The founder of New Age Community Church and publisher of the oldest metaphysical newspaper in the nation, Omega Directory, Rodgers will mark the 39th anniversary, on Nov. 1, of his Alpha Book Center in Phoenix, one of the oldest metaphysical stores in the U.S. Regarded as the Valley’s authority on New Age, Rodgers fiercely defends religious liberty, but says, “Most people don’t know their church’s doctrines, and most people don’t care.”

His monthly tabloid newspaper covers a broad swath of belief. The October issue carries such headlines as “The truth about vampires,” “New aliens found in Roswell, N.M.,” “Americans more spiritual than thought” and “Dutch priests are clearly not gay.”

“Things are changing, things are going to be different,” Rodgers says of New Age. “Religion is going to change. We are not going to have big Baptist churches. … It will be something along the lines of the old guru and students, or master-disciple thing — or maybe it will be on the computer.”

He spends much of his time maintaining two distinctly different Web sites: www.aznewage.com and www.aznewage.net, the latter focusing more on New Age essays.

“People are becoming more spiritual and less religious,” he says. He believes God loves all people, wants them to be happy and “doesn’t care what goes on. Don’t pay attention to all the things that don’t matter.”

Rodgers, 69, a native of Minneapolis, attended a Methodist church as a boy. Then his family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He did a mission in the Pacific Northwest and ccontinued with the church into his 20s. After he moved to Arizona in 1965, he says, “They kicked me out because I was going by Mormon doctrine, and no church goes by its own doctrine,” Rodgers says with a laugh. When he tried to rejoin, the bishop said he was glad to have Rodgers back but didn’t want him talking in class anymore. “I wasn’t derogatory, just informative,” Rodgers says. But if he couldn’t talk, he wasn’t going back. “The Book of Mormon is a wonderful book,” he says. “It’s got really good stories, teachings and Mormon precepts.”

From there, Rodgers took a metaphysics class in Tempe. “That is what I had been waiting for all along.” At the time, he worked at Al’s Bookstore in Phoenix and started a metaphysical section, complete with tarot cards. It quickly expanded its New Age trappings, books and resources. Eventually, its adult section was replaced by metaphysics.

In the 1960s, the Valley was “Christian country,” he says. “Wiccans were hiding in their closets.” In 1967, Rodgers bought the store and named it Alpha. The store moved around, and, at one time, he had three shops. In 1979, Alpha moved to its current place at 1928 E. McDowell Road, Phoenix. He touts it as the “Good Karma Store.” It recently reopened after a fire.

“We never would have gotten the store cleaned without it,” he quips.

About 100 people have gone through his five-semester seminary, with about 60 gaining ordination and some starting their own churches. He serves as bishop over several churches started from his. Fewer than 25 typically attend his Sunday service, and he described them as mostly “seekers and widows.”

Astrologer Dominique Nancy Shilling has held regular sessions for 10 years at Alpha. She says Rodgers has a commanding understanding of many religions. “He can have a fundamentalist Christian in there, and John knows his stuff about the Bible.”

“We teach what a human being is, what the universe is, what God is, what is really going on,” says Rodgers, who urges moderation in religious practices. “Jesus talked about the straight and narrow way. Don’t become too extreme. Crystals have certain powers. (Computer chips) are based on crystals, but I really don’t believe that crystals will make anyone float in the air.”

In Omega Directory, Rodgers wrote that fundamentalism always fails. “Though we must continue our struggle, Christian fundamentalism will not be defeated by the strategic, targeted opposition of people like us, so much as it will eventually self-destruct from the weight of its own madness. … I oppose fundamentalism because I worship truth — the facts, reality, the God of gods.”

Rodgers is author of “New Age Bible: The Hidden Truth Revealed,” which defines New Age and explores the relationship of such diverse faiths as Buddhism, Christianity, Wicca, Hinduism and Judaism. He believes religion has evolved to reflect the evolution of civilization and the growth of human consciousness.

He scoffs at conspiracies, says skepticism is healthy and believes God revealed the truth to him and “it makes sense.”