Spiritual church movement
Encyclopedia
The spiritual church movement is an informal name for a group of loosely allied and also independent Spiritualist church
es and Spiritualist denominations that have in common the fact that they have been historically based in the African American
community. Many of them owe their origin to the evangelical work of Leafy Anderson
. a Black religious leader of the early 20th century who was born in Wisconsin
and in 1913 founded the Eternal Life Christian Spiritualist Association. In 1920 she relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana
, where she demonstrated mediumship
by bringing messages from her spirit guide
Black Hawk
, a historical war leader of the Native American
Sauk tribe, who had lived near where she was born.
Although the churches founded by Anderson are often associated with New Orleans, the spiritual church movement has always been national in scope. It spread quickly throughout America during the 1920s, and one impetus for its diffusion was the fact that in 1922, the National Spiritualist Association of Churches
expelled or made unwelcome all of its Black members. This led to the formation of a national group called the Colored Spiritualist Association of Churches, and within a few years there were Black Spiritualist churches in Chicago
, Detroit, Philadelphia, and many other cities. During the decade preceding World War II
, the Spiritual churches of New York City
were well documented in print and film.
At the present time, the spiritual church movement encompasses primarily churches which are influenced by Protestant Christian
worship styles, especially Baptist
and Pentecostal praise music, as well as churches that contain a great deal of Catholic
imagery, including the veneration of saint
s.
It is common usage to distinguish spiritual church movement churches from other, often less explicitly Christian, Spiritualist churches, by the use of the name "Spiritual" rather than "Spiritualist" in their titles. This naming convention is found in mid 20th century books such as "How To Conduct a Candle Light Service" by Mikhail Strabo and Rev. Adele Clemens of Divine Harmony Spiritual Church. It is also notable in the names of Christian Spiritualist denominations within the Spiritual Church Movement, such as the Metropolitan Spiritual Churches of Christ, founded in 1925, Pentecostal Spiritual Assemblies of Christ Worldwide, founded in 1938 (whose motto is "Pentecostal by Birth, Spiritual by Lifestyle, Apostolic by Experience, and Christian by Demand. A Spiritual Church... On a Spiritual Foundation... Walking in the Supernatural..."), and Universal Hagar's Spiritual Church, founded in the 1920s, which also operates the Hagar’s School of Mediumship and Psychology.
Spiritualist Church
A Spiritualist church is a church affiliated with the informal Spiritualist movement which began in the United States of America in the 1840s. Spiritualist churches are now found around the world, but are most common in English-speaking countries, while in Latin America, where a form of...
es and Spiritualist denominations that have in common the fact that they have been historically based in the African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
community. Many of them owe their origin to the evangelical work of Leafy Anderson
Leafy Anderson
Mother Leafy Anderson was born in Wisconsin in the 19th century. She was a Spiritualist, and her mediumship included contact with the spirit of the Native American war chief Black Hawk, who had lived in Illinois and Wisconsin, Anderson's home state.She was the founder of the Spiritual Church...
. a Black religious leader of the early 20th century who was born in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and in 1913 founded the Eternal Life Christian Spiritualist Association. In 1920 she relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, where she demonstrated mediumship
Mediumship
Mediumship is described as a form of communication with spirits. It is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Voodoo and Umbanda.- Concept :...
by bringing messages from her spirit guide
Spirit guide
"Spirit guide" is a term used by the Western tradition of Spiritualist Churches, mediums, and psychics to describe an entity that remains a disincarnate spirit in order to act as a guide or protector to a living incarnated human being....
Black Hawk
Black Hawk (chief)
Black Hawk was a leader and warrior of the Sauk American Indian tribe in what is now the United States. Although he had inherited an important historic medicine bundle, he was not one of the Sauk's hereditary civil chiefs...
, a historical war leader of the Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
Sauk tribe, who had lived near where she was born.
Although the churches founded by Anderson are often associated with New Orleans, the spiritual church movement has always been national in scope. It spread quickly throughout America during the 1920s, and one impetus for its diffusion was the fact that in 1922, the National Spiritualist Association of Churches
National Spiritualist Association of Churches
The National Spiritualist Association of Churches is one of the oldest and largest of the Spiritualist churches in the United States. It was formed in 1893 in Chicago, Illinois. Among its leaders were Harrison D. Barrett and James M. Peebles, both former Unitarian clergymen, and Cora L. Richmond,...
expelled or made unwelcome all of its Black members. This led to the formation of a national group called the Colored Spiritualist Association of Churches, and within a few years there were Black Spiritualist churches in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Detroit, Philadelphia, and many other cities. During the decade preceding World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Spiritual churches of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
were well documented in print and film.
At the present time, the spiritual church movement encompasses primarily churches which are influenced by Protestant Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
worship styles, especially Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
and Pentecostal praise music, as well as churches that contain a great deal of Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
imagery, including the veneration of saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s.
It is common usage to distinguish spiritual church movement churches from other, often less explicitly Christian, Spiritualist churches, by the use of the name "Spiritual" rather than "Spiritualist" in their titles. This naming convention is found in mid 20th century books such as "How To Conduct a Candle Light Service" by Mikhail Strabo and Rev. Adele Clemens of Divine Harmony Spiritual Church. It is also notable in the names of Christian Spiritualist denominations within the Spiritual Church Movement, such as the Metropolitan Spiritual Churches of Christ, founded in 1925, Pentecostal Spiritual Assemblies of Christ Worldwide, founded in 1938 (whose motto is "Pentecostal by Birth, Spiritual by Lifestyle, Apostolic by Experience, and Christian by Demand. A Spiritual Church... On a Spiritual Foundation... Walking in the Supernatural..."), and Universal Hagar's Spiritual Church, founded in the 1920s, which also operates the Hagar’s School of Mediumship and Psychology.