Cult Encyclopedia
cultencyclopedia.bsky.social
Cult Encyclopedia
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Cults, sects, and new religious movements

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Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse, also known as Nathan Chasing Horse, is a Sicangu Lakota actor and a subject of legal proceedings concerning multiple sexual offenses. He is also alleged to be the leader of a small sect called The Circle. Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in...
The Circle/Nathan Chasing Horse (c. 2005)
Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse, also known as Nathan Chasing Horse, is a Sicangu Lakota actor and a subject of legal proceedings concerning multiple sexual offenses. He is also alleged to be the lead…
cultencyclopedia.com
December 17, 2025 at 12:37 PM
The Church Universal and Triumphant (CUT) is a New Age religious organization founded in 1975 by Elizabeth Clare Prophet after the death of her first husband, Mark Prophet. The group developed from the Summit Lighthouse, which Mark Prophet established in 1958. The movement’s teachings combine...
Church Universal and Triumphant (1975)
The Church Universal and Triumphant (CUT) is a New Age religious organization founded in 1975 by Elizabeth Clare Prophet after the death of her first husband, Mark Prophet. The group developed from…
cultencyclopedia.com
December 15, 2025 at 2:43 PM
The Church of World Messianity (Sekai Kyūsei Kyō), often abbreviated as COWM, is a Japanese new religion founded in 1935 by Mokichi Okada. In 1926, Okada reported receiving a divine revelation that, according to the religion’s teachings, enabled him to act as a channel of God’s “healing light.”...
Church of World Messianity (1938)
The Church of World Messianity (Sekai Kyūsei Kyō), often abbreviated as COWM, is a Japanese new religion founded in 1935 by Mokichi Okada. In 1926, Okada reported receiving a divine revelation that…
cultencyclopedia.com
December 13, 2025 at 2:06 PM
The Church of Wells, originally known as the Church of Arlington or You Must Be Born Again (YMBBA) Ministries, is a religious community based in Wells, Texas. The group was founded in 2011 by Sean Morris and Ryan Ringnald, who met as roommates at Baylor University in 2004. A third leader, Jacob...
Church of Wells (2011)
The Church of Wells, originally known as the Church of Arlington or You Must Be Born Again (YMBBA) Ministries, is a religious community based in Wells, Texas. The group was founded in 2011 by Sean …
cultencyclopedia.com
December 11, 2025 at 11:55 AM
The Church of the SubGenius originated in the late 1970s as a parody religion critiquing belief systems including Christianity, New Age spirituality, and commercialism. The organization officially formed as the SubGenius Foundation and was co-founded by Ivan Stang (Douglas St. Clair Smith) and...
Church of the SubGenius (c. 1979)
The Church of the SubGenius originated in the late 1970s as a parody religion critiquing belief systems including Christianity, New Age spirituality, and commercialism. The organization officially …
cultencyclopedia.com
December 9, 2025 at 11:14 AM
The Church of the Master Angels (CMA) was established in 2017 by “Master John Douglas,” who was born Srjan Marjanovic in Australia in 1971. It describes itself as “a unitary, non-denominational, faith-based community Church” that welcomes “all seekers of truth, cosmic awareness and...
Church of the Master Angels (2017)
The Church of the Master Angels (CMA) was established in 2017 by “Master John Douglas,” who was born Srjan Marjanovic in Australia in 1971. It describes itself as “a unitary, non-denominational, fa…
cultencyclopedia.com
December 7, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Sergei Anatolyevitch Torop was born on January 14, 1961, in Krasnodar, Russia. His family moved to Minusinsk in 1968. After completing his schooling, he served his compulsory military service in the Red Army, becoming a sergeant on construction sites in Mongolia. When he returned to Siberia, he...
Church of the Last Testament (1991)
Sergei Anatolyevitch Torop was born on January 14, 1961, in Krasnodar, Russia. His family moved to Minusinsk in 1968. After completing his schooling, he served his compulsory military service in th…
cultencyclopedia.com
December 5, 2025 at 11:13 AM
The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM), also known as Pastafarianism (a portmanteau of “pasta” and “Rastafarianism”) is a satirical faith commenting on religion and public policy. Its adherents describe it as “a real, legitimate religion, as much as any other.” The movement began in the...
Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (2005)
The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM), also known as Pastafarianism (a portmanteau of “pasta” and “Rastafarianism”) is a satirical faith commenting on religion and public policy. Its adh…
cultencyclopedia.com
December 3, 2025 at 11:15 AM
The General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, often shortened to the Church of the First Born, is a fundamentalist Christian sect with historical ties to the Latter-Day Saint (LDS) movement, though it maintains no present-day affiliation with Mormon fundamentalist groups that use similar...
Church of the Firstborn and the General Assembly of Heaven (1869)
The General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, often shortened to the Church of the First Born, is a fundamentalist Christian sect with historical ties to the Latter-Day Saint (LDS) movement, th…
cultencyclopedia.com
December 1, 2025 at 11:32 AM
The Church of the First Born of the Lamb of God, often shortened to the Church of the Lamb of God, was a Mormon offshoot founded by Ervil LeBaron in the late 1960s. Its origins trace to the broader Mormon fundamentalist movement, which sought to continue the practice of polygamy after the Church...
Church of the First Born of the Lamb of God (c. 1967)
The Church of the First Born of the Lamb of God, often shortened to the Church of the Lamb of God, was a Mormon offshoot founded by Ervil LeBaron in the late 1960s. Its origins trace to the broader…
cultencyclopedia.com
November 29, 2025 at 2:10 PM
The Church of the Creator is a small group headquartered in Ashland, Oregon, that integrates elements of New Age thought with Christianity and Jewish mystical traditions such as Kabbalah and Gematria. The organization was founded in 1969 as a church association by Grace Marama Uri and her husband...
Church of the Creator/TE-TA-MA Truth Foundation-Family of URI (1969)
The Church of the Creator is a small group headquartered in Ashland, Oregon, that integrates elements of New Age thought with Christianity and Jewish mystical traditions such as Kabbalah and Gematr…
cultencyclopedia.com
November 27, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Bernhardt “Ben” Klassen founded the Church of the Creator in 1973, later changing its name to the World Church of the Creator following litigation by another unrelated sect with the same name. It is also known as part of the Creativity Alliance, a grouping of atheistic white supremacist sects...
Church of the Creator/Creativity Alliance (1973)
Bernhardt “Ben” Klassen founded the Church of the Creator in 1973, later changing its name to the World Church of the Creator following litigation by another unrelated sect with the same name. It i…
cultencyclopedia.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:16 AM
The Church of Satan was established by Anton Szandor LaVey on Walpurgisnacht — a Christian feast day linked to the warding off of evil spirits that has roots in pre-Christian pagan practices — in 1966. It is considered the first modern organized church devoted to the figure of Satan and describes...
Church of Satan (1966)
The Church of Satan was established by Anton Szandor LaVey on Walpurgisnacht — a Christian feast day linked to the warding off of evil spirits that has roots in pre-Christian pagan practices — in 1…
cultencyclopedia.com
November 23, 2025 at 2:04 PM
The Church of Sacrifice was a short-lived death cult that may not have actually existed. Clementine Barnabet, an African American woman who became lined to a series of unsolved axe murders in Louisiana and southeastern Texas, claimed in a confession to have been acting on the orders of such a...
Church of Sacrifice (1911)
The Church of Sacrifice was a short-lived death cult that may not have actually existed. Clementine Barnabet, an African American woman who became lined to a series of unsolved axe murders in Louis…
cultencyclopedia.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:58 AM
The Church of Light is a religious organization incorporated in Los Angeles in November 1932. Its stated mission is to “teach, practice, and disseminate The Religion of The Stars, a way of life for the Aquarian Age, as set forth in the writings of C.C. Zain.” The church’s creation was prompted by...
Church of Light (1932)
The Church of Light is a religious organization incorporated in Los Angeles in November 1932. Its stated mission is to “teach, practice, and disseminate The Religion of The Stars, a way of life for…
cultencyclopedia.com
November 19, 2025 at 12:38 PM
The Love Israel Family, formally incorporated as The Church of Jesus Christ at Armageddon, was a communal religious movement founded in Seattle in 1968 by Paul Erdmann, a former television salesman. After founding the group, Erdmann adopted the name “Love Israel,” and many members took on the...
Church of Jesus Christ at Armageddon/Love Israel Family (1968)
The Love Israel Family, formally incorporated as The Church of Jesus Christ at Armageddon, was a communal religious movement founded in Seattle in 1968 by Paul Erdmann, a former television salesman…
cultencyclopedia.com
November 17, 2025 at 1:06 PM
The Church of Israel is a Christian Identity-linked sect founded in 1972 by Dan Gayman. Originally called The Church of Our Christian Heritage, it arose from a schism within the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) and is now linked to white supremacist interpretations of theology, though Gayman has...
Church of Israel (1972)
The Church of Israel is a Christian Identity-linked sect founded in 1972 by Dan Gayman. Originally called The Church of Our Christian Heritage, it arose from a schism within the Church of Christ (T…
cultencyclopedia.com
November 15, 2025 at 1:50 PM
The Church of Immortal Consciousness (COIC) was an apocalyptic new religious movement founded by Trina and Steven Kamp and incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1983. The group presented itself as an alternative spiritual community, offering teachings that diverged from mainstream religion...
Church of Immortal Consciousness (1983)
The Church of Immortal Consciousness (COIC) was an apocalyptic new religious movement founded by Trina and Steven Kamp and incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1983. The group presented itse…
cultencyclopedia.com
November 13, 2025 at 11:20 AM
The Church of God with Signs Following is a Christian snake-handling sect primarily located in the Appalachian region of the southeastern United States. The group is known for its literal interpretation of Mark 16:17-18, which it understands to command acts such as handling venomous snakes...
Church of God with Signs Following (1910)
The Church of God with Signs Following is a Christian snake-handling sect primarily located in the Appalachian region of the southeastern United States. The group is known for its literal interpret…
cultencyclopedia.com
November 11, 2025 at 11:09 AM
The Church of God Preparing for the Kingdom of God (COG-PKG) is a splinter group of Herbert W. Armstrong’s Worldwide Church of God (WCG) that was founded in 1998 by Ronald Weinland, a former WCG minister. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, the COG-PKG operates internationally and primarily...
Church of God Preparing for the Kingdom of God (1998)
The Church of God Preparing for the Kingdom of God (COG-PKG) is a splinter group of Herbert W. Armstrong’s Worldwide Church of God (WCG) that was founded in 1998 by Ronald Weinland, a former WCG mi…
cultencyclopedia.com
November 9, 2025 at 2:33 PM
The Church of God of Prophecy (COGOP) emerged from a late 19th-century restoration movement in the Appalachian Mountains. In August 1886, Richard Spurling, an ordained Baptist minister, rejected what he viewed as the restrictive creeds and exclusivism of Landmark Baptist teaching. Seeking a...
Church of God of Prophecy (1886)
The Church of God of Prophecy (COGOP) emerged from a late 19th-century restoration movement in the Appalachian Mountains. In August 1886, Richard Spurling, an ordained Baptist minister, rejected wh…
cultencyclopedia.com
November 7, 2025 at 11:12 AM
The Church of God International (CGI) was founded in 1978 as an offshoot of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG), founded by Herbert W. Armstrong, and emerged after internal disagreements over doctrine and governance. The CGI’s creation followed the excommunication of Garner Ted Armstrong...
Church of God International (1978)
The Church of God International (CGI) was founded in 1978 as an offshoot of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG), founded by Herbert W. Armstrong, and emerged after internal disagreements over doctrin…
cultencyclopedia.com
November 5, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Daniel Wilburn Layne, who usually went by “Danny,” was raised in the Church of God in California, where his father was a minister. In early adulthood, Layne developed a heroin addiction and became a petty criminal and drug dealer to support his habit. His autobiography recounts a period of...
Church of God (Restoration) (1980)
Daniel Wilburn Layne, who usually went by “Danny,” was raised in the Church of God in California, where his father was a minister. In early adulthood, Layne developed a heroin addiction and became …
cultencyclopedia.com
November 3, 2025 at 11:15 AM
The Church of Euthanasia was launched in Boston in 1992 by Chris Korda, an artist and musician. Though Korda insisted that the church was a serious new religion, most aspects of its publicity and activities had overtones of performance art and it is unclear how sincere Korda was in this assertion...
Church of Euthanasia (1992)
The Church of Euthanasia was launched in Boston in 1992 by Chris Korda, an artist and musician. Though Korda insisted that the church was a serious new religion, most aspects of its publicity and a…
cultencyclopedia.com
November 1, 2025 at 1:04 PM
The Church of Eden was founded by JC Gordon after he experienced a near-death experience in 1996. Gordon, who describes himself as a “Spiritual Futurist,” defines the church’s mission as the dissolution of fear, which it calls the “hidden operating system that has enslaved humanity for over...
Church of Eden (1996)
The Church of Eden was founded by JC Gordon after he experienced a near-death experience in 1996. Gordon, who describes himself as a “Spiritual Futurist,” defines the church’s mission as the dissol…
cultencyclopedia.com
October 31, 2025 at 10:19 AM