Klemp rarely sees or meets with any of his chelas and mostly just attends one or two large seminars per year, where he sits up on a stage and delivers a sermon for 45 minutes. One year, claiming ill health, he simply appeared on a wide screen TV in the auditorium. This is the extent of the "personal relationship" Eck chelas receive from their master.

Below him are the functionaries that comprise the board of directors - rumored to be little more than window dressing and having no real power in Klemp's domain. Darwin Gross makes the claim that Klemp dissolved the working board of past administrations and today is sole owner of Eckankar, and accountable to nobody. If true, this would make Mr. Klemp a millionaire many times over. Not a bad gig.

A small army of priests exists - 5th initiates and higher (roughly 15 - 30) years of membership) who act as regional gauleiters. Their job is to coordinate all Eck activities in their specified locale. In actuality, they're largely engaged in recruitment practices and are continually putting on public introductory lectures, book discussion groups, etc. A little-known aspect of their position is to act very much as spies. They gather information on chelas in their area and forward it to headquarters in Minneapolis. A student's next initiation may well depend on whether the local priest likes or dislikes them. Some members who have made the mistake of criticizing Eckankar have found themselves tossed out of the organization - never knowing how headquarters found out about their sin of questioning.

In recent years, Eckankar built an $8 million temple just outside Minneapolis, Minnesota from proceeds from one of its occasional donation drives. A number of other states have been conducting donation drives over the years, with a plan for building more and more Eck temples. Keep in mind early Eckists under Twitchell and Gross were taught that the only temple they needed was "the temple within". Under Klemp, apparently, the temple within isn't sufficient.

At the lowest end of the totem pole are the members, although lowly 2nd initiates (two years of paid membership) are taught that they have already surpassed Jesus, Buddha, Krishna and all other earlier men of God who have walked the earth. Quite a heady trip! They are taught that the highest initiation level they can ever reach while in this world is the 8th, which is convenient for limiting competition to Klemp. It also means there is no Graduation Day for eckists. Once in, forever in. Some simply subscribe to the monthly discourses and study alone, while others are extremely active in spreading the word of Eck. The membership is woefully ignorant of what goes on at higher levels in the organization, and asking questions is guaranteed to bring censure or loss of membership, in some instances.

The typical member is also involved in recruitment, in that they are regularly encouraged to wait for a likely opportunity in a conversation to "talk up" their religion. They also buy extra copies of Eck books and pamphlets to "accidentally" leave lying around in public places. They are encouraged to donate Eckankar books to local libraries and putting up big billboards alongside highways has happened, too. Letters To A Chela, one of the early discourse series, suggested many ways Eckists could "infiltrate" (Twitchell's word) other groups and quietly spread the word of Eckankar. They publically claim they aren't interested in recruiting more members, but their actions tell a much different story. Much energy and time is exerted to promote Eckankar. Although they haven't yet been required to go around neighborhoods knocking on doors, some people speculate that's bound to come about sooner or later.

The surprising thing about Eckankar members is how little they know about the history and goings-on of their own religion and how little curiosity they show towards it. It makes Klemp's job of rewriting that history so much easier. A lot of this has to do with Klemp's nearly 20 years of getting rid of the most revealing books and audio tapes and the rewriting of many of the remaining books. In most instances, they passively accept what's told to them in the official mailings, discourses and books. Although Eckists (as they call themselves) are tongue-in-cheek encouraged to be doubtful and always question, very few do, as to do so usually incurs the wrath of a "higher initiate" who submits personal reports to Minneapolis. Such things play a part in who gets the next initiation and who doesn't and too much questioning has gotten members suspended.