Rev. Dr. O. C. Smith Founding Minister

"Rather than mourn the absence of the flame,  let us celebrate how brightly it burned."

Dr. O. C. Smith Interview with Patricia Nolan Stein "With all the musical success, there was still something missing in my life, I didn't know quite what it was.  I grew up in a church environment, but not indoctrinated, not fire and brimstone.  After the music success I had, I was still searching for something and didn't know what it was.  I kept looking outside of myself, not realizing the reaching is in the soul, not outside.  I kept going to different churches, different denominations, every three months or so.  I would try different ones, although Sunday morning football was really my church! One Saturday, my wife and I were at a birthday party for a friend.  We began to talk about religion at the party, a group of us were sitting around.  I shared with them my desire and need to find a spiritual connection.  The couple said "Why don't you go with us tomorrow where we go."  We met them the following day, a few minutes before 11 a.m., at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre, where Dr. Joseph Murphy was speaking; incredible man, beautiful writer, beautiful spirit. After we began going to his church, we spent time with him at his home.  He would invite my wife and I to their home near Olympic and Robertson, once a month or so, during the evening.  He would invite us out.  This was when I still had hit records. This teaching rang a bell.  I knew it was for me.  Our first Sunday there my wife and I stood on the steps and I told her, "I don't know what it is but I know this is it."  I began to study, take classes, read books, like a fish out of water who is suddenly back in the water.  I couldn't get my fill, couldn't get enough of it.  My life was consumed by it, with it.  Then Dr. Murphy moved to Laguna, and began to teach in a theater complex there.  We would drive down there every couple of months. I began to look around here in Los Angeles.  I became aware of Frank Richelieu in Redondo Beach.  My wife and I began going there.  I continued with my studies.  I was consumed.  Basically, it was something I had always felt an affinity for.  When my dad made his transition in 1974, in Little Rock, my wife and I went back to take care of things.  I discovered at that time hundreds of metaphysical books.  He never discussed it with me, but he lived his life that way.  It seemed natural for me and I understood him more.  I didn't know it was a philosophy, a way of life.  He was reading Emerson, he was a very learned man.  He had been a college professor.  His reading interest went far beyond the traditional teaching that my family embraced, as Baptists.  It was natural for me to accept it.  He couldn't discuss his beliefs with many people back then in the South, in the Bible Belt.  When I heard Dr. Murphy that first day it rang a bell on a subconscious level.  I knew that I had been hungering and thirsting for it.  Could not get enough.  Everything I did - I could only think about this teaching.  I was totally consumed by reading books and taking classes. It began to overshadow my music career in the sense that I gave it so much time.  Something I was driven to do from within.  I was connected to it on a subconscious level first.  Once the connection was made it was all consuming. All my life music has been important to me.  It was my life for so long.  My life was like a puzzle, one piece I needed to finish I didn't know where or what it was.  It was religious science.  I found the missing piece of the puzzle to complete it.  The spiritual connection I needed. A majority of people on this earth plane are walking around searching for something outside of themselves to make them happy.  Someone to love them or peace of mind to create a sense of bliss they desire, never knowing it isn't outside - it's inside of them.  They don't know how to live joyously, lovingly and peacefully in the now, today.  The masses don't because they live outside of themselves.  Cult leaders go for people who have a sense of hopelessness and loneliness.  Once a  person realizes the spiritual connection is always at the core, at the center of the soul, when you make that connection you've connected with the universe.  The universal presence or whatever you call God - Jesus, Allah, the Higher Self.  It makes not difference what the name is, there is something that is of a universal nature within us.  It is always demanding that in some way, at some point, we discover its nature. We must connect with it.  When I did I was consumed, always on my mind as it is now.  There's not anything I do that I don't do from that standpoint.  Other authors I like - Ernest Holmes, Catherine Ponder, Og Mandino.  So many people and books.  I have an extensive metaphysical library including the ancient mystics.  My dad didn't have a name for it.  He was drawn to it and my mom as well.  My mother read the Daily Word faithfully every day even though she was Baptist.  She was a secret metaphysician too. In 1985 I became a Religious Science Minister. My songs are still heard on oldies stations all the time.  Again, what I've come to realize is the kind of music I was doing, those songs were like sermon-ettes, little lessons, three minute lessons.  I've had people come to me and say "this particular song at this stage of my experience saw me through.  It got me through a divorce, state of depression, the Vietnam War."  Many veterans during the late 60's and early 70's told me that my songs will never die, will always be around.  I've done concerts where I purposely left those songs out, and couldn't leave the stage until I did them.  They empower people in some way, little lessons about life that gave meaning to people.   I began my church in October of 1985.  My wife and I discovered this together.  She had been Episcopalian and she too was searching for something spiritual.  When we found this it was a perfect blend for both of us.  I have seven children all together, from first and current marriage. This philosophy can help anyone of any race, creed or color.  It's non-dogmatic.  It's a teaching that says that there is good in the universe, there is good in all individuals, good in all of us.  Something in the divine nature in all of us.  Once we tap into that, as opposed to looking out on the world and seeing the evil that's in it, we see the good.  Instead of looking at the world and seeing hate, anger and man's inhumanity to man, we look into the world and see the love that was originally intended, as well as the joy, and peace, we can live out lives from that standpoint.  It adds a sense of balance and equilibrium to get up in the morning and give thanks for the new day.  I determine and declare every day I'm gonna be a channel for this divine nature to express itself as love and joy and all that is good.  I'm determined this is the manner I'm gonna live my life regardless of what's going on in the world. A person of any age who learns to understand this - life becomes much less complicated.  It's like chess, anyone can learn it and understand it if they try.  More people are turning to New Thought than ever before.  The next revolution is going to be spiritual because man is beginning to look within.  Even some traditional ministers on TV, more and more, are using metaphysics in their speech to their congregations.  It's obvious people all over the world are becoming more aware. Ernest Holmes was ahead of his time, all of them were.  That's why they were ostracized, they were in the extreme.  Miracles - can't call them that.  Transformations have taken place in my life.  A transformation has taken place in my consciousness.  Most individuals are unaware of their divine nature.  They think of themselves as human beings that than spiritual beings.  It's hard for people to grasp that there is no God "out there," the only God is within you.  There is no God out there with moods and whims.  Praying doesn't affect a God out there, it affects the person who is doing the praying.  We are divine beings. I align myself with the universe.  I was so taken with the teachings.  I told Frank who was my minister and instructor, I wanted to do concert fundraisers for his church.  I chose songs that were metaphysical in their content, like "On A Clear Day."  Between songs I would briefly explain the lyrics from a metaphysical standpoint.  First time I ever did that, I liked it and realized it was a singing ministry.  Then I began having a desire to really teach the principles.  I could still go out and do concerts and work clubs, but not as much as before.  But I wanted to teach this stuff.  It is gonna be what saves the world, when man understands his true nature, how he creates his pain and pleasure from the things he does and decisions he makes. The devil - I teach those who are ready to understand that there isn't any devil.  If people want to believe that, it's okay - to thine own-self be true.  Know thyself.  You can't interpret the Bible literally.  It was written by people of another culture and they told stories to explain situations and conditions.  A person in the western world is totally different.  You can't just take the Bible and read it and accept the words verbatim - all the writers of it were from the East. There is no anti-Christ, no devil.  But I'm in the blessing business.  We're all in the process of evolving at our own rate.  You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.  We all have our own levels of consciousness. Only a few I've known who have risen in consciousness to a place where they see life as a beautiful experience, they know there's a place within them that loves and guides.  There are a few people who understand this.  I meditate and pray affirmatively rather than condemn those who don't understand.  I've done away with all negative religious beliefs, but people will always do what they want to do until they are ready to change.  There's a process in life that takes place when you want to change. Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, in Romans of the Bible, where the same person becomes a different person.  I just try to l live this life and teach it to those who come to hear.  Angel Flight Academy....... teaching them the stock market, how to play chess, too... we are going to add a year each year. Joseph Murphy died, I would say, in the late 80's.  He was a prolific writer, incredible.  The night that he made his transition, just prior to doing so, he went in and told his wife.  He went and laid across his bed and made his transition.  When you die you just go into another dimension. This is not a physical universe, it is a spiritual universe.  Love is our natural state.  We're made in the image and likeness of God - which is love.  Hate is not natural, nor is anger, resentment, jealousy and greed.  These are born out of ignorance of man's true self.  Joy and peace are our natural states of life.  That's why more people are coming into the New Thought movement.  Spiritual ignorance is being replaced with our desire to learn about God, who is within us.  You can't force this on anyone.  Most people are like cows, one following the other.  At some point, you have to be a renegade and follow your own path.  it takes courage not to go with the masses.  How old am I?  22!