2001 - Active with Unity congregation of Boulder ____________________________________
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Carrie Franks emerged from the suburbs of Denver upon high school graduation, to join the lifestyle of the "Rainbow Family Nation" in around 1995.

She wore dreadlocked hair and baggy overalls. Living in the forests for some time west of Boulder, Colorado within the hills on the Eastern side of the Great Divide. Up there around mile marker 32 or so on the western route through Nederland, there is this vacant land space, which the "Family" had used for years; and is still in use today, despite local legislation to close the area to camping.

Up there in 1996, Carrie boarded the great kitchen bus named: "Have a Beautiful Day Cafe. A bus that would travel all around the country, to "Rainbow Family" gatherings feeding the truant and vagabond youth, who were the "Hippie" children of the `90's.

The "Cafe" heldout a long stay at this rendezvous campground and Carrie was a star attraction for the kids. Bringing food donations up from the City of Boulder and cooking them up, mostly breakfast and coffee and bakery items.

In the Springtime of 1996, the Sacred Herb Church was at a populace high and already staging public forums in front of the County Courthouse,and Settler's Park, now invaded Boulder's downtown "Central Park" for the long stay throughout the summer. The people would come each sunday to participate in this open forum, but always looked forward to Carrie standing up and speaking. At each services close, Carrie would always be found negotiating with the raging Reverend Mike Domangue, to find ways upon improving the gathering so that it would pull the people closer together.

After a while the Reverend Mike Domangue became so obsessed with "crushing Babylon" that he began to appear militant and seemingly tried to incite a riot. He was also accused of staging a bomb scare to appear as an assasination attempt upon himself. His claims were that the police were harrassing his followers one day, and a decoy had to be established to protect his people. Carrie Franks and the majority of the Church, who were mostly "Rainbow" at that time, escaped to the hills to hold their own community with Cannabis Sacrament away from the infamous Domangue.

So now two congregations of the Sacred Herb Church were in effect. Domangue and mostly the Vietnam Vet contingent in Central Park, and the kids up in Settler's Park.

Carrie was not alone in leading the groups. A selection of youth who would eventually rise to notariety all took part in their sessions.

Rev. Domangue eventually brought his group up to Settler's Park to rejoin the kids, yet the kids quickly dispersed over the course of a couple of services leaving Domangue with a crumbled tabernacle.

Carrie Franks continued with "Have a Beautiful Day Cafe" and the "Rainbow" and didnot come around the Church for another couple of seasons.

Mike Domangue left the Church to his Successor Rev.Ev. and disappeared claiming the Feds were now after him (not unimaginable, but never proven) Then the Government put the pressure on Evan and took away his child. He then resigned, without notice and then one of the Youths rising to notariety named Sky Makai and a thirty-something newcomer (summer of `96 arrival) from New York named Joshua simply facilitated the sessions placing no claim upon leadership. Eventually Joshua was place upon a pedistal and named leader by the reshaped congregation and held reign for 10 months (winter-autumn 1997).

During this period Joshua found Carrie and pleaded for her return, so anamoured by her skillful hand in bringing about togetherness, especially among the Sisters. The Church became moe humble and gathered in an "out of the public eye" space called Canyon Park and all attendees sitting in a circle had a couple of hours of open forum. Carrie was the mid-point speaker and always gave a wonderful heartfelt talk bringin tears of both sadness and joy to everyone.

She eventually brought this beautiful Chow Dog to all services which everyone loved, and the one day announced: "A child is coming!"

Carrie Franks was a key speaker during the 1997 420 High Holiday Celebration back in "Central Park". It is to her credit that we held such a large reunion of 312 people. The previous summer she had spread the word among the traveling contingent of the "Rainbow" to return to Boulder on 4/20/97.

Joshua started upon other agenda and needed surrogates to facilitate Church. He went to meet the hierarchy of Universal Life Church which the SHC was affiliated with. So Carrie Facilitated a few services.

Both Carrie and Joshua were not ordained Ministers until that summer of 1997. They each received ordination through Universal Life Church.

Finally, the Church came to a crash when the United States Supreme Court repealed the protectorate law of the Church: the RFRA Religious Freedom Restoration Act. There were sessions until October, yet most people dispersed and the "Rainbow" faction had already hit the road again upon Mother's Day. The Sherriffshad put surveillance upon Joshua when he changed his name to Jahn Kefa and put a bid in, to run for Boulder City Council. Church was now over as soon as Joshua stepped down upon this confrontation. He had tried to turn it over to Carrie as his successor but she declined.

Joshua, now Jahn Kefa lost the election, and then applied for a Ministry license through the State of Colorado and a Congregation Status through Universal Life Church. He needed two other signees, So Carrie Franks, now the Reverend Carrie Franks signed on as Treasurer, and the well known Reverend Rebecca a.k.a. Otilia H. Wilkie signed on as Secretary. This new ministry became "Hand-to-Mouth Ministries-ULC" and combined forces with a "Hippie" outfit named L.O.V.E. Productions and produced the 1998 "420" Reunion in Boulder's Central Park with official license from the City.

Carrie had just had her baby and became more of a silent partner in this process. The "420" was called "Sowing Seeds" Festival and filled the park for two days full of live stage performance, rock concerts, raves, a craftsmarket, and the Grand Finale' of a live amplified version of a Sacred Herb Church Reunion led by the eventual successor the Reverend Lo. Carrie attended the festivities but was mostly tending to her baby.

Hand-to-Mouth Ministries continued projects with free meals in the park. Carrie took time off to establish a household for herself and her child. Communication with Carrie was lost for a while, but recently resurfaced in 2000, when Brother Sky Makai met her again to find her now active with UNITY - A universal congregation in Boulder led by the renowned Pastor "Jack Groverland"

"So let us give our thanks to Carrie Franks.
A Sister to love, and a lover of all;
A wonderful woman who stands true to the heart of God,
and who remains standing when the walls of the church around her fall!"