Divine, Father (1880?-1965), was an African American religious leader and the founder of the Peace Mission Movement. The movement worked to end poverty, racial discrimination, and war. Father Divine had a luxurious life style and was often criticized for it. But his goals, spiritual leadership, and generosity attracted support in cities throughout the United States.
Father Divine’s real name was George Baker. He was born in Georgia, but little else is known about his early life. In 1915, he opened his first church in New York City and soon took the name Major J. Devine. His followers, known as angels, were encouraged to live together in houses called heavens and to contribute their incomes to the Peace Mission Movement. During the Great Depression, grocery stores and other businesses owned by the movement provided food, clothing, and other goods to the poor at little or no cost. Devine’s followers began to regard him as God and called him Father Divine. After he died on Sept. 10, 1965, interest in the movement declined sharply.
