Cole-Whittaker became familiar with what she called the "Principals of Prosperity" through the actions of a teacher in high school.
[2] Her celebrity parishioners included Gavin MacLeod, Linda Gray, Lily Tomlin, and Eydie Gormé.
[4] Despite raising $6 million in 1984, her ministry raked in a debt of around $900,000 in 1985,[3] prompting her to cease production of the Emmy award winning television show and leave her congregation during Easter.
[5][6] By October, she had created a new Foundation, Adventures in Enlightenment, which organized tours to meet with her one-on-one in exotic locations, e.g., Machu Picchu, the Himalayas.
[5] The Foundation later purchased land in Washington to build a retreat center and start an organic farm.