My grandmother and her sister were involved in the The Church of Metaphysical Christianity, The Shrine of the Master in Sarasota from the early 1960's through the mid 1970's. You can read about its founder and other details here: Shrine of the Master Church of Metaphysical Christianity

The basic scheme was (and I'm sure still is) that the founder, Rev. Dorothy Flexer (aka Reverend Dorothy), who claimed to be a medium, would initiate contact with departed relatives from the "other side". They would give comfort and advice to the church's members, largely widows who'd moved to Sarasota to retire. They also believe in guardian angels that assist people in maintaining good health and keep them out of danger.

What really goes on, however, is that eventually and inevitably the "spirits" will advise the member to place all of his or her assets into the church. In this way, Rev. Dorothy had amassed a large number of houses that she rents out. I've heard there are at least 20 in the neighborhood. Since she's no longer listed as a member of the staff, I suspect she has died. The last time I had any contact with here was in '94 and she was already quite elderly.

My grandmother moved to Sarasota in 1970, after the death of her husband in 1969. Her sister had been in Sarasota since the late 50's and had been a member of the church for some time, and introduced my grandmother to Rev. Dorothy. My grandmother then purchased a new house that the church had built down the block, agreeing that it would return to the church upon her death.

Fortunately, my grandmother was not the kind of person who could be talked into placing all of her assets into the church (nor was her sister), and dropped out of it after being quite involved in its activities for about 4 years. However, she remained in the house until around 1990 when she moved into a nursing home. I moved into the house in 1991 and completed my education in Tampa.

When she died on Labor Day weekend 1994, we got a very rude call from Rev. Dorothy demanding immediate possession of the house. We told her that I would move out within 30 days, as was standard and customary in such situations. After all, she'd waited over 20 years, so another month wouldn't make any difference. She got quite nasty, and was no doubt angry that my grandmother had the nerve to live on for 24 years in her house! Looking back, it's not surprising she displayed such hostility, but at the time it was a bit shocking.

I've tried to direct attention to this cult for some time. My grandmother once told me a very bizarre story of someone who'd been held captive by Rev. Dorothy and her cohorts, who were trying to get some jewelry from their victim. It's been nearly 30 years since I heard this, but I'm sure it's just the tip of the iceberg. If someone were to investigate this group and talk to former members, I'm sure the results would be quite shocking.

If you could either pass this on or provide some ideas of whom I could contact about this cult, I'd be most grateful.

I recommend writing a chronology--who, what, when where.

See if there is a [www.craigslist.org] listing for a city in Florida. CL is an excellent free way to warn people about scams. Expect to be flamed. Ignore it.

See if you can contact the state attorney general and state organizations that oversee elder care, home nursing and social workers. All caregivers in these catagories have intimate contact with people and may have identified this 'church'.

Finally, contact the media. Before you do, be aware that anything you say (including e-mails) can be published. And you cannot get a copy of your interview transcripts from the editor, so you have to keep records of your own interviews. Best thing to do is see if any investigative journalists in Florida have written stories about similar scam artists. Those are the journalists to contact.

By the time you go public, you need evidence, a list of people willing to talk, and above all, get legal advice about potential pitfalls.

You have to pace yourself and 'fight smart' so you dont burn out.

Care about justice, keep your relationships with friends or family.

Hang onto your ability to enjoy life. The Samurai used perfume before battle and lmany of them learned flower arranging so that the altar offerings in the dojo were always beautiful.

Keep your capacity for beauty and enjoyment while swinging your sword on behalf of the elderly and vulnerable.