| |
|
 |
|
|
|
Exeter Spiritualist Church is one of 340+ churches and centres affiliated to the Spiritualists’ National Union, the largest Spiritualist organisation in the world.
Records show that meetings and services were first held in Exeter in 1885 at Friars Hall. By 1908 when the Exeter Spiritualist Society was established on 10th May of that year, services were being held at Market Hall, Fore Street. Harold Grainger (future President) was General Secretary at this time and ‘Cash Book’ for the ‘General Fund’ makes interesting reading. For example, hymn books were sold for one old penny (less than ½ a penny in present day decimal coinage). Adverts were being placed in the Express & Echo for services each week and the sale of their Harvest Festival produce in September 1908 raised a princely sum of £1.14.3 ½p. By 1911 they had become an active spiritualist society and were holding 2 services on Sundays, morning and evening, with ‘séances’ on Mondays and Fridays, and additional services in the week on Wednesday and Thursday.
One very interesting item dated 12th December 1914 states ‘Present to Mr Plain (British Expeditionary Force at the Front) and postage - five shillings and eight pence (28p)’. Many Spiritualists lost their lives during the First and Second World Wars, as well as in many other conflicts. Each Remembrance Sunday, James Pugh (Church President) and his wife, Tricia, (Church Treasurer and Secretary) join with other religions in a Service of Remembrance at The War Memorial, Northernhay Gardens, Exeter and lay a wreath to honour those Spiritualists who made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf.
The Exeter Spiritualist Society continued to meet at Market Hall mainly until the blitz of 1942, moving to the Theosophical Hall until January 1945 when they find themselves in York Road, not on the present site but in a Nissan hut further down the road. The reason for this was that, although negotiations had taken place prior to the Second World War to purchase the land and buildings at 10 and 11 York Road, these premises were requisitioned for military use once war broke out. The building was subsequently destroyed in the blitz but the Church members did purchase the land in 1945. Some of the land was subsequently sold off and, eventually, the present day church was built and completed in 1963.
Over the last 45 years, this building has seen thousands upon thousands of people attend services, demonstration evenings and workshops. They have also received evidence of survival after physical death through private sittings and the comfort of the healing given through the channels of the Church’s registered healers. The continued message of the philosophy of our religion of Spiritualism through the Seven Principles of the Spiritualists’ National Union and the proof of survival given through the vehicle of the church building we now use has only come about through the dedication and efforts of the many pioneers of Spiritualism - mediums, Committees and church members, past and present, who have worked so hard to enable us to have such a building and a church from which we and future mediums and committees can help many thousands more over the years to come.
Please visit us when you can, you are assured of a warm welcome in pleasant surroundings. |
|
|
|
|
|
