Glastonbury's Buddha Maitreya Soul Therapy Centre is once again at the centre of controversy, only months after Avon and Somerset Police intervened over the display of homophobic posters in the shop window.

The premises, part of a wider organisation led by Ronald Lloyd Spencer—also known as Buddha Maitreya or Jesus the Christ—has once again drawn attention, this time for broadcasting a video that included hate speech against the LGBTQ+ community.

The messages displayed in the Soul Therapy Centre in Glastonbury and shared on Facebook. We've blurred out the contents to avoid spreading the hateful message further.

Background on Ronald Lloyd Spencer and his organisation

Ronald Lloyd Spencer, born on July 19, 1951, in Oregon, U.S., claims to be the reincarnation of multiple spiritual figures.

He has assumed a plethora of aliases, ranging from Archangel Michael to Tulku Buddha Maitreya Rinpoche, and Lama Dorje Buddha Maitreya Jesus Archangel Michael, among others. The Buddha Maitreya Soul Therapy Centre in Glastonbury is part of a larger network that includes the Shambala Healing Tools and Monastery, headquartered in Kelseyville, California.

His teachings focus on something called The Noosphere, which he says is the next stage in the evolution of human consciousness. The Noosphere can be accessed through geomancy and tools, designed and created by Spencer, which can be bought from his website or the Glastonbury branches. They range from £265 for a 'child size' meditation vajra to over £84.000 for a gold meditation pyramid system.

He has been found 'responsible' for spiritual fraud by the Maitreya Buddhist Community, despite his claims about his identity, the Dalai Llama has not recognised him, and there are numerous allegations about his operations swirling around the internet.

The centre is a registered charity, called the New Group of World Servers Trust Fund, which reported a total income: £447,237 and expenditure of £448,887 in 2022.

An ongoing investigation

A police spokesperson said: "Police are investigating after a report of a hate incident in Glastonbury. On Tuesday 29 August officers were contacted by a member of the public reporting that a premises in the High Street was screening a video which included homophobic hate speech. Officers have spoken with shop staff and are investigating a public order offence."

Beyond Glastonbury: Concerns in Omaha

But the issue seems to extend beyond Glastonbury. A Reddit post suggests that people living near the Omaha, U.S. centre are similarly appalled by the messages Spencer has been spreading.

Previous incidents and community resolution

In May, the Buddha Maitreya Soul Therapy Centre faced complaints over homophobic posters displayed in their shop window.

Avon and Somerset Police were involved, and the Centre agreed to a community resolution, which included taking down the offensive materials and issuing an apology.