John Murray Spear

John Murray Spear (September 16, 1804 – October 5, 1887 ) was an American spiritualist minister who was most known for his attempts to construct an electrically powered Messiah which he referred to as the "New Motive Power".

Early life Spear was born in the city of Boston in 1804 and was from a young age a member of the Universalist Church of America. The pastor of this church was Hosea Ballou, under whom Spear and his brother, Charles, studied theology. In 1830, Spear was ordained and became minister of the Barnstable congregation. He later became a close colleague of Theodore Parker and William Lloyd Garrison. In the 1840s, Spear was active in petitioning for social reform including women's rights, labor reform, and the removal of the death penalty. Spear believed that the purpose of this group was to bring new technology to people so that greater levels of personal and spiritual freedom could be achieved.

Later life and death Spiritualism influenced Spear throughout most of his life. His business card notes, "Guided and assisted by beneficent Spirit-Intelligences, Mr. S. will examine and prescribe for disease of body and mind, will delineate the character of persons when present, or by letter, and indicate their future as impressions are given him; will sketch the special capacities of young persons ... Applications to lecture, or hold conversations on Spiritualism, will be welcomed."

In 1872, Spear claimed to have received a message from the Association of Electrizers urging him to retire from the ministry. He died in October 1887, in the city of Philadelphia, and was buried in the Mount Moriah Cemetery.