Stelle Group

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Stelle Group

The Stelle Group was founded in Chicago in 1963 by Richard Kieninger, a former student of the Lemurian Fellowship. That same year he released an autobiography, The Ultimate Frontier, under the pseudonym Eklal Kueshana. The book described Kieninger's occult accomplishments, beginning with his meetings with a Dr. White on Kieninger's twelfth birthday. Originally Stelle members were also required to join and absorb the teachings of the Lemurian Fellowship, a practice that continued until the disruptions of the mid-1970s.

White taught Kieninger about reincarnation and suggested that he was both King David and Akhnaton. He gave Kieninger his mission: to found a new nation that was to center on an ideal community, Stelle City, near Kankakee, Illinois. By 1970 there were enough members and capital to purchase land, and Stelle City began to rise out of the surrounding corn fields. Some urgency pervaded the creation of Stelle, as The Ultimate Frontier predicted a massive natural catastrophe to be triggered by the alignment of the planets on May 5, 2000. Before that, in 1999, an atomic war would occur, killing 90 percent of the Earth's population.

Stelle grew steadily until 1976, when Kieninger left and formed a second community near Dallas, Texas, called the Adelphi Organization. It later was revealed that Kieninger had been expelled from Stelle for having sexual liaisons with several married women in the community. A leadership struggle ensued among the Illinois members after Kieninger's departure. A number, including the entire board of trustees and Kieninger's ex-wife, left the community. Those remaining reconciled with Kieninger. The headquarters of the Stelle group was moved to Texas in 1982, and Kieninger was named "Chairman of the Board for Life." However, by 1986 new problems had emerged, and Kieninger was forced out again.

He resigned and founded another organization, the Builders of the Nation, in Dallas. A short time later he again assumed control of the Adelphi Organization, and the Texas and Illinois groups separated.

As of the mid-1990s, the members of the Stelle Group are concentrating on applying Lemurian philosophy to their daily lives. The group is currently led by Tim Wilhelm. Address: The Stelle Administration Building, Stelle, IL 60919.