Elizabeth Clare Prophet Getting Divorce

Sat., Nov. 23, 1996

From Staff And Wire Reports

Elizabeth Clare Prophet, spiritual leader of the Church Universal and Triumphant, and her husband, Edward Francis, are ending their marriage of 15 years, the church announced Friday.

They will continue their present church duties, and both “will actively parent their 2-1/2-year-old son, Seth,” church President Gilbert Cleirbaut said in a news release.

Francis, Prophet’s second husband, is executive vice president and responsible for business and legal affairs of the New Age church.

“Prophet will continue her life-long passion to bring the teaching of the Ascended Masters to the world,” the news release said. “This includes teaching, writing and conducting lecture tours.”

Prophet was church president for 23 years until July, when Francis announced that she was relinquishing the post to concentrate on teaching and writing. Church members elected Cleirbaut, a professional management consultant, as her successor.

“Prophet and Francis found their lives going in different directions,” Cleirbaut said.

The divorce will have no effect on a major restructuring process the church initiated in July with Cleirbaut’s election, he said.

The process includes a reduction in the size of the church staff.

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