Living Enrichment Center Story

Mary Morrissey and the Living Enrichment Center Story

Our greatest glory consists not, in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
~ Confucius

Dear Friends:

Thank you for asking about my life. Over my life, one of my greatest joys has been dream building. Over the years, I have been fortunate to participate in helping thousands of people bring a cherished dream to fruition. I've also seen many dreams crumble, including my own. If you have read my book, Building Your Field of Dreams, you know that as a young woman my dream of becoming a teacher was shattered when I became pregnant at age 16. I shared this story with readers because my mistake led me to a greater discovery: our history does not determine our destiny. I went on to write about the destiny that did await me, and the struggles, victories and disappointments along the way. Literally, my life has been an open book.

And now, a new chapter is emerging. The flourishing church I described in Building Your Field of Dreams as the manifestation of one of my greatest dreams, no longer exists. Living Enrichment Center closed in 2004 in financial turmoil. For a long time, I was in deep despair over letting down so many people who believed in my ministry. At the same time I lost my ministry, I also lost my home, and made the painful decision to end my marriage. This failure took me to what I can only call a dark night of the soul. But it also taught me to find something greater than my pain. I learned that I lacked the power to make my despair go away. I realized that in the midst of my despair, I was being given an opportunity to reconstruct my internal life. And slowly, I did. And I allowed myself to dream again.

I feel fortunate that my career as an inspirational speaker and seminar leader is flourishing and grateful to my many friends who stood by me in the darkest time, including Mark Victor Hansen, Marianne Williamson, Bob Proctor, Michael Beckwith, and so many others, including board members and other staff who had been with me well over 10 years.

Recently, however, I have been concerned about misleading “articles” that have cropped up on Wikipedia and elsewhere surrounding the situation at our church. Initially, I didn't want to even acknowledge these “articles”. I know that while Wikipedia does contain many thoughtful, well-documented articles, it is a far cry from an actual encyclopedia.

Unlike content in traditional media or professional online sources, the information on Wikipedia is not verified. Anyone who wishes may post an “article”, even if the intent is to mislead rather than provide objective information.

A disgruntled former church employee created the Wikipedia post about me and the Living Enrichment Center. While the state of Oregon has laws that prevent me from disclosing the reasons for this individual's termination, I can say that we had to resort to police protection after he repeatedly disregarded orders to stay off church grounds or contact board members.

Some of the information on this site is true, some partially true, and some is patently false, creating a distorted perception that has the feel of authenticity. Getting false information removed from Wikipedia is a long, arduous process, and I hope my experience will spare others what I have been enduring.

Many who have attended my seminars have heard me speak openly about the closure of LEC. I have deep regret for my failings as a leader. After LEC closed, congregants lost their church home, staff members lost their jobs and people around the world lost a broadcast ministry. The spiritual experience of picking myself up after a very public and painful fall has been life-altering for me and given hope to many others who could not see a way past their own despair.

I appreciate hearing from any who have called the disturbing Internet material to my attention. While I have turned the matter over to my attorney, I did want to respond to questions that have arisen. From the beginning, I have tried to deal with this situation in an open, straightforward manner and will continue to do so.

Why was The Living Enrichment Center in debt?

In 1992, our church was looking for a new home. Church members voted to step out in faith, purchasing a 95.000 square foot building on 45 pristine acres in Wilsonville, Oregon. We funded that purchase with congregant loans, as many ministries do, but operating and refurbishing expenses quickly exceeded initial projections. About the time that we sought to refinance our mortgage through a bank, the county made a zoning change that dropped the value of our land nearly $5 million overnight. All our debt to equity ratios were no longer valid, and our refinance fell through. We had to extend all of our congregant loans instead.

What was the illegal activity and how was it discovered?

During this time, my former husband began to invest part of the church's assets in a for profit venture he had started called New Thought Broadcasting as a means of paying off the debt and as we would later discover, other ventures as well. My former husband, then a certified public accountant, was responsible for the church's finances. I knew that he had become depressed and erratic but did not know the extent of his illness. We later learned that he suffers from bipolar disorder. In his state of mind, I think he genuinely believed he was helping to save the church. While I was not involved in managing financial decisions, I did invite and allow congregants to loan and invest money in my ministry. As the spiritual leader of LEC, I misplaced my trust and failed to supervise the financial aspects of our church. I deeply regret that I did not give the same attention to financial matters that I did to spiritual and ministry concerns.

I had been spending a great deal of time on the road, but when my father was dying, I canceled my travel for eight weeks and stayed home. During that time I started opening mail, something I had gotten in the habit of leaving to my former husband during my long stretches away. I was shocked to discover that he had taken a second mortgage on our home. Over time as I started going through more papers and realized the church finances were also askew. I took the papers to outside accountants, who determined that the diversion of funds was commingling, which is illegal. With a heavy heart, I took the reports to the authorities. My former husband plead guilty to commingling and spent a year in federal prison. He took full responsibility for his actions. The church declared bankruptcy and closed in 2004. For my own health and wellbeing, I felt I could not stay in the marriage, and our divorce was finalized in 2006.

Will Living Enrichment Center congregants get their money back?

From the beginning of the investigation, I took the position that people did not loan money to the church, but to me personally. On advice of my attorney I declared bankruptcy and under federal law and had the option of discharging many of the debts. But I also wanted to find a system for repaying all the debt that had been subscribed to our ministry. I am grateful for the help I received from my attorneys and the State of Oregon in creating an escrow account for repayment. I felt people who had loaned and invested their money trusted me and it was up to me to make it right, to the best of my ability. I made an agreement with the State of Oregon to pay 15% of my 1099 income and 25% of any W2 income to retiring the debt until former congregants are repaid or for the next 20 years, whichever comes first. I am in full compliance with the letter and spirit of the agreement.

How has this experience changed you?

So, why would you listen to anything from someone who has “failed”? Because failure is often a better teacher than success. I, as have other women I have spoken with, acted like a little girl when it came to finances. I have certainly become more humble and compassionate for others and myself. I have learned to trust that “felt-sense” that notifies us when things are not right. I have come to see that among my many degrees and honors in higher learning, the two most important degrees are the two black belts I have earned: ONE IN SUCCESS AND ONE IN FAILURE.

I am grateful you took a moment to share my story and if you feel interested, go to my website and receive the complimentary Daily Dream Builder at www.MaryMorrissey.com

All the best to you,

Mary Manin Morrissey

About Mary Morrissey

Mary Morrissey is an internationally acclaimed inspirational leader and speaker who travels the globe as president of LifeSOULutions LLC. Mary has addressed the United Nations on multiple occasions as the National Co-Chair for A Season of Nonviolence and has worked in tangent with His Holiness The Dalai Lama and other world leaders on world peace. Along with Dr. Michael Beckwith, Mary was appointed to the executive Parliament of the Parliament of World Religions. An ordained minister for over 30 years, Mary has been inducted into the Martin Luther King Order of Preachers at Morehouse College. Mary co-founded The Association for Global New Thought, where she served as president for five years. Her popular books, Building Your Field of Dreams and No Less Than Greatness have helped tens of thousands of readers to unleash their spiritual potential and bring their dreams to life. Mary was the spiritual leader for one of the nation's largest New Thought congregations, Living Enrichment Center, until its closure in 2004. Her sermons were broadcast to more than 100 countries each week. A wife and mother to four grown children as well as five stepchildren, Mary enjoys spending time with her family, which include eight grandchildren.