James Ellison was a preacher from Texas who in 1971 founded Zarephath-Horeb, a peaceful fundamentalist Christian group, in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. He eventually adopted Christian Identity, a race-based theology, and changed the name of his group to the Covenant, the Sword, and the Arm of the Lord (CSA). Ellison and antigovernment Christian survivalist groups such as the Christian Patriots Defense League eventually turned the CSA's 224-acre compound into a training camp for white supremacists.

By 1982, Ellison, who was calling himself King James of the Ozarks, had about 150 followers. This number decreased dramatically that year when he announced that he would take a second (polygamous) wife. In the debate over polygamy, Ellison made clear that he would act against the wishes of the other [Page 123]church elders; in response, almost two-thirds of the congregation defected because they regarded Ellison's actions ...