Foundation Church of the New Birth

The Foundation Church of the New Birth is one of two organizations that grew out of the turmoil among the followers of the revelations of channel James Edward Padgett (1852-1923). Beginning in 1914, Padgett received some 1,500 messages, believed to be from Jesus Christ and other spirit entities. These messages affirmed the immortality of the human spirit. Following Padgett's death, a close associate, Leslie R. Stone, took charge of the manuscripts. He saw to the publication of an initial volume drawn from the material in 1940. In 1958 the Foundation Church of the New Birth was incorporated in Washington, D.C. The small church was headed by a board of trustees. The last of those trustees, Rev. John Paul Gibson, died in 1982. Leadership passed to Victor Summers, but in 1983 Summers resigned all connection with the church and formally dissolved it.

Summers's actions were opposed by the majority of members. One group in Washington, D.C., moved to reorganize. They founded the New Birth Christian Healing Sanctuary and were eventually incorporated as the Foundation Church of the Divine Truth, under which name they continue to exist. A second group reorganized in 1991 using the original name, the Foundation Church of the New Birth. The church upholds the beliefs of the original body and disseminates the teachings of the Padgett revelations, contained in the four-volume set True Gospel Revealed Anew by Jesus.

The Foundation Church of the New Birth may be contacted at P.O. Box 996, Benjamin Franklin Sta., Washington, DC 20044. Website:http://www.divinelove.org.

Sources:

Padgett, James E. True Gospel Revealed Anew by Jesus. 4 vols. Washington, DC: Foundation Church of the New Birth, 1958-72.