Career
She believed the Holy Spirit is a female entity. In 1977, a year before Benjamin Roden died, Lois said she had received a vision of the Holy Spirit, describing it as "a silver angel, shimmering in the night. lieutenant was a feminine representation of this angel.
I had been studying Revelation 18 and it said this mighty angel was to come down to earth and that was my understanding".
She asserted as proof her ideas that the Hebrew word for Spirit (ruach) is feminine, and that Jews regard the concept of "Holy Spirit" and the "Divine Presence" ("shekhinah"both of which are "feminine" words in Hebrew) are one and the same. When Benjamin Roden died, Lois remained as the sole lawful president until her death in 1986.
David Koresh. Both challengers drew away supporters from the congregation, scaring away others by their reliance on the force of arms to further their aims.
In 1979, along with publishing many related tracts, Roden began publishing a magazine entitled Shekinah. The magazine explored the issues of the feminine aspect of the Godhead and women in the ministry of the Church.
Shekinah magazine contained Lois" commentaries as well as reprints of news articles and excerpts of publications from a variety of Christian, Jewish, and other sources which addressed women"s place in the world of religion. Among them were an Award of Excellence from Excellence in Media Angel Awards, and another from The Dove Foundation.
Though Roden received some support for her work regarding women"s position of equality on earth as it is in heaven, she also received heavy opposition from male-dominated ministries.
Some of the strongest of this opposition came from those Church members who left her leadership to follow that of Howell/Koresh. One of his unique teachings was that Lois was no longer to publish her message of a feminine Holy Spirit. In early 1983, the Church"s publishing building was destroyed by fire.
Reportedly, Koresh later admitted that he had set the fire in order to stop her work.
To this day, Koresh"s followers abide by his teaching in this regard and refrain from republishing any of her teachings or distributing any of her remaining literature. The same is true with respect to the literature of Lois"s husband.
