Process Church of the Final Judgment (historical)
British-origin religious movement (1966–74) led by Robert and Mary Ann de Grimston. Combined Scientology-derived practices with apocalyptic Christian Satanism. Disbanded in 1974 following Mary Ann's split into the Foundation Faith of God.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
0 — historical (1966–74); influenced by both Scientology and esoteric Christianity; Manson connection alleged but disputed.
Profile facts
In context
The Process Church grew from the de Grimstons' Scientology-derived experiments in 1960s London, evolving into an apocalyptic movement teaching reconciliation of Christ and Satan. Members took new names, wore black robes with red Goat-Mendes, and operated communal houses. Ed Sanders' 1971 book 'The Family' alleged a Charles Manson connection, which the church successfully sued over but which left lasting public association. Disbanded in 1974; successor Foundation Faith of God continued briefly.
Key control doctrines
- Reconciliation of Christ and Satan
- de Grimstons' authoritative teachings
- Communal life under robes
Recovery resources
- ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) — ICSA archive covers Process Church including Bainbridge's 1978 academic study material.
- INFORM (Information Network on Religious Movements) — LSE-founded UK research-based information service; historical Process Church archive.
- Freedom of Mind Resource Center — Steven Hassan's organisation; BITE-model resources.
See the full curated list at /resources.
Notable public ex-members
- Multiple subjects of Bainbridge's 1978 academic study
Legal cases & controversies
- Process Church v. Sanders (Manson allegation suit)
This profile is in progress — history, deeper BITE evidence and survivor voices are still being added. Contributions welcome via GitHub.
Timeline
- 1966Process Church founded in London
- 1971Ed Sanders Manson allegation
- 1974de Grimston split; Process disbands
Sources
- William Bainbridge, 'Satan's Power' (1978) search ↗
- Robert Lyon, 'Love, Sex, Fear, Death' (2009) search ↗
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. Where a source includes its own URL, the open ↗ link opens it directly; otherwise search ↗ runs a Google Scholar query for the cited title — useful for verifying academic sources. For news outlets, search the outlet's own archive.
Change history
Substantive edits logged per the score-updates policy.
- 2026-05-29Phase 1 Batch I: per-group recovery resources curated (lighter layer per brief). 3 verified entries: ICSA, INFORM, Freedom of Mind.
- 2026-05-20Score band scheme migrated from 4 bands to 5 (Minimal 0–5 / Low 6–12 / Moderate 13–20 / High 21–30 / Extreme 31–40). No CLCI value changed; the new Minimal band was carved out of the bottom of the previous Low band.
Relevant hubs
Curated entry points on CLCI Hub for situations connected to this group.
You may also want to explore
Found something wrong on this profile?
We accept correction requests from anyone — current and former members, researchers, journalists, family members, and the listed organisation. Submissions are reviewed by an editor; we do not auto-publish.