A History of Stourbridge National Spiritualist Church

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From that day on, our friendship grew, developing into a bond of deep trust and affection. I often spoke to him about the need to set down his unique experiences in a book. But Eric, ever humble and self-effacing, was reluctant, believing it would be too egocentric a thing to do. On August 9, 2009 Eric was presented with a “Lifetime Achievement Award for Services to Spiritualism” in a service at Stourbridge attended by 200 well-wishers, including SNU leaders. The second of those occurred early in 2008 when Eric Hatton walked into my office at Psychic News. Our meeting was intended to be brief, but I recall that we talked for about two hours, non-stop. I listened spellbound to his accounts of the great mediums and speakers he had known, plying him with questions, recognising that he possessed a depth of knowledge, experience and wisdom unmatched by anyone in the Movement.

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It was evidence of this calibre that first persuaded Eric, in the 1940s, that not only do we all survive death but communication between this world and the next is a reality.

Awards were given out to members who have devoted decades to the Union Street church on Saturday November 26. Eric, who by then was involved with local orthodox churches, was highly sceptical but Laura was open-minded, having met a young man who told her of his regular visits to a Spiritualist church on the outskirts of Birmingham. She met her brother’s scepticism with this retort: “Well, you challenge it, and find out whether it’s really true that people who die continue to live in another dimension.” Eric was a true gentleman, a man of great peace, wisdom and compassion and what he didn’t know about Spiritualism wasn’t probably worth knowing,” said Mark Stone. And Dawn Brooks described him as “the most wonderful, inspiring gentleman and the embodiment of spirituality”. In addition to all his dedicated services, most of them performed in the public eye, Eric and Heather were both trustees on a number of charities, most notably the JV Trust which gave millions of pounds for renovations to the Arthur Findlay College, also known as Stansted Hall, and financial support to numerous churches.

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Much of Eric Hatton’s life story would have been lost to us had it not been for the encouragement of Susan Farrow, when she was Editor of Psychic News, to commit it to paper and share it with a wider audience. Here’s how it happened: In a life that spanned almost nine decades, it is inevitable that most memories of Eric Hatton will be associated with the past and with people who have long since passed to the spirit world. But Eric, who had a mischievous sense of humour and was great company, was also very modern in his outlook. And with that conviction came a determination to comfort whenever he could others who were grieving and to encourage them to explore the spiritual implications that came with that knowledge. Theirs was a remarkable, loving partnership that was never self-centred: service to others was paramount in their lives. As well as playing key roles in their local church at Stourbridge, West Midlands, and becoming trustees of Spiritualist charities, they also made time to assist individuals on a personal level. Heather often used her psychic gifts to help others and Eric said that he never recalled her taking money for those sittings.At Stourbridge, we are proud to be a Spiritualist Church of truly international standing and recognition. Over the course of the past Century, we have been honoured to be the regular home of some of the most gifted and celebrated mediums, speakers, healers and teachers of our time. It is impossible to express my feelings on the physical loss of my beloved companion. I know only two things: that we shall never see his like again, and that I have been more fortunate and blessed than I could ever possibly have imagined or deserved.” One can only imagine the greeting he would have received in the spirit world from those he worked with for decades in promoting the truths of Spiritualism: mediums, healers, speakers and, above all, his wife Heather (pictured with him, right), who had made the same journey eight years earlier, following her death in June 2007. It brought enormous comfort to the Hattons and Eric later described the message as “the cream on the cake” because “from that point on I became absolutely convinced of the continuity of life”. For the last few years of his earthly life I was profoundly privileged to share a home with Eric as his companion and helper. Those years were beset by health problems, some extremely serious and debilitating, yet all borne with the gracious, patient and indomitable spirit that so epitomised the man who became known as Spiritualism’s elder statesman.

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As a hub for Modern Spiritualism in all of its many facets and forms, we welcome anyone and everyone to come along to one of our Demonstrations, Services, Workshops, Healing sessions and all other manner of activity and events, to share in the love and light of our affirming, inclusive religion. It was at Stourbridge Spiritualist Church that Eric Hatton first saw Gordon Higginson demonstrating mediumship Join us at Stourbridge for an evening's demonstration of mediumship with the superlative Chris Drew! Jamie Beech, his grandson, wrote: “So sad to lose my grandfather this weekend but knowing he is free of pain and suffering makes this all a lot easier. Words can’t describe what he was to me so I will just say, he was my inspiration, hero and best friend all at the same time.”Over the course of the past Century, our beautiful Church - based in the heart of the West Midlands, UK - has grown to become one of the most respected and prolific centres of Spiritualism, Mediumship and the Psychic Sciences in the World. Eric and his fellow JV Trustees, Hugh and Margaret Davis, also rescued and helped relaunch Psychic News as a magazine, after its demise as a newspaper in 2010. In doing so, he was able to keep a promise he made to the publication’s founder, Maurice Barbanell, that he would do whatever he could to keep Psychic News in print if it ever encountered difficulties.

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As Modern Spiritualism moves into the 21st Century, we continue to be excited by and dedicated to the excellent work of the spirit carried out within our Church and its neighbouring communities. Some time later, Eric and Laura went to Stourbridge Spiritualist Church to hear a medium who had just come out of the Army. His name was Gordon Higginson and the remarkable evidence he provided impressed everyone, though Eric and Laura were not among the recipients. A few weeks later, however, a letter from the secretary of Longton Spiritualist Church, near Stoke-on-Trent, arrived at their home. Such was the strength and power of the bond of our intertwined lives that I felt deep within myself that she would do her utmost to take away my hurt and prove she was near,” Eric wrote in his autobiography, Taking Up The Challenge (2010), adding: Since being ordained an SNU Minister on 2 April 1976 – an office that requires sponsorship and special qualities as well as placing various responsibilities on those on whom it is bestowed – Eric had also been in demand to conduct weddings, naming ceremonies, funerals and other events not only at Stourbridge but in other churches, too.I’ve had only two what I call ‘lightbulb’ moments in my life – those extraordinary spine-tingling encounters where there is an instant recognition and ‘knowing’ of a person you’ve never physically met before,” Sue explains. The subject was first raised by his older brother, Bert, when home on leave from the Royal Air Force. He told Eric and their sister, Laura, that whilst working on Catalina and Sunderland flying boats he and other crew members had “seen” colleagues who had been killed in aircraft accidents. They even experienced these phantom airmen walking straight through them. His commercial skills – he was a successful businessman – were also in demand within the Spiritualist movement. Eric was president of Stourbridge Spiritualist Church for almost half a century, from 1963 until he stepped down in 2011, but had held other posts at the church since 1948. At the time of his passing he was honorary president. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience – the local community.