Spiritualist Church of Canada (SCC) A parent body for Canadian spiritualist organizations, with a dozen affiliated congregations located in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba. Originally named the Spiritualists’ National Union of Canada (SNU), the organization changed its name to the Spiritualist Church of Canada (SCC) in 1978. Membership consists of both churches and individuals. It is a registered charitable organization within Canada.
The SCC educates and ordains spiritualist ministers, who are licensed to perform marriages in Ontario and British Columbia.
The Spiritualists’ National Union of Canada was incorporated under Canadian federal law on April 27, 1929. Originally, it was affiliated with the Spiritualists’ National Union of Great Britain. The SNU headquarters were in Toronto at the Britten Memorial Church of Canada, named after spiritualist Medium Emma Hardinge Britten (1823–1899), founder of the organization that later became the SNU of Great Britain. Later the headquarters moved to the East Hamilton Spiritual Church, Hamilton, Ontario.
In 1974, most of the remaining churches of the NATIONAL SPIRitualIST ASSOCIATION OF CANADA, which had been founded in 1928 at Toronto, merged with the SNU. Much of the history of Canada’s national spiritualist organizations has revolved around the struggle to obtain the same privileges as enjoyed by other religions for affiliated churches and ministers, including the right to perform marriages and to be recognized as charitable organizations. The SNU implemented a course of education and accreditation for spiritualist workers in all aspects of the religion. In 1981, the SCC received marriage rights for its ministers within Ontario.
FURTHER READING:
- Lowe, Joy, and Walter Meyer zu Erpen. “The Canadian Spiritualist Movement and Sources for Its Study.” Archivaria 30, edited by Debra Barr (Summer 1990): 71–84.
- Spiritualist Church of Canada. Available online. URL: https:// www.spiritualistchurchofcanada.com. Downloaded October 10, 2006.
SOURCE:
The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits– Written by Rosemary Ellen Guiley – September 1, 2007