You may have noticed at Thundersley we do not charge an annual membership fee. Anyone who chooses to enter our Church is considered a ‘member’. Here’s why:
While some Spiritualist churches charge a membership fee to cover the costs of running their churches, including maintenance and utilities, purchasing supplies and other expenses, at Thundersley it has long been stated in our Constitution that there is to be no membership fee.
This was a decision taken by the founders of the church and maintained ever since. While we can’t be entirely sure of the original reasons behind this, Trustees of the Church in modern times have maintained this commitment because it reduces the financial barrier of those who need to access what our church offers.
The church constitution and policy sets out a requirement to maintain the Sunday Divine Service with a free-will donation ONLY. This has also recently included our Online Service which can be accessed freely, making the Church more accessible to everyone.
Spiritual Healing is also offered free-of-charge.
However, we still have the same expenses as any other Church and taking this approach means we are more reliant on those who can make kind donations to do so.
We’re lucky to have excellent support from those in our community who can offer donations, and all our Church Helpers, Committee and Trustees volunteer their time to the church.
We host some events with the specific aim of Fundraising, and occasionally organise campaigns to achieve a specific goal, such as for the new chairs or carpet.
As a non-profit organisation, our excess money is used to further the church goals in-line with the constitution and policy. Financial accounts are presented at the AGM each year.
So if you have an interest in Spiritualism you are welcome to come along to any service or event to find out more!
