History:
Spiritualism in Canada and The East Hamilton Church
The East Hamilton Spiritual Church
HISTORY OF SPIRITUALISM IN CANADA
The Canadian connection with Spiritualism dates back to the early 1800's. Margaret Fox, the matriarch of the Fox family, for a time, had moved her family to the village of Bath in eastern Ontario. While there she gave birth to two daughters, Leah and Margaretta. Margaret Fox later moved back to the United States and settled with her husband, John Fox, in the village of Hydesville, NY.
Events which took place at the Fox family home in 1848 are generally considered to have initiated the Modern Spiritualist Movement. The events began when the family began to hear a series of noises (raps, knocks, taps, and steps) in their small cottage. Upon hearing the noises the children would try to imitate them by snapping their fingers and clapping their hands. These first experiments in making contact progressed to the point were the children and their mother were able to devised a pattern of knocks to signify a yes or no answers and were able to connect with the spirit of Charles Rosna. News of the happenings at the Fox home spread far and wide and were attributed with signalling the Birth of Modern Spiritualism.
Actual documented Spiritualist activities in Canada date back to the 1850's in the region of Eastern Canada and the 1870s in Western Canada. The first Canadian Spiritualist groups organized themselves as local investigative associations and societies rather than churches and were headed by elected officers, boards of trustees and lay persons.
During the First World War, the influence of British Spiritualism and the desire for Canadian Spiritualist to have their belief system recognized as a legitimate religious denomination resulted in the establishment of a number of Spiritualist churches. Many of the original investigative associations and psychic societies were replaced by these Spiritualist churches. Spiritualist churches were incorporated under Provincial charters during this period.
Anniversary Celebration at The First Spiritualist Church of Hamilton
(Forerunner of The East Hamilton Spiritual Church)
Gathering of The East Hamilton Spiritual Church Lyceum, Circa 1920
Most Spiritualist Churches affiliated themselves with parent organizations in Canada, Great Britain or the United States in order to be associated with an organization which best reflected the philosophy of the individual church. The National Spiritualist Association (NSA) of Canada Inc. was incorporated in July, 1928 by the Government of Canada under the Federal Companies Act, and the Spiritualist National Union (SNU) of Canada was incorporated in 1929. Originally the SNU of Canada's headquarters was located at the Britten Memorial Church of Canada, in Toronto. At the 23rd annual convention of the NSA of Canada held in Victoria B.C. in October 1951, reports revealed that there were308 members in 18 branches across Canada. Sub-groups in the NSA of Canada were called Provincial Councils. They each sent delegates to the National Convention.
The SNU of Canada and the NSA of Canada were eventually amalgamated under the name of Spiritualist Church of Canada (SCC) in 1978. Today the philosophy and purpose of the SCC remains similar to the philosophy and purpose of the SNU in Great Britain. Today, the two major Canadian parent organizations for Spiritualism are the Spiritualist Church of Canada and the International Spiritualist Alliance (ISA). The ISA maintains its headquarters in New Westminster, B.C. and was incorporated under the British Columbia Societies Act on September 25th, 1959.
THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF SPIRITUALISM
Spiritualists have no fixed creed, but have adopted the following principles:
1. The Fatherhood of God.
2. The Brotherhood of Man.
3. The Communion of Spirits and the Ministry of Angels.
4. The Continuous existence of the Human Soul.
5. Personal Responsibility.
6. Compensation and retribution hereafter for all good or evils deeds done on earth.
7. Eternal Progress open to every human soul.
The following information is generally agreed upon by most Spiritualist parent organizations:
Spiritualism is the Science, Philosophy and Religion of continuous life, based upon the demonstrated fact of communication through mediumship with those who live in the spiritual plane. Spiritualism is a rational religion for a materialistic world. Spiritualism is a Science because it investigates, analyzes and classifies facts and manifestations demonstrated from the spirit side of life. Spiritualism is a Philosophy because it studies the laws of nature both on the seen and unseen sides of life and bases its conclusions upon present observed facts. It accepts statements of observed facts of past ages and conclusions drawn there from, when sustained by reason and by results of observed facts of the presents day. Spiritualism is a Religion because it strives to understand and to comply with the Physical, Mental and Spiritual Laws of Nature which are the laws of God.
Herbert Pickles
First PresidentRev. Yendley and Maude Burton
Past PresidentsHenry Thomas Batten
Past PresidentPhoto from the ordination of Rev. Leonard Spicer, 2007
The East Hamilton Spiritual Church was incorporated on September 25th, 1918. The founding members were originally affiliated with the First Spiritualist Church of Hamilton which was located in the city centre. In those early days, distance and travelling time from the eastern part of the city were not as convenient as they are today, so this group decided to organize and build a church closer to their home environment. In 1921, a new purpose built church was opened on Balmoral Avenue, just off Barton Street in the eastern end of the city, a few blocks from the present church location. In 1973 the city expropriated the church property to build a parking lot and it was then relocated to its present location on Ottawa Street.
The Mission of The East Hamilton Spiritual Church is In its early years the East Hamilton Spiritual Church had a strong and vibrant membership. Its membership numbered in the hundreds during the first half of the 20th century and included a thriving lyceum (spiritual development school for children and young people). Church services included spiritual healing, demonstrations of physical mediumship and an abundant roster of local and visiting speakers.
to teach and proclaim the Science, Philosophy and Religion of Spiritualism.
Rev. Yendley Burton and Maude Burton were among the many members who were very active (mid 1920's onward) in the church. They were both gifted lecturers and mediums and each served terms as Presidents of the church. The Burtons were very active members of the Spiritualists National Union of Canada. In addition they also worked within the Spiritualist community in Lily Dale, New York for many years.
Another key figure in the early development of the East Hamilton Spiritual Church was Henry Thomas Batten. He immigrated to Canada in 1925, and later became the President of the church. He was an excellent physical medium. Henry Thomas Batten was mentioned in the autobiography of Alfred Kitson (respected spiritualist who helped develop the first British lyceum manual) where he was reported to have been able to produce perfume from spirit, while walking up and down the church and scattering it over the congregation, in broad daylight, with no special equipment of any kind."
In the winter of 2005 the East Hamilton Spiritual Church was approached by the Bolton Spiritualist Church located in Lancashire, England about a twinning (see the twinning web site: Twinning). There is a strong historical link between these two churches. Many of the early members of the East Hamilton Church were immigrants from the Lancashire area. They brought their experience and enthusiasm with them to Canada and helped to establish churches like East Hamilton and contributed immeasurably to the advancement and development of Spiritualism in this region.
Twinning Ceremony with Rev. Barbara Harrison and Rev. Patti Tomczyk, 2005
Currently, the East Hamilton Spiritual Church has an active membership that includes new individuals, ongoing members and those whose families were among the founding members of the church. East Hamilton offers two services per week (Sunday mornings and Tuesday evenings). The church presents a changing roster of resident ministers and visiting speakers and mediums from around southern Ontario and across Canada, the United States and Great Britain. Both the Sunday and Tuesday Services include a spiritual healing portion. In addition to its services with lectures, and demonstrations of mediumship the church offers development and spiritual healing classes and workshops. Annual and special events include Medium's Reading Days, Candlelight Services, Spring and Seasonal Dinners and other events. Highlights of the past few years have included two naming services and the ordination of long time member Rev. Leonard Spicer at the Church. In 2008 the East Hamilton Spiritual Church celebrates the 90th year since it was established.
Gathering at The East Hamilton Spiritual Church, 2004
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