User:Nscheffey/Endeavor Academy



Endeavor Academy, which also operates under the name The New Christian Church of Full Endeavor,is a spiritual residential community/school that incorporates many aspects of the spiritual teachings known as A Course In Miracles (ACIM). The organization is headquartered in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, USA, and is headed by its primary teacher Charles Buell Anderson, who is referred to as The Master Teacher, and who appears to be teaching a modern day version of Adventist Messianism. The academy currently advertises branch centers in Germany, Spain and Columbia. Some of these advertised branch centers appear to be only websites with no local buildings or facilities. These website-only branch centers appear to be representing recently closed centers. A former residential community in Byron Bay, Australia has also been closed, after facing many legal and financial difficulties.

History and Activities
The organization originated in 1991 in Wisconsin Dells, and was first known as "God’s Country Place" (GCP) under Anderson’s direction. In 1992 the organization was registered to operate under the names; Endeavor Academy, and New Christian Church of Full Endeavor. At about this time, the use of the GCP name was discontinued.

The headquarters facility for this organization is located in an idyllic wooded setting in the Wisconsin countryside, and is located in a converted summer resort facility. The original facility of 1991 was a large main house. In 1992 a summer resort motel complex was acquired and converted to meet present needs.

Apparently the inclusion of the phrase “full endeavor” in one of the organization’s titles is a reference to the total dedication that is taught as being a prerequisite in order to achieve the spiritual awakening which A Course in Miracles teaches. Amongst the materials studied at Endeavor Academy are the teachings of A Course In Miracles, the New Testament, the 12 step healing program of Alcoholics Anonymous, miscellaneous scientific journals, and some forms of more traditional art and music. The organization offers its own ministerial certificates.

From 1995 through 2003, under Anderson’s direction, this organization spearheaded a legal campaign to have the copyrights to ACIM overturned. Ultimately this effort was largely (but not entirely) successful, in that it effectively removed the copyrights to all but approximately 2% of the current popular 2nd edition of ACIM. By and large the ACIM student community demonstrated gratitude towards Endeavor Academy and towards Anderson for their work in this, as this court decision to overturn most of these copyrights has resulted access to early pre-press manuscripts of ACIM than were formerly not at all available, and has also resulted in much freer distribution of various segments and quotes from ACIM, than was previously possible.

The primary teachings of the Academy might be stated as follows. The author of A Course in Miracles professes to be Jesus of Nazerath. His purpose is to clarify the Bibical gospels and provide a mind training that will initiate a "celestial speedup" due to an "emergency" situation with the human condition. "The slow evolution" of the human mind now in progress will not suffice for the deteriorating situation. A spiritual awakening is now required in each individual mind. That the human conditon can be saved by any individual mind is possible due to the fact that any mind contains the totality of Universal Mind. The fact that the kingdom and power of Heaven Itself is in each mind guarantees salvation through the change of any one mind. The mind training is not creating a new mind but rather an undoing of the blocks to love's awareness. This leads to the joy of the freedom from guilt, and from space and time that can only be found only through dependence on God. The awakening is upon us now.

Although most Course students applaud these actions, many Course students, as well as cult watch groups, have expressed some serious concerns about this group. Many claim that the Course that is taught at the Academy contradicts some of the fundamental principles of ACIM. For example, Anderson's teaching of, or acceptance of, the role of himself as 'The Master Teacher' appears to be at odds with ACIM's advice to always seek out 'perfect equality' with all, rather than the mastery, or dominion of, 'one mind over another'. Other concerns have been expressed regarding claims of a cult-like environment at Endeavor Academy, as well as sexual abuse and money laundering. Possibly one of the largest discrepencies between ACIM and Endeavor is the "us and them" thinking that goes on there, where Endeavor Community members are told that those who challenge, criticize or leave the Academy are "dead ones," people who are somehow inferior

See aslo

 * Charles Buell Anderson