168:, gaining the support of the church members. He kept tight control on some 6,000 followers who made up the community, even up to the point of dictating their choice of marriage partners. The city of Zion was effectively controlled by the church; all of its real estate, while sold at market rates, was conveyed under an 1,100-year lease, subject to many restrictions and to termination at the whim of the General Overseer. Religions other than the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church were effectively banned – visiting preachers from rival sects were harassed and hounded out of town by the city police force.
189:
31:
264:
establish another religious colony, but after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, Voliva made a tearful public confession to his followers that he had misappropriated church funds for his personal use and committed other misdeeds. He died shortly thereafter on
October 11, 1942 (though he had previously stated that he would live to 120 due to his diet of
159:
In
September 1905, Dowie suffered a stroke and recuperated in Jamaica, claiming $ 2,000 a month expenses from the investments, and asked Voliva to return to oversee the city in his absence. Voliva arrived in February 1906, whereupon the congregation revolted against Dowie's leadership, accusing him
263:
and he was reduced to being the honorary president of Zion
Industries. The governance of the city reverted to the independents and the new authorities selected a globe for the compulsory car sticker that Voliva was forced to put on his car. He spent most of his time in Florida where he hoped to
213:
The idea of a sun millions of miles in diameter and 91,000,000 miles away is silly. The sun is only 32 miles across and not more than 3,000 miles from the earth. It stands to reason it must be so. God made the sun to light the earth, and therefore must have placed it close to the task it was
179:
Voliva introduced many new rules for members and notices were placed around the town with stern warnings that the independents (who didn't belong to the church) resented and often burned. But the city was established as a safe space for those within its boundaries.
200:
doctrine. He offered a widely publicized $ 5,000 challenge for anyone to disprove the flat Earth theory. The church schools in Zion taught the flat earth doctrine. In 1923 Voliva became the first evangelical preacher in the world to own his own radio station,
171:
Voliva diversified Zion
Industries, an industrial concern owned by the church that manufactured Scottish lace, to include a bakery which produced the popular Zion brand fig bar cookies and White Dove chocolates. Zion was a
250:
Like his predecessor, Voliva increasingly developed an overtly lavish lifestyle, amassing a $ 5 million personal fortune by 1927. This began to alienate his followers, especially after the hardships brought on by the
255:
which forced Zion
Industries into bankruptcy. In 1935 Voliva tried to revive the flagging fortunes of the church by instituting the annual Zion Passion Play, along the lines of the famous one in
259:. However, in 1937, a disgruntled employee set ablaze the church's huge Shiloh Tabernacle where the play took place. Shortly thereafter, Voliva was forced into
511:
164:, and elected Voliva as head of the church, which he then renamed to the "Christian Catholic Apostolic Church." By careful management he rescued Zion from
205:, which could be heard as far away as Central America. His radio station broadcast his diatribes against round earth astronomy, and the evils of
394:
591:
242:, desipite the fact that he was not called. Voliva also predicted the end of the world would come in 1923, 1927, 1930, 1934 and 1935.
365:
272:), and the church all but dissolved. A small remnant was reorganized under the leadership of Michael Mintern. It was later renamed "
601:
596:
571:
566:
531:
148:
90:
494:
378:
519:
586:
576:
140:
112:
308:
304:
296:
151:
of Zion, Illinois. In 1901 he emigrated to
Australia to become overseer-in-charge of the Australian branch.
437:
581:
214:
designed to do. What would you think of a man who built a house in Zion and put the lamp to light it in
143:
Indiana; he graduated five years later and became a minister. In 1898 he was drawn to the teachings of
76:
256:
273:
402:
606:
561:
556:
144:
8:
260:
527:
370:
215:
234:, insisting on a strict interpretation of 24-hour days for creation and travelling to
490:
374:
235:
80:
252:
231:
484:
188:
453:
360:
128:
100:
196:
From 1914, Voliva gained nationwide notoriety by his vigorous advocacy of the
550:
222:
He became increasingly focused on destroying the 'trinity of evils': modern
139:
Voliva was born on a farm in
Indiana on March 10, 1870. In 1889, he entered
239:
173:
123:(March 10, 1870 – October 11, 1942) was an American cult leader and
528:"Circa 1915 Anti-Smoking Sign, Zion Illinois [erected by Voliva]"
265:
269:
197:
165:
124:
107:
227:
223:
206:
202:
161:
59:
147:
and eventually joined his congregation, becoming an elder of the
30:
16:
American evangelist and Flat Earth theorist (1870–1942)
512:"Reprint of "$ 5000 for Proving the Earth a Globe""
438:"Lord Will Come To Zion Sept. 10, Predicts Voliva"
303:. Bristol, Tennessee. October 12, 1942. pp.
548:
444:. Moline, Illinois. August 16, 1934. p. 1
297:"Wilbur Voliva, Famous Cult Leader, Succumbs"
183:
176:and its workers were paid substandard wages.
134:
209:. He was quoted about the Sun as follows:
29:
366:Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science
355:
353:
351:
349:
187:
482:
466:
424:
359:
340:
328:
154:
549:
395:"WCBD, The "Flat Earth" Radio Station"
387:
346:
291:
289:
534:from the original on January 23, 2013
489:. New York: Macmillan. p. 194.
245:
127:theorist who controlled the town of
369:(2nd ed.). Mineola, New York:
286:
91:Christian Catholic Apostolic Church
13:
14:
618:
592:American expatriates in Australia
504:
131:, during the early 20th century.
602:Religious leaders from Illinois
516:Modern Mechanics and Inventions
597:Religious leaders from Indiana
518:. October 1931. Archived from
460:
430:
418:
334:
322:
238:to appear as a witness at the
141:Union Christian College, Merom
113:Union Christian College, Merom
1:
476:
572:20th-century apocalypticists
567:19th-century apocalypticists
7:
483:Garwood, Christine (2007).
406:. June 1986. pp. 31–34
363:(1957). "Flat and Hollow".
318:– via newspapers.com.
35:Wilbur Glenn Voliva in 1924
10:
623:
301:The Bristol Herald Courier
184:Flat Earth and other views
77:Billings Memorial Hospital
192:Flat Earth sign by Voliva
149:Christian Catholic Church
106:
96:
86:
66:
45:
40:
28:
21:
279:
135:Early life and education
274:Christ Community Church
403:Popular Communications
220:
193:
587:Flat Earth proponents
577:American Pentecostals
211:
191:
522:on February 5, 2012.
155:Leadership of church
145:John Alexander Dowie
530:. August 28, 2009.
427:, pp. 202, 208
261:personal bankruptcy
121:Wilbur Glenn Voliva
23:Wilbur Glenn Voliva
582:Religious scandals
371:Dover Publications
216:Kenosha, Wisconsin
194:
160:of corruption and
246:Decline and death
236:Dayton, Tennessee
118:
117:
81:Chicago, Illinois
614:
543:
541:
539:
523:
500:
470:
464:
458:
457:
451:
449:
434:
428:
422:
416:
415:
413:
411:
399:
391:
385:
384:
357:
344:
338:
332:
326:
320:
319:
317:
315:
293:
253:Great Depression
232:higher criticism
73:
70:October 11, 1942
55:
53:
41:Personal details
33:
19:
18:
622:
621:
617:
616:
615:
613:
612:
611:
547:
546:
537:
535:
526:
510:
507:
497:
479:
474:
473:
465:
461:
447:
445:
436:
435:
431:
423:
419:
409:
407:
397:
393:
392:
388:
381:
361:Gardner, Martin
358:
347:
339:
335:
327:
323:
313:
311:
295:
294:
287:
282:
248:
186:
157:
137:
75:
71:
62:
57:
51:
49:
36:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
620:
610:
609:
604:
599:
594:
589:
584:
579:
574:
569:
564:
559:
545:
544:
524:
506:
505:External links
503:
502:
501:
496:978-0330540070
495:
478:
475:
472:
471:
459:
454:Newspapers.com
429:
417:
386:
379:
345:
333:
321:
284:
283:
281:
278:
247:
244:
185:
182:
156:
153:
136:
133:
129:Zion, Illinois
116:
115:
110:
104:
103:
101:Zion, Illinois
98:
94:
93:
88:
84:
83:
74:(aged 72)
68:
64:
63:
58:
56:March 10, 1870
47:
43:
42:
38:
37:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
619:
608:
605:
603:
600:
598:
595:
593:
590:
588:
585:
583:
580:
578:
575:
573:
570:
568:
565:
563:
560:
558:
555:
554:
552:
533:
529:
525:
521:
517:
513:
509:
508:
498:
492:
488:
487:
481:
480:
469:, p. 217
468:
463:
455:
443:
439:
433:
426:
421:
405:
404:
396:
390:
382:
380:0-486-20394-8
376:
372:
368:
367:
362:
356:
354:
352:
350:
343:, p. 200
342:
337:
331:, p. 194
330:
325:
310:
306:
302:
298:
292:
290:
285:
277:
275:
271:
267:
262:
258:
254:
243:
241:
237:
233:
229:
225:
219:
217:
210:
208:
204:
199:
190:
181:
177:
175:
169:
167:
163:
152:
150:
146:
142:
132:
130:
126:
122:
114:
111:
109:
105:
102:
99:
95:
92:
89:
85:
82:
78:
69:
65:
61:
48:
44:
39:
32:
27:
20:
607:Cult leaders
536:. Retrieved
520:the original
515:
485:
467:Garwood 2007
462:
452:– via
446:. Retrieved
442:The Dispatch
441:
432:
425:Garwood 2007
420:
408:. Retrieved
401:
389:
364:
341:Garwood 2007
336:
329:Garwood 2007
324:
312:. Retrieved
300:
257:Oberammergau
249:
240:Scopes trial
221:
212:
195:
178:
174:company town
170:
158:
138:
120:
119:
87:Denomination
72:(1942-10-11)
562:1942 deaths
557:1870 births
266:Brazil nuts
551:Categories
538:October 2,
486:Flat Earth
477:References
448:August 14,
410:October 1,
314:August 14,
270:buttermilk
198:flat Earth
166:bankruptcy
125:Flat Earth
108:Alma mater
52:1870-03-10
228:evolution
224:astronomy
207:evolution
97:Residence
532:Archived
162:polygamy
60:Illinois
493:
377:
398:(PDF)
280:Notes
540:2010
491:ISBN
450:2020
412:2018
375:ISBN
316:2020
268:and
230:and
203:WCBD
67:Died
46:Born
276:."
553::
514:.
440:.
400:.
373:.
348:^
307:,
299:.
288:^
226:,
79:,
542:.
499:.
456:.
414:.
383:.
309:2
305:1
218:?
54:)
50:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
