Light of Christ Truth

Part III of Who Are the Ascended Masters?

The Bridge to Freedom Teachings and Sources
The following information on The Bridge to Freedom is taken from several sources, primarily from Werner Schroeder and his wife and his movement called the Ascended Master Teaching Foundation (AMTF). Without their efforts to publish the Bridge's teaching there would have been little access to the public. Mr. Schroeder's movement began in 1979 after he read some of the books published by ADK Luk, a pseudonym for Alice Schutz.

Alice had joined the I AM Activity after Guy Ballard returned to Chicago after hiding from the law for two years. Alice spent the years from 1936-39 with the Ballards traveling around the USA. She helped arrange the lessons and made many notes during them and along with teaching activities, Alice participated in the "I AM" movement insiders to help the planet survive the difficult time. Alice later stated that during that time the earth's fate was only "hanging on by a thread". She and Mrs. Frances Ekey left the "I AM" activity in 1952 and joined the Bridge to Freedom where she continued her cause to help get out the ascended master teachings.

Geraldine Innocente
Geraldine Innocente was born in 1916. She lived with her parents, Mary Lehane and Gustave Innocente and never married. Until 1953 they lived at Halesite, Long Island, NY. In the 1940's, on Long Island, Mrs. Mary Innocente had a small group affiliated with the “I AM” Activity that Geraldine was a part of. One night, in 1944, Geraldine and her mother were sitting in their home when Geraldine said she felt the presence of El Morya with them, the same master with whom Helena Blavatsky had had special communication within the 1880s. Geraldine communicated with this master she believed was El Morya, after which he suggested to Geraldine that she make a certain application daily. A year later El Morya let her know that the master Maha Chohan would like to give a series of discourses through her. Over seven years she continued to take messages from these masters until in 1951 when she received what was believed to be an "anointing" to become a "messenger" for the Great White Brotherhood. She and another group of "I AM" students broke off from that movement and started the Bridge to Freedom.

After the ascension of Mr. Ballard, in 1939, that organization had appeared to take a new direction. Geraldine's father was born in Italy, and her mother in Ireland and Geraldine believed the ascended master teachings should be translated into other languages for those outside the English speaking countries. Mrs. Ballard, however, thought otherwise. While she was alive none of the "I AM" teachings were translated, refusing to allow them into any other language. This went against what the Bridge students believed were the wishes of Saint Germain, who had repeatedly exhorted that their publications be distributed as widely as possible.

Another issue that was dividing the I AM students was the lack of distribution of their teachings. Before Guy Ballard passed on, Mrs. Ballard had begun to be paranoid about those who came to spy on the organization or write "lies" about what they said and did. The Movement instituted a pass card to be able to enter their meetings, which was only given out after attending several preliminary classes. Gerald Bryan was just such an individual they wanted to keep away after he had begun printing pamphlets about the Movement and what he considered was fraudulent activities by them. After Guy Ballard's transition, some of the dictations and publications were no longer freely available. Mrs. Ballard eventually would not allow any of their books to be sold but to registered members, leaving none available to any of the public. At some point members of the "I AM" Activity were instructed to buy all used “green books” (the "I AM" Discourses) from bookstores so that they would not fall into the hands of the general public. Some of the books were finally made available again to the public in the 1980’s.

Geraldine began to reproduce and circulate copies of her messages and found some initial response from those associated with the "I AM" sanctuaries in New York and Pennsylvania. She also sent copies of the messages to Edna Ballard. Ballard demanded that Innocente cease the circulation of unauthorized messages. When she refused, the break occurred. Geraldine officially became Messenger beginning with the inaugural Vesta (twin flame to the sun Helios) dictation in 1951 and in 1952 the Bridge to Freedom was officially started by several key "I AM" students, including Geraldine, her mother, Mrs. Innocente, Mrs. Francis Ekey, Roger Ancona and Alice Schulz.

Frank C. Pita and Mrs. Francis Ekey volunteered to become the managing and associate editor of the monthly magazine, "The Bridge to Freedom."  Geraldine's mother also helped by writing articles in the magazine under the pseudonym "DT Marches". El Morya served as editor of the magazine, using the name "Thomas Printz". According to El Morya, he chose the name "Thomas" from his previous incarnation as Thomas Moore. Thus, "Thomas Prints". Alice Schultz became the secretary and she worked at Geraldine's house. Alice transcribed the recorded messages and sent them to Mrs. Ekey. The Thomas Printz Private Bulletin was available to subscribers of "The Bridge". This weekly publication was said to contain wisdom teachings presented also by the Maha Chohan, representative of the Holy Spirit for humanity and for the Earth.

Not surprisingly, all the key figures in the organization were also key figures and twin flames of ascended masters or important historical people. Geraldine Innocente was supposed to have been embodied previously as Joseph of Arimathea and three times as an oracle at Delphi. She was the twin flame of El Morya. Her mother Mary Innocente, was twin flame of Lord Ling (Moses). Vera Lisle, was twin flame of Ascended Master Lanto. Roger Ancona, a director of the Bridge to Freedom, was twin flame of the Ascended Lady Master Kwan Yin. Alice Schutz, Secretary to Geraldine and Secretary of the “Bulletin,” was twin flame of the Ascended Master Djwal Kul. It was revealed that Peter, the disciple of Jesus, was embodied as Mrs. Ekey (and later Mark Prophet said she was also the reembodiment of Blavatsky). Gustave Innocente, the father of Geraldine, in a former embodiment was the person who offered to carry the cross for Jesus.

Although Geraldine Innocente thought she was El Morya's twin flame, Elizabeth Clare Prophet said otherwise and that Geraldine was mistaken in this belief. Elizabeth also said at a conference and also at a staff meeting that El Morya's twin flame had gone through the second death and suggested individuals could apply to be El Morya's twin flame.

Dictations and the the New Era of Golden Age
According to William Cassiere, also known as "Brother Bill," a messenger appointed by Saint Germain to work with the Ballards and later joined AMTF, the way Mr. Ballard took dictations was to read letters of light. Appearing before him would be two-inch-high letters of "golden living light." Those words he would read to the audience. Supposedly some people in the front row could also see those letters of light.

No description has been written how Geraldine took her dictations, except that the Masters used her by accelerating the vibrations of her mental and emotional bodies. She took all the dictations between the hours of 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. because it was supposed to be easier for the Masters to give their dictations at that time.

The New Age was introduced through the special teachings Guy and Edna Ballard released. Yet something must have gone awry because the masters had to switch to another messenger and organization to bring in this golden age—so the dictations through Geraldine said. El Morya and St. Germain came up with a plan they presented to their hierarchy on why they needed to sponsor the next organization (the Bridge). Some of the reasons for so doing were:

• After the transition of Mr. Ballard, some of the dictations and publications of Saint Germain’s dispensation were no longer freely available or translated.
• A bridge was needed over which the masters counsel may reach the intellect of the personal self. (Via the monthly Bridge magazine widely distributed.)
• The interest and enthusiasm of many students for Saint Germain's past effort had been gradually diminished. Only smoldering embers remained. (Due to the stories about Ballard's death and then ascension, and the indictments against the Ballards.) In 1953 Innocente's St. Germain stated to the students of the Bridge to Freedom, that the curtain had all but closed upon his efforts of the past 20 years.

They supposedly got their dispensation and the Bridge was formed. Shortly afterward the Master said, thanks to the effort of the Bridge students (hinting that they were superior to the I AM Movement's students), more than the original amount of energy available to the Masters in 1934 was now available in 1950. Yet the Masters had to start all over again releasing through Geraldine all the teachings released in the "I AM" activity but said in different words, as well as introduce many new subjects. Supposedly approximately 6,000 pages of dictations and teachings were eventually given through the Bridge. The dictations explained that the name “Bridge” symbolized a spiritual, vertical bridge from the unascended realm, to the ascended realm. Students, fully committed to the teachings and applying them in their daily lives, could cross this bridge after demonstrating the necessary self-merit.

El Morya through Geraldine said he had hoped to bring the new activity in as a supplement to Saint Germain's ongoing effort under the “I AM” Activity. To that end his words were sent to Mrs. Ballard. According to Alice Schutz Mrs. Ballard appeared before their new group and said that she was the only authorized messenger. The Bridge's El Morya also sought the support of the Theosophical Society, the Rosicrucian Order, Christian Science, and Unity, to no avail. Some believe that the reason why these organizations would not support the Bridge was that they feared to lose their students to them.

The Bridge to Freedom's Teachings
The overall plan was to redeem the Earth quickly, restore it to perfection, and to bring mankind, again, into conscious communication with the Ascended Host, so that a new, glorious golden age may manifest. In this new age, science and history would work hand-in-hand with religion, and religion will no longer be a matter of ceremony alone. It would be a matter of daily, hourly living.

Two major categories were presented through the Bridge: (1) The knowledge necessary to gain the ascension in this embodiment, to fulfill one's divine plan. (2) The knowledge necessary to understand the divine plan for the Earth and how to use this instruction to assist the planet, itself.

The Masters through the Bridge stated that Genesis, and all the succeeding Biblical chapters, needed to be rewritten. Archangel Uriel through Geraldine said: "Genesis and all of the succeeding biblical law is being written again. It is a bible made up of the energies of the archangels, the cosmic beings, and the ascended masters, that will stand for the rest of the civilizations being brought forth on this planet earth.” (May 16, 1954) And another: "We are writing a whole bible—a bible that will live and be read by millions of people, long after you have come home.” (Maha Chohan, Thomas Printz’ Private Bulletin, June 17, 1956)

Some of the major teachings released but hidden away until the last few decades might sound familiar to Summit Lighthouse students. Summit students might be surprised to learn the following teachings they heard through Mark and Elizabeth Prophet were originally from the Bridge to Freedom:

• The Seven Elohim give details about the creation of this planet. They explain the seven steps to precipitation.
• Why Sanat Kumara, after residing on Earth for millions of years, returned to his home planet, Venus.
• The names of the seven Archangels and the seven Elohim, including the names of their divine complements.
• The seven bodies of man and how to gain mastery over the four lower bodies.
• The seven chakras
• The properties of the seven rays
• Creation of our galaxy and our planet.
• The coming of the laggards from other planets, causing the “Fall of Man” on Earth.
• The Law of Karma.
• Keynotes of Ascended Masters.
• El Morya’s trip to the birthplace of Jesus, as one of the Three Wise Men.
• Description of the initiations necessary to gain the ascension.

The Ascended Master Retreats and the Ascension
When one has successfully completed their studies on Earth, they will return to the higher realms, never, again, to use Earth as a schoolroom, according to the Bridge teachings. This is the ascension. The chela, in times before, started by going through the schoolroom of the Seven Spheres around the sun, and after gaining experience in mastering the lower vibrations of Earth, he made the ascension by passing the tests of the God-virtues of the Seven Rays, given to the chela in the Ascension Temple.

According to a dictation by the Ascended Master Saint Germain, published in the December 1938 issue of “Voice of the I AM,” the Goddess of Light, the Goddess of Liberty and the Cosmic Being Victory received a new dispensation. This dispensation makes it easier for sincere students, committed to the original teachings of the Great White Brotherhood, and applying them in their daily lives, to achieve the ascension in their present embodiment.

According to the Bridge an Ascended Master Retreat is a location where light substance has been magnetized and radiated over long periods of time by Ascended Beings. The retreats are located either in the etheric realm or in the physical world, often within mountains and other places unapproachable by the curious. The Brotherhood of a retreat maintains the Foci of Light, assisting in its activities.

Formerly, it was required under the old Occult Law that a chela on the path needed to obtain instruction on Cosmic Law, gain mastery and to reach the final goal, the ascension only after several severe initiations at the retreats. Since 1938, all that has been set aside. The Masters give out the teaching through accredited messengers and the chela passes through the initiations in every day living in the outer world.

Another dispensation on the ascension was given. The Maha Chohan informed the students in 1953 that the Cosmic Law had offered to balance 49% of the debt each lifestream owes to life through the misqualification of pure God-energy. This means that from now on, only 51% of the total allotted energy ever given an individual, must be qualified in a constructive manner (through impersonal service and the harmonious qualification of energy in everyday life) in order to gain the ascension (Thomas Printz’ Private Bulletin, March 1, 1953).

Saving the World
Decreeing is taught by the ascended masters that it is the key element in helping to usher in the permanent Golden Age on Earth. Decrees were introduced in the “I AM” Activity for the first time. Decrees are used for protection, emergencies and applying the Violet Flame to transmute karma. During the Bridge to Freedom, much like the "I AM" Movement days, the students were told all manner of successes they achieved from giving their decrees together and alone. Here are some results claimed by the Masters through the "I AM" Movement and the Bridge to Freedom:

• Saint Germain said that, without the calls (decrees) of the students, portions of the eastern and western coasts of the U.S. would have disappeared. This happened in early 1936. The call of the students in cooperation with Elohim Cyclopea, the All-Seeing-Eye, directing currents of energy, prevented a tidal wave from striking the west coast of the United States. As part of this effort, the cities of New York and San Francisco were saved from destruction.
• Another accomplishment was that all discarnates (the earthbound souls, in between embodiments, hovering in the Earth's atmosphere) over Southern California were removed, and led into higher realms. One-third of the destructive accumulation of mankind was dissolved and removed from the Earth forever.
• Twenty thousand healings were attributed to Mr. Ballard. According to William Cassiere, many people were healed while attending the lectures and hearing the messages given by the Masters through Mr. Ballard.
• The Ascended Host had called the Bridge to Freedom group the most successful group since the “Fall of Man.”
• Through the activity of decreeing and the Transmission Flame Service, performed on an individual basis, or in groups, new forcefields (magnetic centers) were established. These forcefields drew angels closer to Earth. This gave the Masters greater freedom in bringing forth this instruction and radiation.
• "More progress was achieved for mankind in 1953, than in the past 500,000 years." (Archangel Michael, December 1953, The Bridge.)
• Answering a petition for more children to be born perfectly in mind and body, asked from Mother Mary in 1953, the Bridge group decreed for perfectly born children. They were told as a result: One hundred thousand of those who would otherwise have been blind will be born with sight, fifty thousand of those who would have been deaf, will hear. Fifty thousand of those who would not have been able to speak will now have the gift of speech and two hundred thousand of those who would have been mentally ill will come into physical birth with their minds balanced and sane.
• Through the giving of decrees the Bridge group, in cooperation with the masters, dissolved the "compound" that had existed for millions of years. This compound housed individuals who in anger and rebellion committed great crimes against at least two people. The inhabitants of the “Compound” finally appeared before the Karmic Board, bent the knee to God and accepted the judgment of that Board. This gave them the opportunity to redeem their evil deeds, and re-embody, thus endeavoring to fulfill their divine plan.
• The effort by the Masters and the students was so successful, that it enabled Sanat Kumara to return to Venus as early as 1956. Concerning this effort, the Masters said that the task of the “Bridge” will never be complete until the very last lifestream has crossed to his ascension.
• With the help of Bridge group and a petition from Archangel Michael, in 1954 "earthbound" individuals who were not vicious enough to place in the "compound" but refused to come before the Karmic Board, often refusing to believe they were dead and were still full of lusts and hate and existed on the magnetism of the living, were all removed from the atmosphere of Earth and they accepted to be trained for re-embodiment.
  
• El Morya stated through Geraldine, the Brotherhood had accomplished (in this day and age) more in the evolution of earth's planetary scheme than was accomplished in millions of years.” (Bridge, December 31, 1954)

Along the same line of these miraculous events due to decrees and bolstering the egos of those participants, the Masters of Wisdom stated that the effort by the “Bridge to Freedom” is the last effort to free mankind.

Yet all good things must come to an end. Just as in the prior movement, students started leaving the Bridge to Freedom at the July 1958 Summer Conference. Francis Ekey and several other key individuals left to join Mark Prophet. Among those who left were Clara Louise Kieninger (secretary of The Bridge to Freedom), Frances Ekey (managing editor of The Bridge to Freedom Journal), Mary Myneta Boos (leader of the New York sanctuary), to assist Mark Prophet to found what would later be called the "Summit Lighthouse". Frances Ekey doesn't last long with Mark Prophet and splits off with him in 1959. Clara Louise Kieninger stayed with the Summit Lighthouse until her death in 1970, after being anointed the first "Mother of the Flame" of the Keepers of the Flame Fraternity.

Alice Schultz did not last long in the Bridge either. In 1959, she began publishing what became known as the "Law of Life" books, in an attempt to combine the previous Teachings of the "I AM" Activity and the Teachings of "The Bridge to Freedom" in what she believed was a comprehensible format from the original material she had available. Alice took copious notes during her time with the Ballards that she used in assembling the Law of Life books. Alice offered to produce a pamphlet or book to explain the basics of the teachings to new students, but the "I AM" group said no. She used the pseudonym ADK Luk to publish the books. Alice created the name taking certain letters, A(lice) D(jwal) K(hul) and Luk (Khul spelled backward.)

Geraldine Innocente's Death
Then on June 21, 1961 Geraldine Innocente was found dead out on a little life raft floating in Long Island Sound. Yet that story is nowhere on the internet, not even on Wikipedia where usually anything possibly controversy is revealed. The Bridge students claim she ascended on that date. When Elizabeth Clare Prophet heard about her death she called her mother's friend (and whose son she had gone to eighth-grade prom with) to tell her. Being a very determined woman she said she would go to the police station and the newspaper office to ascertain firsthand what had happened. She came back with the story that Geraldine had really committed suicide by taking an overdose of barbiturates. Supposedly she was under much stress in her last years and had to take sleeping pills to sleep and other drugs for her stress. She had tied herself to the raft hoping that people would think she had drowned. According to Elizabeth the Bridge to Freedom always denied this, and that her death sent shock waves through their entire movement. (Elizabeth Clare Prophet, Preparation for My Mission, iUniverse, October 19, 2009)

After Geraldine's death, Lucy Littlejohn became the new leader and the channel of the “Bridge to Freedom.” Seventeen years later Littlejohn introduced a Mr. Peter Leach Lewis as the new oracle. Lewis' first words were that the “Bridge to Freedom” had fulfilled its purpose and the new name of the organization would be “The New Age Church of the Christ.” The Masters had previously said that the task of the “Bridge to Freedom” would only be fulfilled after every man had crossed that spiritual bridge on the way to his ascension, Lewis' message was different. Then at the end of the meeting he blocked the exit, and baptized everyone who passed through the door opening by pressing three fingers on the forehead of everyone, stating: “I baptize you in the name of the New Age Church of the Christ!”

The following year a dictation through Lewis printed In the January 1980 issue of The Word of God (their new publication) said to be from Helios given in 1979 stated: “On New Year’s Eve, Los Angeles will be wiped off the face of this Earth. There will be a tidal wave or two; but apart from that, just Los Angeles will slip into the Pacific Ocean, to be buried forever…. And it is necessary. It is very necessary! We intend to make an example of Los Angeles. And I tell you now, prepare yourselves for such an event. It will be truly devastating, cataclysmic and absolutely irreversible. If you can move….do it! I advise you to.”

Peter Lewis left his new Church a few years later, and other students left establishing new groups with their own channels. Eventually, the remaining group split up. They fought each other in court. Eventually, the building and the grounds of the former “Bridge to Freedom” on Long Island were sold after a costly, intensive court battle that lasted for years.

At the time when Littlejohn took over, only 5% of the publications of Geraldine were available to the public. Mr. Schroeder claims he and his wife saved the teachings after a couple of years of unsuccessfully trying to have access to them. Finally, some people whose parents were members of the original Bridge to Freedom gave Schroeder all the copies they had of their parent's library. Although not complete, in a few years Schroeder had everything.

Previous part I, First Adherents of the Ascended Masters, Part II The I AM Movement. Continuing in "Are the Ascended Masters Real?

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