The Board of Directors of the Essene Church of Peace are part of the core group of the School of Life and Shanti Yoga Ashram, whose members live a communal life in two residences located close to downtown Bethesda ('House of Mercy' in Hebrew) at both sides, -East and West - of the Crescent Trail that surrounds Washington DC. Inspired by The Essene Gospel of Peace, discovered in the secret archives of the Vatican (discovery of the Essene Gospels) and translated from the Aramaic by Edmond Bordeaux, Szekely. The Progressive, Ecologicial, & Alternative Church of the Essenes dba as The Essene Church of Peace was incorporated in July of 2006 in the state of Maryland as a 501(c)(3) non profit organization. The members of the community traveling the path patiently and methodically—quenching their thirst for truth from the springs of wisdom of the ancient Yoga teachings, the Vedas, and scriptures from different religions and traditions — recognized that the time has come again for the Star of Bethlehem to shine its light of wisdom from the East to the West, to dispel the darkness that is obscuring the vision of The Divine.　The mission of the Essene Brotherhood in ancient times was, to prepare the way for such an advent, which mission was fulfilled by St. John the Baptist.

According to ancient traditions the Masculine Energy received into the planet by the Himalayan mountains has now completed its phase. With the advent of the Age of Aquarius, as it is called in the West, or Dwapara Yoga, as it is known in the East, it is time for the Andes range to take that role, facilitating the advent of the Feminine Energy. We are conscious of the part that each individual needs to play in the process of creation and are ready to assume and share that responsibility, and welcome all those who likewise feel called to do so. Among the main veils that need to be removed are recovering the ancient teachings of reincarnation, the Law of Karma, the difference between materialistic science and spiritual science and life after life, which corroborate our mission of bringing together the East and the West.

The practice and teaching of Yoga and the Essene way of life, with an emphasis on service or Karma Yoga, are the foci of the community.

We consider the Essene Gospel of Peace the foundation of the teachings for the church. This website is arranged in such a way as to make these teachings accessible to all and at the same time to describe the ways in which the community is benefiting from both the theory and practice of these teachings. This is so even though modern times present quite different conditions than those in which the Gospels were transmitted, which can many times lead to social issues and conflict with present day regulations.

The church is ecumenical and interfaith extending this principle to include every form of worship and/or way of thinking sustained by the principle that without any exception we are all Brothers and Sisters of the one human family, children of the same Heavenly Father and Earthly Mother or Mother Earth to whom we owe honor and respect. This we express on a daily basis by ourmorning communal prayers and practice of Karma Yoga. The church is guided by the teachings of Christ that are in themselves universal and all inclusive, whose main message is the practice of LOVE. Here is meant Love expressed in actions more than words; in the way we live our lives; more than what we say about them; Love expressed in acts of charity; in sharing, cooperating and caring for one another to create a society based on real values that can become a reflection of the Kingdom of God. A fundamental practice within the church is to seek to attain peace through non violence thus establishing Ahimsa (nonviolence) based on love.