A New Hope Through a New Way.

A famous English scientist has recently said that we may look any day for a discovery in some obscure laboratory, by an unknown scientist, that will bisect human history. I am here to proclaim to the world that the discovery has been made. This congress exists because of that fact. But it is no material substance that we have discovered - not a new material law. Humanity has waited in vain for a material discovery that will bisect human history in a vital way. Such a thing might possibly change the surface of society, but it will not make the great transition from an unhappy to a happy world.

THE KINGDOM LIES WITHIN

The Message of the Truth

"New Thought is simply the rediscovery of Jesus, his teaching, his vision and the genius of his life. He came declaring himself to be the Son of God, but far more emphatically the Son of man. He based his claim of being a Son of God on the fact that he was the Son of man - who is the Son of God. He did not claim unique Sonship of God but boldly declared that all men are God’s Sons. "It is written in your law, I said ye are gods."

…

He tells us also that this kingdom is within. Jesus always went into the within for all wisdom and all power. This, then, is the avenue of approach to the divine knowledge and power. These statements of Jesus: ‘The kingdom of heaven is within you’; ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand’; ‘I and my Father are one’; and the promise ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and all these things shall be added unto you’ - are the four foundational statements of Jesus, and though they have been largely ignored, because not understood, they give us the whole Truth. The Message of the Truth Radiocast by Rev. Albert C. Grier, during the International New Thought Alliance Congress held in New York City, June 20-26, 1926

PEACE, POWER and PLENTY.

It was in April 1904, now 98 years ago that a spiritual healer named Clara T. Stocker of Cascade, British Columbia established a centre of what she called High Mysticism, known as "Holy Silence Prayer Temple". Ms. Stocker wrote a message entitled "Realization Through Concentrated Attention" which came to the attention of the minister of the Universalist Church of Spokane, Washington, Dr. Albert Cotton Grier, who had for many years been in very poor health. This happened in 191 0. In Dr. Grier's own words, Ms. Stocker's essay "was the match which set on fire....my soul and through its tiny flames the big flame was started.". All he was saying is that he was healed and so inspired by this new "realization" that to him it was the discovery of the "Truth" of life and living. As some of us have attempted to do in similar circumstances, he tried to persuade his colleagues in the Universalist Church of the merit of his new vision.

Stocker became a teacher of Hopkins mature metaphysical teachings, having studied with Hopkins in her late New York years. She divided her time between Cascade, British Columbia and Spokane Washington. Stocker created a Hopkins Memorial Chapel in Cascade.

“By the mighty and eternal vibrations of the Silence, I will calm my mind and realize PEACE, POWER and PLENTY” ~ "Realization Through Concentrated Attention"
~ Clara T. Stocker

Church of Truth

Dr. Albert Grier(1864-1941), studied at University of Michigan where he graduated with a Degree in Science in 1886. He then studied for the ministry in 1890 and became a Minister in the Universalist Church in Spokane, Washington. He was gifted healer and a teacher of mental, physical, and spiritual healing using the Universal Principles. 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 churchin 1913 and founded what he called the Church of the Truth in Spokane, Washington. 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[1].

Note: Around 1910 Rev. A. C. Grier of Spokane delivered the dedicatory sermon, consecrating the Park Universalist Church of Tacoma, Washington, the church to the principle of love. In 1911 the congregation invited Rev. Henry V. Morgan to become their minister. Thus began a pastorate that would last 40 years until Rev. Morgan's death in 1952. In 1924, Rev. Henry Morgan followed Rev. Grier's example. He resigned from Universalist church and successfully petitioned the denomination to sell him the church building. In 1926, Morgan and his congregation associated themselves with the Divine Science denomination and changed the name of the church to the Church of the Healing Christ.

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[2] 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[3] 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.

"Knowing the Truth is simply another way of saying we know God, And knowing God is knowing, not the essential nature of God, but the Principle on which God works . . . So, therefore, knowing the Principle is knowing God in all essentials." ~ Dr. Albert Grier

Master Mind Magazine, April 1912 to September 1912 By Annie Rix Militz

"No two persons can pursue the same methods, but the Spirit of Truth will lead into all Truth," determined by one's vision and individuality. ~ Dr. Albert Grier

[1] Church of Truth refers to a community of ministries in the United States, founded in 1913. Dr. Albert C. Grier founded his first Church of the Truth in 1913 in Washington State in the town of Spokane. This was the first of 22 Churches of Truth founded by him in the early 20th Century. His aim was to create a place which would heal the total human, mind, body and soul, and thus create a full awakening of the Christ within.

The Church of Truth was part of the New Thought movement. The Church of Truth has a vision:

"We are inclusive community of Christ centered, prosperous healing ministries, which through affirmative prayer and support, empower all people to awaken the Christ within."

The Church of Truth, Pasadena, CA
Our Vision

“Live the Light...

Give the Light...

Bring Heaven to Earth Everyday”.




[2] de novo is a Latin expression meaning "from the beginning," "afresh," "anew," "beginning again."

[3]The Rev. Erma W. Wells was the assistant minister for Dr. Grier, and later became the senior minister. She became well known in the Spokane community in the early 1900's and onward to her retirement in 1947. She was the first woman minister in Spokane, had a lively radio ministry, wrote several books and plays, and ministered to her large congregation for over 35 years. She established the University of Metaphysics, a viable ministerial school for many years, licensed to ordain Church of Truth ministers under Washington State Laws.

Healing without a license.

Rev. William John Murray(1865-1925) had an unusual background. A man of short, square build, with black hair, a frank, open face and a very forceful, positive delivery; there was yet an air of gentleness and spirituality about him. In 1896 he was married to Ms. Sara Van Alen Pollard and entered business with his brother in Santa Barbara. Within a short time Mrs. Murray became seriously ill and her case was pronounced hopeless by the best physicians available, different climates and methods of cure having failed, as well as orthodox prayers. She was then restored to health by Christian Science. This healing so impressed the Murrays that they decided to make a study of this new means of cure and to devote their lives to activities along that line.

In order to enlarge their scope of ministering to the needy the Murrays removed to New York in 1902. He also had studied with Emma Curtis Hopkins and was ordained by Nona Brooks [Divine Science] before undertaking independent metaphysical work in New York. As they had lost children of their own, they meanwhile adopted several. They also assumed charge of, and healed scores of children, absolutely sacrificing their time and substance for this purpose. They learned of an abandoned baby on Randall's Island who was declared hopeless by the city authorities. According to medical diagnosis, it was blind, scrofulous, and had curvature of the spine. Nurses refused to touch it. The Murrays brought this child to their home. It was healed and made every whit whole and perfect.

He attracted a large number of people who came to him for healing, and it is said that he was so intent on study that he read books as he walked on the sidewalks of New York.

In August 1907, with seven friends, Mr. and Mrs. Murray organized the "Society for the Study of Divine Metaphysics." The object of the group was to understand and to apply the Truth as taught and practiced by Jesus in the overcoming of sin and the healing of disease. In other words, it was an effort to re-establish what might be called Apostolic Christianity.

The Society almost at once outgrew its initial meeting place, a dining room adjacent to the elevated railroad where, every few minutes, the talk had to be suspended while the train passed. Successive assembly places - nine in number until they achieved a significant attendance which justified their entry into the Hotel Astor. They incurred a continual expansion and the necessity of meeting an ever increasing rental and these heavy responsibility fell upon Mrs. Murray when other means of assessment failed.

About this time our Society was incorporated as a church under the New York laws, of the denomination of Divine Science. The name of the organization itself was adopted, at the suggestion of Mrs. Murray, as the Church of the Healing Christ.

In the early days of his work, the metaphysical movement was subject to hostility from the medical profession, and on one occasion, in December 1915, Dr. Murray was arrested, by two undercover NYPD detectives who observed him praying over an individual for healing (N.Y. Times, Dec. 17, 1915), and put into jail for practicing without a medical license. Having drawn many prominent persons into the movement, including attorneys, he was soon released, and there was no recurrence of this kind.

This action by the District Attorney evoked much discussion and wide editorial comment and also public protests from prominent persons. The outcome of the case was the vindication of the individual's right to seek healing through prayer by those qualified to give such aid. Judge Breen eventually acquitted Mr. Murray of the charge and established the right of a member of a church, with spiritual healing as one of its tenets, to practice healing according to that method.

Those who had the privilege of hearing our pastor's first talk after he was bailed out of the Tombs, where he had been confined for several hours for this alleged crime, know he never in after years surpassed the spiritual heights which he reached on that occasion of our Wednesday evening meeting in the Hotel Majestic. His face was glorified by courage and faith and love as he exhorted us at all times to "fear not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord."

Soon after this excellent advertisement the seating capacity of the Astor was inadequate and the church moved to the grand ball room of the Waldorf Astoria, where it remained.

His Waldorf lectures were taken down in shorthand and became the substance of many books, and it was reported that ministers of evangelical churches frequently attended in the effort to learn his method of reinterpreting the Scriptures.

Rev. Nona Brooks took charge of Rev. Murray's work in New York for several months in the summer of 1917 while Rev. John Murray was in London taking the work of Judge Thomas Troward. Nona Brooks loved New York, and at Dr. Murray's request the center there has been given permission by The Denver College to be called The First Divine Science Church of New York City as well as its secondary name, The Church of the Healing Christ.

At his passing he was succeeded for a time by Dr. A.C. Grier and Emmet Fox eventually succeeded him.