Spirit of the Lotus
Church and School of Wisdom
One God, One Love, One Eternal Life
Rev. Tara Lang is the President, co-founder, head teacher and head minister of the Spirit of the Lotus. She graduated from the University of Southern California in 1969 with a Bachelor of Music. A vision of a great retreat center and Crystal City of Light came to her in 1989 where people of all religious faiths and beliefs could retreat, worship and congregate. She was ordained as a Minister in 1984 from the Church of Revelation, and thereafter received her Doctor of Divinity degree and a Credential of Ministry from the Assemblies of God World Conference on March 24, 1989 and April 20, 1989 respectively. Her mission is to train teachers, healers and ministers to disseminate the ancient Wisdoms and Universal Spiritual Teachings and to help prepare them to serve God and humanity compassionately and responsibly. Rev. Lang provides spiritual counseling and aura readings for people throughout North America, India, Asia and Europe.
Rev. Joseph Marc Cowden is the Treasurer and co-founder of the Spirit of the Lotus. He graduated from Princeton University in 1989, and subsequently spent a year as a VISTA Volunteer (the domestic version of the Peace Corps) where he created and supervised a program to assist low-income seniors, receiving an award for outstanding service to the Los Gatos Community in 1990. He thereafter attended Santa Clara University School of Law, graduating in 1993. Rev. Cowden has been a minister since 2001 and later became ordained by the Spirit of the Lotus in 2012. He recently authored The 7 Utterances of Christ on the Cross, A Guide for Living Rightly and Ascension, a booklet which reveals the spiritual meaning of Christ’s last words, how they form a bridge between Eastern and Western religious traditions, and how they can lead you on the path to enlightenment. This work has already received positive reviews from across the religious spectrum, with praise on a number of accounts.
Rev. Lotus Smith is the Secretary and minister for Spirit of the Lotus, and was ordained in 2012. Rev. Smith is an elementary teacher in New Mexico with an MBA from the University of New Mexico. She has primarily worked in high need schools serving low income families, English language learners and migrant students. She holds a yoga certification and has offered classes to students, teachers and congregation members. In addition, Rev. Smith studies sustainable building practices and energy management. She is dedicated to teaching people how to grow their own food, and exercising for health. From an early age, she traveled throughout North America, Japan and Europe to broaden her global knowledge. She currently bases her ministry out of New Mexico, regularly partnering with community leaders to explore diverse and creative ways of serving others.