The Process Church of The Final Judgement
The Process Church of the Final Judgement was a religious organization founded by Robert and Marry Ann DeGrimston (ne Robert DeGrimston Moore and Mary Ann McClean). The group started as a splinter cult from Scientology in 1964 (as just “The Process”) and lasted until the mid 70s. The group lives on, without the DeGrimstons, as the Best Friends Animal Society.
Though somewhat forgotten today, the Process Church was well known and influential in its time. For example, legendary funk musician George Clinton included excerpts from the magazine in the liner notes for Funkadelic’s Maggot Brain and America Eats Its Young. However, they are probably best known for allegations that they influenced Charles Manson. The media attention that followed these allegations, and a split between the DeGrimstons, lead the Church’s demise.
Although he was never a member, Genesis P. Orridge was highly influenced by the Process Church of the Final Judgement and modeled some aspects of the Temple ov Psychick Youth (TOPY), which he co-founded in 1991, after the Church. After attempting to shut down the Temple in 1991, Orridge co-founded a collective variously called The Process, TOPI (either not an acronym, or “Thee Outer Process International”) or Transmedia Foundation. This new group spawned a mailing list and website called “The Process.” By 1998 Orridge and co-founder Ogre of Skinny Puppy had turned the mailing list and site over to the community and were no longer actively involved. The site and list continue to exist albeit quietly. Orridge started a new group called “One True TOPI Tribe” in 2010.
Recent News
The Process magazines have been published in a new collected edition from Feral House.
Sabbath Assembly’s album of recordings of Process songs Restored to One is now available. The announcement was covered here.
Former Process member Timothy Wyllie’s book Love, Sex, Fear, Death: The Inside Story of The Process Church of the Final Judgment is now available.
Official Sites
Unofficial Sites
Wikipedia entry
4P2 was a briefly lived site that proclaimed to be “The Neo Process Church of the Final Judgement: the New Way.” processean.com may be related.
Documents
The book Propaganda and the Holy Writ of The Process Church of the Final Judgment reprints The Process’ famous magazines.
500 pages of Process Church of the Final Judgment internal documents
Gnostic Liberation Front’s Process Church of the Final Judgement page. Includes many scans and transcriptions of Process literature by Robert DeGrimston, plus many articles about The Process.
Feast of Hate and Fear Archive Many articles by DeGrimston, plus scans and other materials.
The excerpt from the Fear issue of the Process magazine that appeared in the liner notes of Funkadelic’s Maggot Brains album (see also Genensis P. Orridge’s notes on George Clinton’s connection to the Process Church).
Interviews
Love Sex Fear Death: Inside The Process Church of the Final Judgment with Timothy Wyllie from DANGEROUS MINDS on Vimeo.
Interview with Timothy Wyllie of The Process Church of The Final Judgement on the release of Love, Sex, Fear, Death: The Inside Story of The Process Church of the Final Judgment.
Writings About
Before Best Friends – A history of The Process and the Best Friends Animal Society from the Society’s official website.
Gary Lachman’s profile of the Church for Fortean Times.
Genesis P. Orridge on The Process Church’s influence on Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth (an excerpt from Love, Sex, Fear, Death)
Genesis P. Orridge on George Clinton’s connection to the Process Church
Funk’s Death Trip, essay on Clinton covers the Process Church’s influence on him.
Misc
Reenactment of the Process Church of the Final Judgment Processional
Build your own e-meter
The Process/Transmedia Foundation/TOPI
process.org
A reproduction of the original Process site
Genesis P. Orridge interview on The Process/TOPI/Transmedia Foundation
Ogre of Skinny Puppy, another co-founder of The Process, on the decision to hand the project over to the community
My ode to The Process mailing list
One True TOPI Tribe site
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