SPIRITUALIST CHURCHES IN THE UK:
A BRIEF LOOK INSIDE
Emma-Louise Rhodes
There are well over 300 Spiritualist churches in Britain today.
A constant congregation of believers along with a steady turnover
of new faces fill most churches every Sunday and, in some cases,
outnumber the local C.E gathering in the same area. Hymns are sung,
prayers are read and a collection is taken. Yet, in place of a fifteen
minute sermon by a member of the clergy, a psychic medium will attempt
to bring back dearly departed loved ones who have ‘passed
to the other side’. Unconventional, yes, but, like it or not,
a source of comfort, reassurance and hope to thousands across the
UK each week.
BEGINNINGS
‘The Spiritualist’ website is a resource which primarily
promotes Spiritualist churches in the UK. It offers a huge directory
of organisations and contacts of these, along with a concise ‘History
of Spiritualism’ page. This time-line is unremarkable, apart
from the fact that it jumps over one hundred and fifty years, from
1688 and the Swedish philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg (who, the website
states, ‘believed that Spirits wrote books through him’)
to 1848 and the ‘Fox Family of America’. In fact, before
that time, ‘The Spiritualist’ can give us very little
in the way of firm belief in contacting the dead, and cites only
Aristotle, Plato and later Rene Descartes, in terms of their philosophies
towards death and reincarnation. Indeed, this is the case with most
Spiritualist histories, that regularly note (or is it gloss over?)
this rather large gap in the time span of the religion along with
the fact that, up until the mid-nineteenth century and the mischievous
Fox sisters, nobody really thought of mentioning the fact that they
were able to contact the dead.
Most Spiritualists, without fail, place the beginning of Modern
Spiritualism as 31 March, 1848 – the day on which the Margaret
and Katie Fox of Hydesville, New York allegedly made contact with
the dead. Once news of such an ‘achievement’ had spread,
there suddenly appeared to be a vast number of people tapping into
their psychic powers, who were more than happy to contact the dead
for the right price. Thus the Spiritualist movement was born.
Modern Spiritualism in the UK was founded by David Richmond in
Keighley, Yorkshire in 1853. Having returned from America and witnessed
the ostensible feats of the Fox duo, Richmond promptly created his
own spiritualist church, a ‘Brotherhood’ (his definition)
that met in a ‘Temple’ (again, his terminology) and
was, so story has it, detested by the local Quaker community.
Within two years the first Spiritualist newspaper in Britain, The
Yorkshire Spiritual Telegraph, was published and by the 1870s other
churches and societies had formed. In July 1890 the first Inaugural
Conference of the Spiritualists’ National Federation was held
in Manchester, the Federation changing its name to the Spiritualists’
National Union in 1902.
The advent of the First World War saw a growth in the Spiritualist
faith. Gerald O Hara in his book Dead Men’s Embers states
that ‘ Spiritualism’s greatest period of expansion came
between 1914 and 1939.’ Clear factors contribute to this,
most obviously the fact that nearly nine hundred thousand British
soldiers died in the conflict (notably Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s
son, Kingsley) and the desperate need to again be in contact with
those who had been killed so suddenly was at the forefront of many
grieving parent’s minds.
In 1951 the Fraudulent Mediums Act repealed the Witchcraft Act,
written in 1735, which intended to bring to justice those who
‘pretend to exercise or use any kind of
Witchcraft, Sorcery, Enchantment or
Conjuration, or undertake to tell fortunes, or
pretend, from his or her Skill or Knowledge
in any occult or crafty Science, to discover
where or in what manner any Goods or
Chattels, supposed to have been stolen or
lost, may be found.’
It is often noted by Spiritualist and mediums that the new Act
protected them and enabled them to go about their business without
the fear of being branded ungodly or demonic. Indeed, very few mediums
have been prosecuted under the 1951 Act and many sceptics believe
that it has fallen by the wayside and is ineffectual in today’s
society.
THE CHURCH TODAY
The Spiritualist church is based on the ‘Seven Principals
of Spiritualism’, a philosophy conceived by Emma Hardinge
Britten in 1871, by allegedly communicating with the Welsh socialist
and founder of the Co-Operative Movement, Robert Owen.
The ‘Principals’ are as follows:
- The Fatherhood of God
- The Brotherhood of Man
- The communion of Spirits and the Ministry of Angels
- The continuous existence of the human soul
- Personal responsibility
- Compensation and retribution hereafter for all the good and
evil deeds done on earth
- Eternal progress open to every human soul
As a footnote to the Principals, the National Spiritualist’s
Union state that:
‘ … Spiritualism, through an intelligent and
thorough investigation of its Seven Principles,
reveals the understanding, the deepest
significance of service to others and transforms
life from selfishness to unselfishness, from
individualism to social co-operation. Only on
such a foundation can love and truth and all
other spiritual values have any practical meaning
or reality.’
Most Spiritualist churches were built within the last 100 years,
and are usually quite compact little buildings, adorned outside
with a simple cross. Sometimes termed as ‘sanctuaries’,
‘lodges’, ‘healing centres’ or even (still)
‘temples’, the interior of these are, in many cases,
not unlike that of a Methodist church, with basic stained glass
windows, displays of (often plastic) flowers and a very nominal
alter. Not all Spiritualists organisations have their own church
and instead meet in village halls and general rooms for hire.
The common feeling inside the church is that of calm and, in many
cases churches are adorned with the spiritual colour blue. As previously
mentioned, congregations differ from week to week, but, as with
any church, the same stalwart faces, handing out hymn books or giving
short readings during the service, are always present.
The percentage of females in the congregation is usually higher,
although medium-wise there is a good balance. Many psychics who
frequent the churches also offer private readings at psychic fairs
in the churches or elsewhere (generally for payment) and sometimes
healing and hypnotherapy in alternative health centres.
During the service prayers are said, hymns sung and philosophic
readings, purporting in some way to the Spiritualist faith, delivered.
The ‘address’ then comes, in the shape of a medium giving
a short speech typically relating in some way to the ‘Seven
Principals’, before attempting to contact the dead and bring
back the loved ones or, sometimes, spirit guides, of those in the
congregation. Customarily after this (although not in all churches)
a collection is taken to the singing of the last hymn.
IN CONVERSATION WITH A SPIRITUALIST CHURCH MEDIUM
Some time ago I interviewed a medium from a local Spiritualist
church on tape and recently rediscovered this recording. The psychic
in question was more than obliging, having been approached by myself
one evening at the church, and answered all questions posed as best
he could. Along with his regular appearances at Spiritualist churches,
he also gave private readings both at home and at psychic fairs.
A pretty average looking man in his forties, adorning a thick gold
necklace, tinted glasses and a graying quiff he slightly resembled
a working men’s club singer. His wife, a healer, accompanied
him for the interview and also answered questions about her ‘powers’
of easing aching grandmother’s backs and helping little girls
with poorly knees to dance again.
The medium (who I will refer to here as ‘Graham’) was
a regular on the Spiritualist church circuit (psychics tend to rotate
around the counties churches every Sunday giving readings) and was
held in exceptionally high esteem at the local church.
Graham informed me that his first experience with spirit was when
he was quite young.
“Suddenly a thick mist appeared from under the closed door.
I wasn’t frightened, but amazed. I realised that I had been
chosen.”
Tempted to ask whether he had questioned the fact that actually
his house might have been on fire, I resisted and asked about the
beginnings of the Spiritualist movement. Not surprisingly, Graham
was happy to tell me about the marvelous Fox sisters.
“In the seventeenth, eighteenth century (sic) there were
the Fox sister who started the movement by the tapping of the table
and then it went from there, but as Spiritualism has progressed,
it became more sophisticated.”
Graham’s interest in trance mediums was very apparent and
he was keen to explain to me about, what is referred to in psychic
circles as ‘deep trance’, which has, more recently,
been made (in)famous by TV medium Derek Acorah.
“The spirit guides come very close to the medium in deep
trance and this in itself is quite serious. The medium’s voice
will change into the person from spirit, whether it’s a gran
or a dad or a friend and even if the medium is female, the voice
will change to male. Many people in the congregation will be able
to see the guide come close, but it is important that this is conducted
in the right setting, such as the church, as it can damage or kill
the medium in extreme circumstances. Even there faces change into
the person from the other side. There’s no way you can fix
that.”
A question that had always fascinated me with psychics who profess
to be in daily contact with the dead, was whether they fear death.
Graham searched for a while to find the right words before replying.
“I’m a human being and I’d be telling a lie if
I said that I wanted to go over to the other side. But, if I’m
taken there’s not much I can do about that. Although I’m
used as an instrument for the spirit world, that doesn’t necessarily
mean I want to go there.”
So, in short, although he might have made a nice little income
from the dead, he didn’t want to join them just yet.
Although I desperately wanted to believe what Graham had to tell
me, I found it increasingly difficult as the interview went on.
When asked if he had ever made contact with anyone famous from ‘the
other side’, he paused for a little and then, giving a sneaky
sideways glance to his wife, asked me to turn my tape recorder off.
“I just don’t want people to think we’re a bit
strange or anything.” He explained as I turned off the tape.
”But yes, actually, we made contact with someone the night
before last at a closed circle meeting at our house. We were having
a séance and Elvis came through.”
Surveying their faces I quickly realised that they were totally
serious and, to make matters worse, immensely proud that ‘The
King’ had chosen the front room of their lowly semi to come
back from the dead. After that it was very difficult to take anything
Graham said as one hundred per cent fact.
NOT FOR PROFIT
In many cases, it is difficult to separate the Spiritualist church
with mediums and healers who charge for their services. The majority
of local psychics tend to frequent the churches and build up a steady
name for themselves in such circles, progressing (as the aforementioned
psychic had) to charging for readings at their homes or at special
mornings held at the church.
However, no Spiritualist church is the same. The Greater World
Christian Spiritualist Church of Jersey clearly state on their website
‘We do not ask people for money’ and continue this with
the statement:
‘It is church policy that money must not be
made within the church, private readings or
advertising are not permitted within the church,
nor is a collection plate passed around although
there is a plate by the exit door if people want
to leave something in gratitude, nor do any of
our regular attendees make any money at all
from anything to do with our church or what
generally goes under the name of Spiritualism.
Many skeptics think Spiritualist churches are
about making money but they cannot have
been to our church. God provides for this
church in a big way and we contribute a very
small part without us asking people for any
money. The Christ Mission is too sacred to
bring it down to a material level.’
Such a church should be commended for going about its worship without
the interference of money making or earnings of any kind from individuals
with personal agendas.
Furthermore, one cannot (and should not) look past the fact that
the Spiritualist’s National Union (a not for profit organisation)
donate monies raised to charities, such as the Tsunami appeal. Regardless
of whether one might question the beliefs of others and put these
beliefs to the test, such fundraising and donations should not be
scoffed at or left unmentioned. Quite simply, it is sometimes too
easy to sit in judgment, without examining the positive aspects
of an organisation or group of people.
HOLY CHURCH OR MARGINAL SECT?
The Spiritualist church is not allowed to conduct weddings, baptisms
or funerals and, furthermore, there are no qualified members of
the clergy (eg: ‘Reverends’ ‘Fathers’ or
‘Deacons’). Although the church has its own rankings
in terms of ministers, and qualifications that healers, mediums
and preachers can gain, it is not recognised as a formal church
by the Christian faith. Several examples of the qualifications and
diplomas available to those wishing to move into professional Spiritualist
circles are, DipPC (Diploma in Psychic Counseling), DSNU (Diploma
of Spiritualist’s National Union) and RMAPC (Registered Member
of the Association of Psychic Counselors). All are acknowledged
in the field and enable the individual to offer their specialised
services after fulfilling the necessary training requirements.
Seen by many as a separatist camp, the Spiritualist church sits
alongside those splinter groups that are often termed ‘churches
of the last resort’ and rely heavily on paid-for counselling
by their members. Furthermore, although Spiritualism follows the
basic rules of Christianity, it draws heavily on the life after
death element of the religion and, as in the early days, continues
to term itself as ‘the movement’ opposed to ‘the
faith’.
However, regardless of the stigma attached, Spiritualism provides
something slightly more thrilling than sitting in a cold church
listening to bible readings and, for many, gives a chance to experience
the buzz of supposedly contacting the dead without the fear of an
Exorcist – style demonic possession waiting for them around
the corner (blessings are usually given before mediums endevour
to contact the dead in order to ‘protect’ them from
evil spirits). Whereas most conventional congregations do not leave
uttering statements such as “That was amazing.” or “”It
just blew me away...”, Spiritualism can often pride itself
on such comments from believers leaving the church..
Indeed, although many mediums immensely dislike the fact that psychic
programmes aired on British TV are billed as ‘entertainment’,
it is this very element that draws a vast number of people to the
churches, even if they do not consciously realise it themselves
at the time. Being able to witness the apparent miracle of the dead
contacting their loved ones from the cloudy realms of ‘Summerland’
is, for many, certainly better than staying at home and watching
Songs of Praise on a dreary Sunday evening and, for those who are
willing to suspend their disbelief and leave certain questions blissfully
unanswered, quite addictive too.
REFERENCES
The Spiritualist – www.thespiritualist.org
O Hara, Gerald, Dead Men’s Embers, Saturday Night Press, 2006
The Witchcraft Act of 1735
British Spiritualist’s National Union - www.snu.org.uk
Greater World Christian Spiritualist Church of Jersey – www.christianspiritualism.org
© Emma-Louise Rhodes, 2007 |
