[1] The operations of the city have been characterized as "a carefully-devised large-scale platform for securities fraud..."[2] His lieutenant initiated an investigation of business practices and deposed him from leadership in 1905.

He took various other jobs, advancing to a position as confidential clerk for the resident partner of a firm that was doing a business of $2 million a year.

After Dowie completed his theological studies, he returned to Australia and was ordained in 1872 as pastor of a Congregational church at Alma (near Hamley Bridge).

After his authoritarian leadership led to a split in the church, Dowie was fined and jailed for more than a month for leading unauthorized processions.

This insured building then burned down in a suspicious fire that the pro-temperance Dowie blamed on "pro[-]liquor interests".

[8][9] Dowie established the Free Christian Church of Melbourne in 1883, which he pastored until he left with his family for the U.S.A. by New Zealand in March 1888.

When Dowie toured New Zealand again early in 1888 on his way to America, he established The Christchurch Association for the Promotion of Healing through Faith in Jesus, with Abbott as its founding secretary.

Although Dowie funded his lifestyle largely through tithes, he also liked to buy up securities of bankrupt companies and sell them to his members.

[15] In 1896 Dowie disbanded the International Divine Healing Association to form the Christian Catholic Church in Zion.

[17] With a following of some approximately 6,000, he sought land north of Chicago and secretly bought a large amount of real estate.

He established a theocratic political and economic structure and prohibited smoking, drinking, eating pork, and the practice of any form of modern medicine.

Zion has been characterized as "a carefully-devised large-scale platform for securities fraud requiring significant organizational, legal, and propagandistic preparation to carry out.

[18] The entire structure of Zion was continually in debt, and eventually crashed as Dowie became increasingly senile and unable to handle his affairs.T.

and journalist, wrote of Dowie: The one incomprehensible element in the man's gigantic success is the personal luxury in which he lives, and his superb refusal at the same time to account for any of the sums of money entrusted to him.

His horses are worth a fortune in themselves; his carriages are emblazoned with armorial bearings; his wife is said to dress with the gorgeous extravagance of an empress.

When he travels, hemmed round with a little army of servants, the prophet of humility and self-denial has a special train chartered, and whenever the spiritual burdens become too great a tax there is a delightful country residence belonging to him in which to retreat from the clamour and importunate appeals of the faithful.

Dowie attempted to recover his authority through litigation, but he was ultimately forced to retire and accept an allowance, which was paid until his death in 1907.

[26] Though Dowie did not visit South Africa, his emissary Daniel Bryant between 1904 and 1908 established churches at Wakkerstroom and on the Witwatersrand.

In 1902, Ahmad invited Dowie to a contest, proposing a "prayer duel" between the two in which both would pray to God that whichever of them was false in his prophetic claim die within the lifetime of the truthful.

[32][33][31] The challenge attracted some media attention in the United States and was advertised by a number of American newspapers at the time which portrayed the contest as one between two eccentric religious figures.