This month, we visited one of the SNU’s flagship churches – Stourbridge Spiritualist Church – in the heart of the West Midlands, as they hosted friends, members, congregants and officials for a wonderful centenary celebration day and rededication service!
The forecast had promised one of the hottest weekends of the year.
Across the UK, beaches filled early, parks welcomed families making the most of the sunshine and the country prepared for what meteorologists suggested could become a record-breaking June heatwave.
Yet, in the heart of the Black Country, hundreds of Spiritualists were gathering for a very different reason and for a shining light of an altogether different kind.
They had come to celebrate 100 years of Stourbridge Spiritualist Church.
From early morning, the church was already full of life. Friends, members and congregants greeted one another. Visitors arrived from fellow churches – some had travelled only a few miles, whilst others had crossed counties to be here. Volunteers welcomed everyone through the doors with the warmth that has become one of Stourbridge’s defining characteristics.
Just inside the entrance, the church’s healing book lay open throughout the day, inviting visitors to add the names of friends and loved ones in need of distant healing. It was a quiet reminder that, even on a day of celebration, the church’s mission of healing, service and care continued uninterrupted.
By the time proceedings were due to begin, the church’s sizeable main hall was almost full. On one of the hottest Saturdays of the year – when many people had understandably chosen parks, gardens or even the coast – the attendance spoke volumes about the affection in which Stourbridge is held.
Some of the smiling faces of the Stourbridge committee, greeting visitors upon arrival at the special Centenary event. (photos © Kyle Pedley @ SNU 2026).
There was a genuine sense that this was more than a church anniversary. It was a reunion of friends, a celebration of shared purpose and an opportunity to reflect upon a century of dedicated service to Spirit, to Spiritualism and to the local community.
Stourbridge has long been regarded as one of the movement’s flagship churches. Its reputation extends well beyond the West Midlands, built over generations through inspired leadership, devoted volunteers and an unwavering commitment to providing the very best for everyone who walks through its doors.
“Other churches look to what you do here at Stourbridge,” observed Minister Jackie Wright, President of the Spiritualists’ National Union.
Looking around the packed church, it was easy to understand why.
“Stourbridge has long been regarded as one of the movement’s flagship churches. Its reputation extends well beyond the West Midlands…”
An impressive programme, with an enviable lineup of speakers had been assembled for the occasion. Joining Minister Wright were Minister Val Williams, local favourites Patricia Redmond CSNU & Su Wood LSSNU, Linda Bullock and Paul Jacobs CSNU, each contributing demonstrations and inspirational addresses throughout the day.
Stourbridge’s very own Michael Thompson, a longstanding former committee member, co-presented a special session entitled 100 Years of Pioneers, celebrating many of the individuals whose dedication helped shape both the church and Spiritualism as a whole over the past century.
Between demonstrations, visitors spent time with Stourbridge’s healing team in the social room or joined together during an afternoon hour of sitting in the power with the Stourbridge Healers.
Elsewhere, members wandered through carefully curated displays of photographs, newspaper cuttings and memorabilia celebrating the church’s remarkable history.
The day featured demonstrations of mediumship from Stourbridge favourites including Minister Jackie Wright (top), Minister Val Williams (centre) and Patricia Redmond CSNU (bottom). (photos © Kyle Pedley @ SNU 2026).
The church itself became part of the exhibition.
Historic photographs lined the walls, documenting generations of members, church officials and visiting speakers who had crossed Stourbridge’s threshold over the past 100 years. Familiar faces looked down from black-and-white prints and colour photographs alike, including the likes of the great Gordon Higginson, and many others whose service has left a lasting mark upon the movement.
Newspaper reports charted milestones stretching back to the church’s original dedication in June 1926. Members pointed out familiar faces, shared long-forgotten stories and introduced younger generations to pioneers they knew only by name.
Honouring those who have come before was an integral part of the day.
“Part of the focus of this and any dedication is to celebrate our pioneers who have come before us,” Minister Jackie Wright reflected.
“How wonderful to see the church so packed, on such a beautiful Saturday, as we gather to remember those whose vision started this beautiful church 100 years ago.”
That appreciation for those who came before became one of the defining themes of the entire celebration.
Although the centenary featured the colours and flourishes of commemorative banners, full-colour programmes and an impressive celebration cake (accompanied by smaller SNU cupcakes), there was never any sense that the occasion was about profit, or presentation for its own sake.
Instead, attention continually returned to the people whose quiet acts of service had sustained the church for generations.
Few understood that better than Stourbridge President Lynn Edwards OSNU.
“First and foremost, I must say how proud and privileged I am to be President of Stourbridge Church for this momentous occasion to celebrate 100 years of Spiritualism in Stourbridge,” she said.
Lynn Edwards OSNU, President of Stourbridge Spiritualist Church, pictured outside the church’s main entrance on Centenary Day (photo © Kyle Pedley @ SNU 2026).
For Lynn and her committee, the celebration represented far more than just what was visible on the day itself.
The event had been eighteen months in the making. Alongside planning an ambitious lineup demonstrations and speakers, extensive work had also taken place throughout the church itself, including ongoing building improvements, new furnishings and cosmetic enhancements to ensure the church was looking its very best for its centenary.
None of it, she was quick to point out, could have happened without a remarkable team working quietly behind the scenes.
Lynn paid tribute to the team at Stourbridge – Vice President and Healing Leader Carole Singer, Secretary Kath Garrad, Treasurer Robert Dangerfield, Booking Secretary Sue Newman, Members’ Secretary Annmarie Maybury, Almoner Hazel Auden, committee member and healer Mary Rayner and Warden Mark Grazier, together with the many volunteers who freely gave their time.
Special thanks were also offered to Ruth Gwynn-Thomas, June Sawyer, Beccy and Dana Yardley for creating the beautiful floral displays that greeted visitors throughout the church.
“This team has worked tirelessly to ensure the day went smoothly,” Lynn said. “My sincere thanks and gratitude go to every one of them for all the work that happened behind the scenes and on the day itself.”
The feedback made every hour worthwhile.
A packed church, full of faces old and new alike, enjoyed celebrating Stourbridge’s special day. (photos © Kyle Pedley @ SNU 2026).
“The day was enjoyed by all,” she smiled, “and the feedback we’ve received for the demonstrations, talks and food has been phenomenal.”
Throughout the church, that atmosphere was unmistakable.
Visitors spoke of feeling welcomed from the moment they arrived, while conversations flowed easily between old friends and first-time visitors alike.
“We have provided a day where all were welcome,” Lynn reflected.
Perhaps that welcoming spirit explains why Stourbridge continues to attract such a broad range of people.
Children attended alongside members who have supported the church for decades. Among those present was one of the church’s oldest honorary members, Marjorie Saich, aged 97, who has belonged to Stourbridge for more than fifty years. Together with her late husband, Harry, who sadly passed to Spirit in 2022, Marjorie served the church faithfully in numerous committee roles across many decades – a living link between today’s celebrations and much of the history being remembered around them.
“The church attracts people of all ages,” Lynn explained. “I’d like to think that’s because of the energy here, the welcome people receive and the quality of mediums, speakers and healers that we provide.”
For all the visible celebrations, conversations continually returned to those whose names don’t always appear on the outdoor display screens or souvenir programmes.
“The church attracts people of all ages… I’d like to think that’s because of the energy here, the welcome people receive and the quality of mediums, speakers and healers that we provide.”
Committee members balancing budgets and organising events. Healers offering comfort week after week. Mediums travelling countless miles in service.
Volunteers preparing refreshments, arranging chairs, welcoming newcomers and quietly carrying out the countless unseen tasks that keep every Spiritualist church alive. Not least of all in a bustling kitchen preparing food for over 100 people on such a blisteringly warm June afternoon!
It was a timely reminder that while anniversaries celebrate buildings, churches themselves are sustained by people.
Or, as Lynn reflected so beautifully:
“A building starts with bricks and mortar, but develops over time as a place of worship, a community and then a Spiritual family.
“A safe and peaceful environment for all, enabled by the work of those who have given one hundred years of service for what they believed in: Spirit and Spiritualism.”
Lynn Edwards OSNU (right) with Stourbridge’s oldest member, Marjorie Saich (left), who still dutifully attends the church at 97 years of age! (photo © Kyle Pedley @ SNU 2026).
That willingness to honour the past has always been matched by a determination to evolve, and Stourbridge has long stood at the forefront of what a modern Spiritualist church can be, and do.
Nearly a decade ago, it became one of the first SNU churches to introduce online booking for demonstrations and private readings, recognising that accessibility and good organisation could help the church continue reaching new audiences, while maintaining the high standards for which it had become known.
That balance between respecting tradition and embracing new ideas seemed to underpin the entire day.
As the afternoon drew towards its conclusion, attention turned to the final listing in the programme, and perhaps the most important of all – a special centenary rededication service, bringing together the day’s themes of gratitude, commitment and service.
Chaired by Stourbridge’s Healing Leader, Carole Singer, and conducted by Minister Jackie Wright in her capacity as President of the Spiritualists’ National Union, the ceremony brought together officers, committee members, visiting guests and members of the congregation for one of the Union’s most meaningful traditions.
While much of the day had looked back with gratitude, the rededication also looked firmly towards the future, publicly reaffirming the church’s commitment to its members, its local community and the Seven Principles of Spiritualism.
“A rededication service is a special ceremony where the President and committee reaffirm their commitment to the church, their congregants and to the Seven Principles of Spiritualism,” Jackie explained.
The ceremony began outside the church’s main entrance.
Standing before the doors, Minister Wright knocked three times before formally requesting admission. For many within the SNU it is a familiar tradition, yet one that still carries a quiet dignity and symbolism. Once welcomed inside, the service unfolded through readings, affirmations and declarations of commitment as the committee publicly renewed its dedication to the work entrusted to them.
Although the structure follows long-established tradition, what followed was deeply personal.
One by one, the day’s guest speakers were invited to the platform to share what Stourbridge Spiritualist Church had meant to them over the years.
Each reflection was unique.
Together, however, they painted a remarkably consistent picture of a church held in genuine affection throughout the movement.
“This is such a beautiful church to come to, and I always look forward to being here,” said Minister Val Williams.
“They really do look after their mediums here at Stourbridge. You always feel respected and cared for. They treat us like royalty – they really do.”
There was an easy warmth but deep poignancy to every reflection that followed.
The rededication service was itself a multi-stage ceremony, including the SNU President knocking to be granted access to the church and leading the committee in (top), and finally presenting the actual key to the church to the Church President (bottom) (photos © Kyle Pedley @ SNU 2026).
Patricia Redmond CSNU shared, with characteristic humour, how she first walked through Stourbridge’s doors more than forty years ago, from the nearby Catholic Church whose bells were ironically tolling just before she spoke! She told movingly of how receiving communication from a loved one reassured her she had found the place where she was meant to be, prompting knowing smiles from many in the congregation who remembered their own first visit to a Spiritualist church.
Su Wood LSSNU reflected just as fondly on Stourbridge as her home church, recalling the many respected mediums she had once admired from the congregation before later finding herself sharing the very same platform alongside them. Like so many who spoke throughout the day, her memories were not simply about demonstrations of mediumship but about friendships formed, encouragement freely given and opportunities that helped shape her own Spiritual journey.
As each speaker concluded, a common thread quietly emerged. They spoke about high standards, about kindness and being made to feel welcome.
But above all, they spoke about the people.
It was perhaps no surprise, then, that one name surfaced time and again throughout the afternoon.
Minister Eric Hatton.
Although some years have passed since his presidency of both Stourbridge Church and the SNU as a whole, his influence continues to shape the culture of Stourbridge today.
“In the midsts of these celebrations, it was impossible for us to not remember Minister Eric Hatton, and his wife Heather. They each dedicated over fifty years, in different capactiies, helping to make Stourbridge the flagship chruch that it is today.”
His leadership was remembered with enormous affection, yet it was often the simplest stories that resonated most powerfully. Some recalled how he would stand at the church entrance to personally shake the hand of every single person who arrived. It was a small gesture, yet one that perfectly embodied the spirit of warmth and openness for which Stourbridge has become renowned, and one that today’s committee continues to uphold.
Lynn Edwards reflected that remembering pioneers such as Eric Hatton had been central to the entire celebration.
“We wanted to remember those who made all this possible through their hard work over the years and the sacrifices they made for us to reach where we are today,” she said. “Minister Eric Hatton gave us the foundation for the future.”
Minister Jackie Wright echoed those sentiments.
“In the midsts of these celebrations, it was impossible for us to not remember Minister Eric Hatton, and his wife Heather,” she said.
“They each dedicated over fifty years, in different capacities, helping to make Stourbridge the flagship church that it is today.”
Throughout the day, Eric and Heather had been remembered not simply for the offices and posts they held, but for the countless lives they touched through decades of faithful service. For the example of ‘Spiritualism in Action’ that they truly embodied throughout their physical lives.
Their legacy was woven naturally throughout the celebrations, reminding everyone present that churches are never defined solely by their buildings, but by the people who dedicate themselves so freely to their service.
Long-time collaborators, Paul Jacobs CSNU and Su Wood LSSNU, presented a demonstration of spirit art mediumship as part of the day’s programme. (photos © Kyle Pedley @ SNU 2026).
As the formal proceedings drew to a close, few people seemed in any hurry to leave.
Small groups gathered once more around the historical displays, lingering over photographs and newspaper cuttings that had sparked so many memories throughout the day. Others remained talking with visiting mediums, committee members and old friends. Conversations that had begun over morning refreshments simply continued into the warmth of a summer early evening.
Outside, the intense heat of the afternoon had begun to soften.
Inside, there remained a quiet sense of fulfilment.
Representatives from churches across the country had travelled to Stourbridge to celebrate what many had described as a beacon of modern Spiritualism.
Yet for all the church’s reputation, the lasting impression was not one of prestige.
It was one of service. The service of committee members who quietly devote countless hours behind the scenes. The service of healers who continue to comfort those in need. The service of mediums, speakers and tutors who generously share their gifts and bring the truth and light of Spiritualism and its Principles to others.
And the service of volunteers who, week after week, unlock the doors, welcome strangers and ensure that churches such as Stourbridge continue to flourish.
Reflecting upon the day, Lynn Edwards perhaps captured its deeper meaning best.
“What a milestone. What an honour and a privilege to have been part of this, promoting the words and deeds of Spiritualism at its best—a real Brotherhood of Man.”
Looking towards the future, she added:
“Let us look forward and build a great future for the next generation of those who seek the truth and self-development within our church through the dedication of all those who have made it possible.”
In many ways, it is why the centenary felt so significant, for it celebrated a remarkable history without becoming overly nostalgic or blind to the future.
Throughout the day there remained a quiet confidence that Stourbridge’s finest years need not be behind it. The younger faces among the congregation, the dedication of today’s committee and the warmth shown to every visitor all suggested a church firmly focused upon the future, while never forgetting those who made that future possible.
And as it all drew to a close, Lynn left those gathered with words that seemed to encapsulate not only the centenary itself, but the spirit of the church across the last hundred years.
“We stand on the shoulders of giants.”
It was a fitting conclusion.
The centenary celebrated one remarkable church, but it also celebrated the countless volunteers, workers and congregations who continue to keep Spiritualism alive throughout the Union. Stourbridge’s story may be unique, yet the values it represents – service, welcome, dedication and community – are shared by Spiritualist churches everywhere.
As Minister Jackie Wright so eloquently summarised:
“I was very proud to take to the platform at Stourbridge for this special day… as President of the Union, as a Minister.
“But most of all, as a Spiritualist.”
by Kyle Pedley, SNU Communications.
first published Friday 26th June 2026.
For more information on Stourbridge Spiritualist Church, please visit their Official Website, or consider following their Facebook Page!
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