International Alliance 0f
CHURCHES OF TRUTH
( I A C T )
H I S T O R Y
OF THE CHURCHES OF TRUTH to 1977
TOPICS
MEMBERS
INDIVIDUAL
& GROUPS
INCORP-
ORATION
CAN & USA
HISTORY OF
CHURCHES
OF TRUTH
IN CANADA
HISTORIC
LEADERS
CURRENT
OFFICERS
C OF T
TEACHING
PURPOSE
OF THE
ALLIANCE
H O M E
P A G E
When he was later called to New York to succeed Dr. W. John Murray of the Church of the Healing Christ, one of a succession of New Thought leaders to have captured the popular interest in New York City, he was succeeded by Edward Mills, who brought property, built a substantial church, and served as its leader until his death, being succeeded by his much beloved wife, affectionately known as Mother Mary. Dr. Grier, eventually left the Church of the Healing Christ, to be followed by Emmet Fox, and started de novo a Church of the Truth, which he led until his retirement.
His daughter, Gladys Grier, who had come as his assistant, carried on the work until 1940, when Ervin Seale, who had had his apprenticeship under Dr. Erma Wells in Spokane, became minister and began to build up his extensive following. It was after the untimely death of Emmet Fox that Dr. Seale moved his congregation into famous Carnegie Hall.
Erma Wells had done her work well, both as teacher and minister, and had sent out not a few to found and minister to other Churches of the Truth in other cities, among them Tom Williams, one-time student of John Garns of Minneapolis, newspaper editor and politician, now minister of the Church of the Truth in Pasadena. A University of Metaphysics is currently maintained in Portland, Oregon with Mary Prendergast as its president.
Erma Wells had the misfortune to suffer an automobile accident which ended her active career and made a further speaking ministry difficult. Her church brought in a new minister, and it has since affiliated with the Unity School of Christianity and is no longer counted among the Churches of the Truth. When the writer asked various members of the Church of the Truth in attendance at the INTA Congress at Denver in 1960, “What is it that causes your little group to go on maintaining its separate identity?” the chief reason alleged was personal loyalty to Erma Wells. All were co-operating actively in INTA and were content to do so. Most of them, except for sentimental reasons, would probably be willing to lose their separate identity in the larger New Thought Movement.” (1977)
from 'Spirits In Rebelion'
by Charles S Braden (1977)
“One of the smaller New Thought groups included within the INTA is the Church of the Truth. At one time a fairly extensive group, with its own periodical, the Fountain, it no longer functions as a separate organization, except in a very loose fashion. Its ministers meet, if at all, in a very loosely knit Ministerial Association, in connection with the Annual Congress of INTA, and it does continue to decide upon who shall be ordained as its ministers. At present (1977) there are some ten churches actively carrying on their ministry.
The most widely known one is that which met in Carnegie Hall in New York City until October 1962, when it moved to Philharmonic Hall in Lincoln Center. It is under the ministry of Dr. Ervin Seale, one time president of INTA. Though representing a different branch of New Thought than did Emmet Fox, who in his day spoke to probably the largest congregation meeting in New York City, he carries on in Philharmonic Hall, a remarkably effective ministry.
The Church of the Truth had its beginnings in the healing of a Universalist minister into whose hands fell a New Thought book on prayer and healing, at a time when he was suffering grievously from stomach ulcers. As a result of this, he began actively to preach spiritual healing. His church was liberal, at least theologically, but it was not liberal enough to accept such teaching. So Albert C. Grier left the Universalist church and founded what he called the Church of the Truth in Spokane, Washington.
Various persons who were attracted by Albert C. Grier’s ministry and teaching extended the Church of the Truth to other cities. Edward Mills carried it to Portland, Oregon, though he later returned to Spokane. Erma Wells, who was later to become president of INTA and an important figure in its development, came under his influence, became his associate, and was later, for a long time, the president of University of Metaphysics which was developed in Spokane, as well as pastor of the Church of the Truth.
Albert C. Grier himself eventually left Spokane and took over a small Unity group in Pasadena, California, forming it into a Church of the Truth.
