The Church Universal and Triumphant incorporates elements of Buddhism, Christianity, mysticism, paranormal activity, and alchemy. Founded in 1975, it was led by Mark Prophet until his death in 1973, after which his wife Elizabeth Clare Prophet took over. The group gained notoriety for building underground bunkers in preparation for a nuclear war that never happened. Elizabeth Clare Prophet was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in the 1990s, and since then the organization has been directed by a two-person presidency.
As one of the branches of the international Summit Lighthouse, the Church Universal and Triumphant operates with a belief system that incorporates elements of a number of faiths, especially Buddhism and Christianity. Other types of beliefs are also included, such as mysticism, paranormal activity, and alchemy. A basic premise is that great founders of all major world faiths receive the title of ascended masters and are able to communicate with people who are willing to open themselves to communication. Here is a brief history of the founding of the Universal and Triumphant Church and the current state of the organization.
The Church Universal and Triumphant was formally incorporated on May 1, 1975, although the origins of the movement can be traced back to the founding of the Summit Lighthouse in 1958. Mark Prophet, one of the two founders of CUT, had been in contact with several I ancient wisdom groups in the early 1950s. After studying with the Bridge to Freedom group, he chose to launch the Summit Lighthouse in Washington DC. In 1961, Prophet met Elizabeth Clare Wulf. Wulf, who came from a religious background that included Christian Newthought and Christian Scientist teachings, was immediately drawn to the beliefs of the Summit Lighthouse. The couple married in 1964 and subsequently had four children.
By 1966, the Prophets had loosely organized the basic structure of the church and moved the operation to Colorado Springs, Colorado. The effort to establish a viable church was successful, and a second center opened in Santa Barbara, California in 1970. Santa Barbara was also the site for the new Ascent Master University, later to be renamed Summit University. Back in Colorado Springs, the church opened a school, a health food store, and an organic restaurant. Mark Prophet, who had been in increasingly poor health, died in February 1973, leaving his wife as the spiritual leader of the church, which was beginning to be known as the Church Universal and Triumphant.
After the official incorporation, the headquarters was temporarily moved to Pasadena, California. In 1978, Church Universal and Triumphant had purchased property in nearby Santa Monica. However, the permanent move of headquarters occurred in 1986, with the establishment of a complex in Montana, known as Royal Teton Ranch. Here, the Universal and Triumphant Church became known for several public statements by Elizabeth Clare Prophet that the group’s prayers had thus far averted nuclear war, but that the threat was looming.
This information had presumably been provided to Prophet by El Morya, considered one of the Ascended Masters of the Blue Ray, and one of the masters Prophet regularly channels during worship services. To this end, members of the Church Universal and Triumphant began building underground bunkers where they could withstand the impending nuclear winter. When the war did not materialize, many followers lost their faith and left the church. An assertion by Elizabeth Clare Prophet that the intensity of the prayers had succeeded in further delaying the nuclear launch did little to appease the departing members.
In the early 1990s, Elizabeth Clare Prophet was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and placed in home care in Livingston, Colorado. Since that time, the Church Universal and Triumphant has been directed by a two-person presidency, along with a board of trustees and a council of elders. Fewer in number since its heyday, Church Universal and Triumphant continues to operate Summit University and quarterly retreats in the Colorado complex.
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