At Thundersley Christian Spiritualist Church, we are proud to be independent, but what does that mean and why do we think it benefits our church community?
What is an Independent Christian Spiritualist Church?
Essentially this means we are not formally affiliated to any third-party organisation, although you may recognise many of our principles and practices follow the wider Christian and Spiritualist movements.
There are several organised associations, federations and unions within the spiritualist movement, many of which do very good work. Many Churches are members of these bodies, governed by their rules and requirements but also benefiting from their support and resources.
In some cases this also means the church building and property is owned by the centralised organisation as their ‘asset’.
However, for us at Thundersley, autonomy is important because we recognise we serve the needs of our congregation, not a central organisation.
Why does Independence work better for us?
All our decisions are made by, and accountable to, the trustees and committee members who have a direct connection to the church. Decisions are transparent and made democratically.
Being closer to the community we serve, seeing each other regularly at events inside and outside the church, means we are best placed to run a Church that meets their needs.
It also means we can move quickly to changes in society so we can better serve our community, for example being one of the first Churches in the area to be registered for Same Sex Weddings.
We are structured as a not-for-profit corporation, registered at Companies House. This means any profits are used back within the Church and not given to shareholders or other stakeholders and governed by our clear Church Terms of Reference, Constitution and Policy.
There is also no ‘membership fee’ for congregation at our Church. Any person entering the church is equally welcome and can consider themselves part of our community. Read more: Why there is no “Membership Charge” at Thundersley CSC
A disadvantage of independence is that we don’t have access to large funds or resources from a central organisation. That’s why we rely so heavily on the generous fundraising efforts from our community!
A Network of Supportive Churches
Although we are not part of a big membership body, we still enjoy strong collaborative relationships with other churches in our area, and further afield.
This helps us to get an outside perspective on issues and support each others fundraising efforts.
Some recent examples include hosting a meeting at our Church when another was double-booked and coming together for a Joint Service for Peace.
We are always open to collaboration in love and light.
Summary
We are lucky to have strong community support at Thundersley and independence works for us. Having a small team, close to our community and strong governance means we operate a stable church that delivers for the people who rely on it.
We host many different types of events that everyone is welcome to attend, so we would love to see you at some! See What’s On.
