Churches' Fellowship for Psychical and Spiritual Studies

interesting piece concerning this organisation
http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Encountering-gifts-Spirit/story-15400320-detail/story.html

It's refreshing to see such thinking in the churches!

Been around a while Jim, One of teh forum members has been a member for a while. In reality this would be a good place for Christian Spiritualists to join in.

Yes, it very well might be!

Jim

Can't remember his name but years ago 1985I think, having been in an article on healing in the South London Press group of newspapers I was invited to a meeting at Chuurch House Westminster admin HQ of the CofE. It was to do with re-establishing dialogue between 'alternative' [they called us]; healers and the church. Chap was a senior CofE cleric in this organization. Thing was he was a Jew and had been raised as such then converted and risen through the CofE clergy ranks. This Feeowship had booked the venue and convened the meeting and the chap was chair but other CofE bigwigs also sat on top table. Suffragan Bishop of Woolwich was one. The Fellowship people were much as we are but the CofE non fellowship big wgs who rather took over proceedings wanted everything done their way so dialogue never got past that first meeting or if it did I wasn't invited back. They did begin Heaing services in Souhwark diocese a while after. Went to one once. Very ritualistic it was, nice idea but one couldn't really say that the poor vicar's heart seemed to be in the proceedings.

Interesting Katy healing has popped up in a number of Anglican churches here and of course a form of faith healing seems to be in nmost of the happy clappy churches too. The Paradise Assembly of God (named because it is in the suburb of Paradise) gets up to 5,000 people in on a Sunday, various auditoriums, concerts, dining hall you name it a family and young peoples day out, Australian Idol winner Guy Sebastien began his singing career there. Hillsong in Sydney is even bigger and often provided a significant number of Idol entrants.

These are family businesses too owner operations.....

We have some of those mega neo pentecostalist churches here too Jim.
Started out as house churches back in the seventies but now very denominational [they say 'streams']. Seem to be three main grouping here. Kings churches. Vineyard churches and Icthus churches. Their pastors do very nicely by all accounts and good luck to 'em' they are very businesslike and if that's what some folk want then someone will sell it to them. Then again there was that old time first century medium who kicked shysters erses out of the Temple when they were selling spurious salvation supplies and merchandise. Still I suppose we've moved on since then.
KIngs 'stream' people have been known to picket theatres where a stage medium is working. Happened to us once in Manchester outside a Three Mediums gig but they were very polite just handed out leaflets along the lines that mediums are the spawn of Satan and anyone seeing one was bound for Hell . They promised to pray for us..
I never heard tell of spiritualists picketing a church service and do wonder why Kings people don't picket mosques, Sikh gurdwaras or Hindu temples.
It'd be a dull old world if we all thought alike.

Maybe the SNU should take a leaf out of their book, I could imagine Bruton, Hadley, Seaman and the Uptons shakin and baking on the platform. In honesty it may quite well be a certifiable moment with the capability to drive me to insanity though.

Wel there seems to be some out to crucify Davib Bruton. I've arrived at a place where I feel a bit sorry for him. It can't be mega wages he's on [£30K plus exes and perks I've heard] but he seems to be like a footy manager when the team isn't doing too well. Manager gets all the blame even though it's the team that aint scoring goals.
Should be an interesting AGM this July unless he's managed to stuff the regions with noddies.

I don't know about that the trick with PN to grab the assett ownership seems to come straight out of his close inner circle and Bruton does have an MBA. I reckon he has far more to answer for personally, even down to the choices for his inner sanctum.

Mrs K has an MBA but its an MBAEd [Education Senior Manager qual] so all about how to squander public money rather than earn anything.
She's retired now so we can all breathe a bit easier and taxes haven't risen since she finished.
She's on record as saying that some in SNU national leadership are.....'In it for the fleece not the flock'.
I'm in two minds. If AFC becomes an airport hotel or a Spa then yes.
If NEC says 'Sorry we got it wrong' and reinstates one member one vote as per first principles; then no.
Best approach with any manager in any job is to start out not trusting the b*ggers.
It saves time later.

I like it K yes but squandered to better purpose one hopes.

I don't know if you remember the Weebles who wobbled but would not fall down. I see some synergy with the NEC, this year one vote one person Brutal is re-elected, next year two votes two people the VP's get re-elected. The rest of the NEC wobble a bit, the occasional one may vibrate off the platform to be replaced but the majority just stay on it.

Our Joey the budgie had a Weeble. He used to knock seven bells out of it. Can see where you are coming from Jim and the pattern has been for SNU big wigs to appoint their chums and noddies and get rid of anyone who says different. Look at how they marginalised Eric Hatton into a non job. Their 'education' committee is a standing joke in the profession issuing self referential meaningless awards without any external validation nor auditable quality assurance. Last I heard a 'Reiki cum hypnotherapist' with a CertEd was running that. They'd really have to up their game to even aspire to becoming second rate.

Good point Katy, surely they should be seeking accreditation. Sadly in the USA the College of Spiritualist studies, which the Rev Anne Gehman worked so hard to set up and get accredited has ceased operations as far as I know to quote Wikipedia (no web site left for the CSS and no reference on the NSAC site)

The CSS was incorporated as a religious seminary by the New York State Board of Regents. The goal of the curriculum is the training of Spiritualist Clergy, Teachers, Mediums and Healers

They are left now with the MPI, Morris Pratt Institute, much teh same as the UK no real academic rigour and no formal accreditation.

I fear this just reflects the big reduction of numbers in the NSAC and a significant drop off in funds.

MPI opened a centre at Lily Dale not sure how that's getting on.
Morris Pratt was a minerals dowser Jim. Good un too, made millions.
Well bed time for me. Day off and a lie in tomorrow thank goodness.
Have a goo day mate.