Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Guy Ballard
References
Britannica AI Icon

Guy Ballard

American religious leader
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

Guy Ballard was an American religious leader who founded the I AM movement in Chicago in the early 1930s. The movement's name is derived from the biblical phrase "I am who I am" spoken by God to Moses. Ballard, a mining engineer, claimed that in 1930, he was contacted by St. Germain, one of the Ascended Masters of the Great White Brotherhood, during a visit to Mount Shasta in California.

Ballard, writing as Godfrey Ray King, published his experiences in Unveiled Mysteries in 1934. He and his wife, Edna, claimed to receive thousands of messages from St. Germain and other Masters, including Jesus, forming the core teachings of the movement. Members consider themselves Christian due to the messages from Jesus. The movement also emphasizes American patriotism, believing the United States has a special role in the Masters' plan. Despite legal challenges and criticism, the I AM movement has grown and inspired subsequent religious groups.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
2 Britannica Sources
  1. I AM movement
  2. Church Universal and Triumphant

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.