More from Edgar and others…
Last month we wrote about Edgar S. Peissert and his claim to be some kind of “new” Koresh. This month we want to explore a little further into the various groups that seemed to spring up after the death of Teed.
The Koreshan Age
One of the interesting things about all this is that you don’t hear about these groups in any of the Koreshan literature of the time. All this dissension has come to light only in the past couple of years, at least as far as these archives are concerned, thanks to the fact that someone kept much of the published material and it eventually found its way to us in what has become the Harry Manley Collection.
This month we turn to a group that called themselves the Church of Ephesus. Apparently this group originally followed Edgar Peissert, but somehow saw the “error of their ways” sometime around 1915. Later, (about 1919) they became devoted followers of Victoria Gratia, or Annie Ordway, who had, for any number of reasons, been drummed out of the Unity after the death of Dr. Teed. The journal, “The Koreshan Age” states very clearly that:
Knowing that some of the most important and fundamental truths of Koreshanity are overlooked, or are willfully ignored and withheld from the public; especially that which relates to the mission and function of Vitoria Gratia as the “Chosen Woman” who has been under preparation by the Almighty for generations to become the Divine Mother of the Sons of God in the very near future.
When this was published in 1926 Victoria was already dead. The article gives no name or person who was meant to replace her. Other articles contain reprints from the Flaming Sword, supporting Victoria’s claim to leadership, published before Teed or Victoria’s death.
The editor of this journal, called “The Koreshan Age” is Dr. Thomas Morgan, a name unknown before now. The papers that we have, from the Harry Manley Collection, include addresses in Saint Petersburg and Youngstown, Ohio. In a January 1915 article, entitled “Explanations”, Dr. Morgan says:
To all believers in Koresh
Greeting: Owing to my apparently unfortunate affiliation with one Edgar S. Peissert, I deem it necessary for me to give my reasons for withdrawing my support…
Finally, take a look at an article published by the Church of Ephesus. It give a little bit of a summary of their positions and beliefs. You can view that PDF article here.