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Elohim City, Oklahoma
Private community
A sign warning the public
A sign warning the public
Elohim City, Oklahoma is located in Oklahoma
Elohim City, Oklahoma
Elohim City, Oklahoma
Location in Oklahoma
Elohim City, Oklahoma is located in the United States
Elohim City, Oklahoma
Elohim City, Oklahoma
Location in the United States
Country  United States
State  Oklahoma
County Adair
Founded 1973
Founded by Robert G. Millar
Area
 • Total 200 ha (400 acre)
Elevation
390 m (1,270 ft)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code
74960
Area codes 918, 539
GNIS feature ID 2806997

Elohim City (also known as Elohim City Inc. or Elohim Village) is a private community located in Adair County, Oklahoma, United States. This 400-acre (about 1.6 square kilometers) rural area was started in 1973 by Robert G. Millar. He was a Canadian immigrant and a former Mennonite. Millar was also a key leader in America's Christian Identity movement. This is a religious belief system found in some right-wing groups. The community became known nationally in the 1980s and 1990s. This was due to its connections with certain groups and individuals.

The community has about a dozen buildings. Some are mobile homes, and others are modern dome-shaped houses. The main gathering place is the church-community center. Residents meet there for an hour each morning.

Robert G. Millar passed away on May 28, 2001. His second-oldest son, John Millar, then became the leader of Elohim City. John Millar died on February 28, 2019.

History of Elohim City

Robert G. Millar
Born
Robert Grant Millar

(1925-08-16)August 16, 1925
Died May 28, 2001(2001-05-28) (aged 75)
Elohim City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Other names
  • Grandpa Millar
  • Rev. Millar
Occupation
Children 8

Robert G. Millar moved from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, to Oklahoma City in the 1950s. There, he started a church. In the mid-1960s, Millar moved to Maryland. He ran an evangelical camp near Ellicott City. This camp was on Frederick Road in Howard County. It was located where St. Charles College, a Catholic school, once stood.

In 1973, Millar returned to Oklahoma. He brought about 18 followers with him. Some of these followers were family members. Together, they founded Elohim City.

Community Life and Beliefs

The community is managed by a group of leaders called "elders." These elders form a board of directors.

How Elohim City Earns Money

According to Robert Millar, Elohim City has a small sawmill. They also run a trucking business on their land. Millar's son, Bruce, owns many large trucks. He leases these trucks to a company that moves goods and materials.

Religious Practices

ElohimCitySign
A sign at the entrance to Elohim City.

The faith practiced at Elohim City is strongly based on the Old Testament of the Bible. Residents attend religious services every day. Singing and dancing are important parts of these ceremonies. The services are held in a meeting center. This center has a domed roof made of a material called polyurethane.

About 60% of the community's residents go to these daily meetings. They last one to two hours. During these meetings, people also share announcements or discuss community matters. Saturday is observed as the community's day of rest.

Community Monitoring

The U.S. government has watched this private community since the 1980s. This is because of its connections with various groups.

Recent Times

By 2023, local people saw Elohim City as a small religious town. Its past connections were less emphasized.

Population of Elohim City

The exact number of people living in Elohim City is not known. In the 1990s, estimates suggested between 70 and 90 residents.

In 2015, it was thought that about 100 people lived there. Most of these residents were descendants of Robert Millar.

The Millar Family

Robert Millar had eight children in total. All four of his sons live at Elohim City.

  • Dorcas Millar is the wife of John Millar.
  • Lorraine Allen Millar was the wife of the community's founder, Robert Millar.

Other People Connected to Elohim City

Many other individuals have stayed or lived at Elohim City. Some of these people later became known in national news. These include:

  • Rokus den Hartog, who was a close follower of Millar. He lived there with his family for a few years.
  • George Eaton, who started The Present Truth Ministries. He also published a newsletter.
  • James Ellison, a leader of a group called The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord.
  • Michael J. Fortier, who was an army friend of Timothy McVeigh.
  • Carol Howe, who worked undercover in Elohim City for a government agency.
  • Chevie Kehoe, who was a self-proclaimed white supremacist.
  • Willie Ray Lampley, a self-proclaimed prophet and leader of a militia group. He was friends with Robert Millar.
  • Dennis Mahon, a former leader in the Oklahoma Ku Klux Klan.
  • Kerry Noble, who was second-in-command of The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord.
  • Zera Patterson IV.
  • Andreas Strassmeir, a German immigrant who was in charge of security at Elohim City.
  • Pete Ward Jr.
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