Global Community Communications Alliance
Global Community Communications Alliance (GCCA), formerly the Aquarian Concepts Community, is a church and religious organization originally founded in 1989 in Prescott, Arizona by Anthony J. Delevin (publicly known as Gabriel of Urantia and formerly called Gabriel of Sedona). It is based in the town of Sedona, Arizona, with religious order members living in residential homes spread around the greater Sedona area. It is led to this day by Gabriel and Niann (born Nancy Chase), with a board of elders and assistants. Gabriel and Niann together hold the "Mandate of the Bright and Morning Star".
Gabriel was born on July 5, 1946, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He studied theology at Duquesne University, and at the time was involved with the Catholic Charismatic Movement. He left his theology studies for full-time street ministry serving alcoholics, [...] addicts, and the homeless, opening a halfway house known as Sonlight Ministries on 4th Avenue in Tucson, Arizona. Over the course of many years, Gabriel spent time in several different monasteries. Gabriel began his music career singing as a youth on street corners and professionally in the 1960s, but failed to achieve commercial success because he refused to change his spiritual lyrics for a record contract with a major label. Nonetheless, he has to date released 18 singles, 5 full length albums, 3 music videos, and an award winning live concert DVD.
In his autobiography, The Divine New Order, Gabriel writes that in previous times his soul was in the Apostle Peter, St. Francis of Assisi, King Arthur, Martin Luther, Alexander the Great, and George Washington, among others. He states that he had difficulty accepting this information when it was given to him, "…it was easier for me to accept that I was an unbalanced chief called Sumbae, in Arizona, 6000 years ago, because I see all the imperfections in my character."
The foundational teachings of the church are based on elements from The Urantia Book, as well as the Cosmic Family volumes. According to The Cosmic Family, Volume I, "Starseed" is the name describing older souls with a point of origin from distant planets in another universe who are repersonalized on Earth. Some starseed may find work and life on Earth (also called Urantia) difficult. New Souls or First Time Urantians are just beginning their universe career. Therefore, new souls are spiritually less experienced. Some members of GCCA are given new spiritual names.
Since its creation GCCA has founded 3 non-profit companies, and many outreach ministries including Spirit Steps Tours, Global Change Multimedia, Future Studios, The Alternative Voice, Cathedral Rock Lodge & Retreat Center, the Starseed and Urantian Schools of Melchizedek.
Media interest in the group began in 1996, when it was first featured on an Italian television show. Then after the sensationalized media frenzy over the 1997 Heaven’s Gate tragedy, this religious community along with other post-1965 "new religious movements" fell under increased media scrutiny.
In April 2007, the Sedona Red Rock News published a month-long series of stories about the group's purchase of a large piece of property in Tumacacori, Arizona and possible move from Sedona. The paper also covered the group's activities and discussed lawsuits and accusations of cult-like behavior with former and current members. The Arizona Newspapers Association awarded Sedona Red Rock News the 2007 Community Service/Journalistic Achievement Award for the series. ANA judges stated, "[The] Sedona Red Rock News courageously exposed a cult apparently exploiting its members. It tried to do so without bias, even reporting ... accusations that it was biased.... This sparked a long-overdue community debate about the organization." The Sedona Red Rock News won awards for its coverage of GCCA as its sources consisted mostly of former and then-current community members, an undercover source within the cult and various cult experts.