For some time now, the Friends of Chapel shadow website has paraded material from Reverend Jean M. Bradley’s ministry in Pasadena, St. Micheal's, a place where Chapel founder Reverend Gene Larr trained and was inspired. Reverend Bradley’s influence has been felt at Chapel of Awareness for decades.
Anyone who reads the material from Reverend Bradley has to question how the Friends of Chapel can possibly be considered the appropriate people to lead Chapel into its next era. How can they promote Reverend Bradley’s revolutionary work when they have little regard for the morals and ethics she upheld in her own ministry?
Reverend Bradley was indeed a revolutionary. She was an African-American woman minister with her own church in Pasadena at a time when a mix of any of those backgrounds would have been considered virtually impossible. The goals of her ministry were inspiring.
These were the moral and ethical principles Reverend Eugene C. Larr trained under, and part of what would influence Chapel of Awareness. So if the spirit of Reverend Bradley’s work is embedded in Chapel of Awareness, it stands to reason that the Friends of Chapel would follow what they have been taught – and have supposedly taught to others as ministers and healers – at Chapel of Awareness.
Chapel Guardian looks at some of this material from Reverend Bradley’s ministry, and directly compares it the behavior of Friends of Chapel. It is clear that the Friends’ methods and beliefs are not in keeping with the principles and training given to, and imparted by, Reverend Larr at the Chapel.
Reverend Bradley’s material states: “During the entire existence of the Church the pastor and the leaders of the Church have recognized the fact that religion alone does not fill the needs of twentieth century life. A complete philosophy of meeting the problems of preparation and cooperation in school, in ones neighborhood, in the community, and at work is necessary for each individual in order to produce and maintain a fruitful existence beneficial to the well being of not only the individual but to all citizens.”
This was a visionary idea valid now more than ever in the 21st century.
The moral and ethical principles of Reverend Bradley’s ministry were symbolized in the Star, the church’s emblem. As stated in the material, the points of the Star represent specific principles. Those principles are stated below and compared with Friends of Chapel behavior.
1) “Spiritual: Maintaining the God that is within each individual living up to the commandments of the savior.”
Friends of Chapel: The leaders of this group, and its membership, have done nothing to develop the God that is within each individual. The material presented on the Chapel Guardian and Friends of Chapel blogs shows that they have a directly opposing view – developing power for themselves using untruths, half-truths and innuendo.
2) “Mental: Develop and maintain a disciplined mind capable of preparing the individual for the challenges of daily life.”
Friends of Chapel: A disciplined mind means one that is free of distraction and ill-will. A disciplined mind means avoiding a mob mentality, free of disorderly and negative tendencies. Again, through their own actions, the leaders and members of the Friends of Chapel have shown they are not fit to lead Chapel of Awareness, by virtue of their lack of discipline and civility.
3) “Physical: Concentrate on building and preserving maximum health by proper living and avoiding abuses which are destructive and injurious.”
Friends of Chapel: The leaders and members of this group have used destructive and injurious practices in promoting their own agenda. These methods are immoral and not in keeping with Chapel of Awareness philosophy.
4) “Social: Concentrating and obtaining friends and associates who constructively obey laws, improve conditions at work, in the community, and for the benefit of the nation – for all the people in all walks of life.”
Friends of Chapel: Improving conditions at the Chapel of Awareness was one of the Friends’ supposed goals. Since their hostile takeover of the Chapel, building maintenance has stopped. Trash is not being properly disposed of. These are not examples of improving conditions for the Chapel community. Constructively obey laws? This group has twisted the Chapel bylaws to its own means, and now after gaining power by accusing others of misusing the bylaws, the Friends are now doing exactly what they accused former leaders of doing. The Friends continue to be negligent in notifying Chapel membership of meetings and activities. They have only let their exclusive group know. This is exclusionary.
5) “Financial: Expect only proper remuneration for those things and services each individual has earned through proper training and ability. And in rendering their best contributions to their fellow men through the mediums for which they are best suited.”
Friends of Chapel: The group’s hostile takeover unseated a board that successfully raised money for Chapel’s new roof. The Friends didn’t do that. They didn’t raise that money. The only thing the Friends did was raise money for themselves through holding shadow services, activities, and publications.
The Friends of Chapel parade Reverend Bradley’s contribution to Reverend Larr’s education and Chapel of Awareness’s existence, yet they neither recognize nor practice what Reverend Bradley and Reverend Larr taught.
The Friends of Chapel are an insult to the legacy of Reverend Bradley, and to Reverend Larr.
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