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Rasa von Werder

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Rasa von Werder (born Kellie Everts in 1945) is a former stripper and female bodybuilder, and founder of her own church.

Early life

Everts was born in 1945 in Calv near Stuttgart, the state capital of Baden-Wurttemburg in West Germany. Her family had fled from Lithuania to escape the Communist take-over. In June 1949, Kellie and her family moved to the United States and when she was eight years old they settled on a farm in New Jersey.

"The Stripper for God"

Blessed with a beautiful body, which she nurtured by lifting weights from age of eighteen, Kellie won the titles of Miss Nude Universe in February, 1968, and Ms. Body Beautiful in 1974. She later made nine appearances (with three major articles) in Playboy. She also became an exotic dancer.

She emerged in 1973 with the novel idea, that a woman in the adult trade, a stripper, could also be a minister and save souls. As a stripper Kellie attracted attention but it was the combination of Stripper and evangelical religious conviction which led to the creation of the "Stripper for God"[1]. It was the unique combination of "Saint and Sinner" which caught people's imaginations. It was more than unusual to watch a strip show and then have your stripper give a sermon and hand out religious literature after the show.

Media Coverage

Everts attracted considerable publicity and traveled the United States and Canada , giving over 1,000 sermons in burlesque theaters and nightclubs. By the early 70's Kellie was becoming well known nationally with articles about her in national and local Media; Washington Post[2], Washington Star, San Francisco Chronicle[3], New York Daily News [4], and many other US newspapers.

Her travels to Canada and a single trip to the UK resulted in many media articles about this unique personality in international publications; UK (TidBits[5], SHE Magazine[6]) Germany (Express[7], Stern[8], TV Zeitung[9]), Canada (Montreal Star[10], Journal de Montreal[11], Toronto Sun[12], Ottawa Citizen[13]) as well as articles in the Italian, Dutch and Spanish media.

Later Kellie changed the emphasis of her mission to the return of Matriarchy and the Feminine Divine. The high point of her ministry was the preaching of the Our Lady of Fatima message [2], with the aim of bringing about the conversion of Russia, in front of the White House on June 16 1978, and reported next day in the Washington Post[14].

Bodybuilding

In the dawn of modern female bodybuilding, Kellie became a vocal advocate of the concept of female bodybuilding with appearances in print, Esquire and Playboy, and TV media. Her first major article was a six page spread in the July Esquire. Even Playboy's May 1977 decision to use photos of Kellie's bikini falling off while lifting weights helped to garner attention for the concept of female bodybuilding. Television appearances included Mike Douglas 1975, To Tell the Truth 1975, Real People 1979, and Tom Snyder, each time involving the promotion of the concept.

Kellie participated successfully in various events sponsored by the IFBB and WBBG [3] in the seventies:

  • Ms Nude Universe 1968, featured in Playboy Feb. 1968
  • Ms Body Beautiful USA 1973 2nd Place, World Body Building Guild, New York
  • Ms Body Beautiful USA 1974 1st Place , World Body Building Guild, New York
  • IFBB Ms Americana 2nd place & Best Body, 1972, Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York
  • IFBB Ms. Americana 1973 , CA . ‘Most Voluptuous’ Trophy, Contest Promoted by Reg & Shari Lewis.
  • IFBB Ms. Americana 1974, 2nd Place Trophy and Best Body Trophy, Felt Forum, New York

It is difficult to name the point at which the modern era began, but 1980 can be seen as a very important year in which the National Physique Committee(NPC) held the first women's Nationals, and the first Ms. Olympia took place. This 1980 Ms. Olympia, in which Kellie took part as a competitor, was at the same time Kellie's last public involvement with bodybuilding competition. There was recognition for Kellie for her early advocacy of female bodybuilding in the official 1980 Ms Olympia Program which stated:

She may well be called the "Herald" of women's bodybuilding as she exhibited her weightlifting prowess for national magazines and television shows as early as 1975.

Everts trained hard for the 1981 competition but was barred from entering the Caesar's Palace Boardwalk Regency IFBB competition in Atlantic City.[15]. Kellie arrived and picketed them in a white bikini, speaking for 30 minutes on a radio show. Kellie's last move in bodybuilding came in 1981 with the publication by Leitner Enterprises of "The Ultimate Woman", a female Bodybuilding book advertised for a week on the Phil Donohue Show, and for which she appeared with Lisa Lyon on the Tom Snyder Show that same year.

On February 2, 2007 the WBBG (World Body Building Guild)[4] gave recognition to her role as an early advocate with the award of "Progenitor" of female Bodybuilding and in August 2007 inducted her into their Hall of Fame.[5]

Rasa von Werder

On May 24, 2004, Kellie, under her present name Rasa von Werder or GuruRasa of the Church of MotherGod, started the Woman Thou Art God Website [6] . She has since developed an extensive Internet presence to pursue her religious mission and authored six books on the subject of Matriarchy and Spirituality.

Today Kellie lives on a 50 acre farm complete with 5 acre island on the Susquehanna River near the Catskills.

General

References

  1. ^ "The Press", Binghampton Feb 2 1979
  2. ^ "Washington Post",June. 16 1978
  3. ^ "SF Chronicle", June 1978 "God told her to strip"
  4. ^ "NY Daily News", Sept. 1973 "Stripper mixes Spiritual Light and Spotlight"
  5. ^ Tidbits Jan 2-8 1975 "Hot-Gospel Stripper finds it cool in Britain"
  6. ^ SHE Magazine "Bird of Pray"
  7. ^ "The Express", Oct. 8 1979 "Ihr grosses Vorbild war Josephine Baker"
  8. ^ "Stern", Nov. 1974 "Personalien"
  9. ^ TV Zeitung Nr.47 "Die Pastorin, die nachts in einer bar heisse Tänze zeigt"
  10. ^ "Montreal Star", Nov. 18 1977 "Stripper peals for Church"
  11. ^ "Journal de Montreal", July 13 1978 "Une Effeuilleuse amasse des Fonds pour batir une Chapelle"
  12. ^ "Toronto Sun",April 3 1979, Jan 17 1985 "The Lord moves in mysterious ways"
  13. ^ "Ottawa Citizen",Aug1 1978 " 'God's strip dancer' to shed on Hill"
  14. ^ Washington Post Style Section "The Spirit moves Her", Jan. 17 1978
  15. ^ See [1] for a photocopy from the Philadelphia Journal by Terry Brennan, Journal Reporter regarding this incident
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