian community explicitly inspired by and partnered with the Iona Community — shares the dispersed-membership, justice-and-peace model and has run joint Creation Care pilgrimages.
• Scargill House: Christian retreat and conference centre in the Yorkshire Dales offering residential programmes, community life, and spiritual formation — comparable scale, UK retreat-house model, and faith-based residential hospitality.
• Monastery of Bose: Ecumenical monastic community in northern Italy combining contemplative life, hospitality, and theological hospitality/retreat programmes — comparable ecumenical monastic model, guest accommodation, and spiritual-formation mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/iona-community
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-iona-community

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IONA COMMUNITY (THE)