Charles Pace

Charles J. Pace (born c. 1950 ) is the current leader of The Branch, The Lord Our Righteousness, the supposed successor group of the Branch Davidians after 1993. According to the Toronto Star, he is from Collingwood, Canada. He claims to be the successor to David Koresh as the prophet of the Branch Davidians (though he does not use the word "prophet"). He is trained as a reflexologist, nutritionist and colon therapist, according to the Toronto Star. National Public Radio and other news sources note that he is an herbalist and gardener. He is married to Alex Pace and has two children, Michael and Angela Pace. Former Branch Davidians told The New York Times that Pace hated David Koresh. Pace reportedly also had a "falling-out" with George Roden, son of Lois Roden and contender for leader of the Branch Davidians after her death.

At the time of the siege, he led a small church in Gadsden, Alabama. Pace believes that the world will end in his lifetime, and that most of the world's population will perish unless they practice Branch Davidianism. Pace sought to grow his church and install educational exhibitions about the Waco siege.

Some former Branch Davidians who were part of the group with David Koresh before the Waco siege do not recognize Charles Pace as the legitimate successor to Koresh. Sheila J. Martin, for example, similarly believes in his apocalyptic beliefs, but they do not share the same doctrine.