Elizabeth Clare Prophet, retired president of The Summit Lighthouse and Church Universal and Triumphant, died October 15 at the age of 70 after a lengthy illness. Prophet passed away peacefully at her home in Bozeman, MT, surrounded by loved ones and is survived by her five children. First diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 1997, at the age of 58, Mrs. Prophet formally retired from active leadership in 1999.
The Summit Lighthouse was founded in 1958 by her late husband, Mark L. Prophet. Upon his passing in 1973, Mrs. Prophet took the helm of the organization, shepherding decades of tremendous growth.
A world renowned spiritual leader and author, she is recognized for her prolific writings and leaves behind a tremendous body of work. Today, many of the more than 100 books she and Mark produced are available in a total of 29 languages and sold in 40 countries around the world, including such spiritual classics as The Lost Years of Jesus, The Human Aura and Reincarnation: The Missing Link in Christianity.
“Elizabeth Clare Prophet was a spiritual pioneer whose message of a profound and practical pathway to God transcended mainstream religion and presaged the advent of modem spirituality,” says Summit Lighthouse President Valerie McBride. “Her message of liberation through the individual’s personal walk with God continues to inspire many in their quest for self-realization.”
Mrs. Prophet was a modem-day mystic, a writer, a lecturer and a spiritual teacher. She taught that practical spirituality could provide tools to surmount not only the challenges of daily life but world problems as well. Through her Summit University Forum series, Mrs. Prophet welcomed world leaders in politics, economics, health and finance to discuss the issues of the day. As one of the most widely known female religious leaders of her time, Mrs. Prophet made numerous media appearances on radio and television, including Nightline, Sonya Live, Phil Donahue and Larry King Live.
In 1971, reflecting her devotion to children, Mrs. Prophet founded Montessori International, which was open to the public. In 1973, she founded Summit University, a college of religion, science and culture, and in 1975, Summit University Press to publish and spread her writings around the globe.
During the 1970s and 1980s, she led pilgrimages and lecture tours across the United States and nations around the world including India, the Philippines, Canada, Australia, establishing religious centers on almost every continent.
Now in its 51st year, The Summit Lighthouse continues to grow with local groups established in over 250 cities worldwide.
The Summit Lighthouse carries on the Prophets’ core message of developing an intimate relationship with God through practical spirituality and the wisdom of the world’s major religions, East and West.
Says McBride, “It is a mission that we continue in the hope of blessing and uplifting millions with her message of soul liberation. We are honored to build on the legacy that she and Mark Prophet established.” / SOURCE: The Summit Lighthouse
