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ISF seeks healing and guidance
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LONDON. There are signs that the
new Executive Committee of the International Spiritualist Federation
(ISF) is starting to listen to its critics and intends to be more open
about its decisions. This follows criticisms and resignations in
response to its handling of the Mervyn Johnson (Wright) affair (search
on “Johnson” for the full story). It has also sought healing for itself
and for those who suffer abuse.
At the end of its Congress Week held in Eastbourne,
England, in June this year, some members went on a trip to the famous Harry
Edwards Healing Sanctuary at Shere, Surrey. In a press
release, the ISF states:
“Our members [at Eastbourne] unanimously requested those going on the
day trip ... on Saturday, 15 June, to ask for spiritual healing and
guidance for the ISF, and to ask especially for spiritual healing for
all victims of all forms of abuse – and spiritual healing for all
abusers.”
The press statement includes a photograph (above) of Executive Committee
members Steve Vogel, United States (left), Robin Hodson, United Kingdom
(right) and John Goldingham, vice president (centre) receiving healing
in the chapel of the Harry Edwards Healing Chapel.
The federation’s new vice president, John Goldingham, who divides his
time between his native New Zealand and Austria, was in England last
week for meetings with his ISF colleagues, which resulted in the
release of a separate press statement (16 July) dealing specifically with the resignation of the Spiritualists’ National Union (SNU) from the federation.
Goldingham also visited Judith Seaman, his SNU counterpart. His meeting with Seaman was not to discuss the union’s
resignation: it was simply a getting-to-know-you visit. But it
indicates the federation is now trying to build bridges to replace
those that were burned during the Johnson fiasco. It also indicates
that the hint of legal action, which the ISF said it was considering
over the SNU statement, has also been dropped.
In a subsequent wide-ranging discussion with www.ParanormalReview.com publisher
Roy Stemman, John Goldingham explained that the ISF’s apparent failure
to deal quickly with the fall-out from Johnson’s arrest and charges of
serious sexual misconduct, at a time when he was president, were due
largely to the federation’s bye-laws. It also needed to wait for the
result of Johnson’s two appeals against conviction.
He pointed out that Johnson was removed as president as soon as he was
charged with offences. To the dismay of many, however, Johnson was not
thrown out of the organisation, either at that point or when he was
found guilty and imprisoned some months later.
The ISF press statement explains that before an ISF life membership is
taken away (it has never happened before) specific regulations must be
followed, including a right to arbitration and also the right to
address fellow members in person or in writing.
That, says Goldingham (left), could be done only when members met at the
federation’s General Meeting. And since they take place only every two
years (biennially), there has been a long delay before it could be put
to a members’ vote – which, incidentally, then needed to be ratified by the
Executive Committee.
Instead of explaining to its critics that its hands were tied by its
bye-laws, its silence and apparent refusal to act over Johnson led to
growing dissent, resignations and even a report in The Times about the
row.
Whatever the rights and wrongs of the constitutional straightjacket
that made its Executive Committee appear feeble and misguided, it seems to accept
that its “No Comment” response to critics was a mistake. A new, open
policy is promised.
The ISF press statement also argues that the SNU’s concerns about the
way in which its president (to replace Mervyn Johnson) was chosen are unfounded,
insisting that it had followed legal advice in order to comply with its
bye-laws. It also disputes SNU comments on the placing of a motion on
its Biennial General Meeting (BGM) agenda; the way it had conducted its
affairs with the union; the administration of the federation and its
BGM; the presentation of accounts, and other issues. The full statement will, presumably, be posted to its website in due course.
An important bone of contention for the union and many others, inside
and outside the federation, is whether it will hold its Fraternal Week
in Sweden next year. Roy Stemman made it clear to Goldingham – who as
well as vice president is also now federation publicity officer – that
(as already stated in his Blog on this website) it would be a mistake
to do so until Johnson has served his sentence.
The ISF response is that Sweden was being considered for the 2009
Fraternal Week back in 2005, well before the Johnson affair blew up,
and it believes it has “a duty to support its members at this difficult
time and to go there to show that it does not in any way support any
form of abuse.”
This statement ignores the fact that some people interpret its decision to go to Sweden as a sign of support for Johnson, not those he abused.
Roy Stemman welcomed these indications of a change of attitude which –
along with a current review of its bye-laws – could bring about much
needed change to this long-established Spiritualist body.
But he commented, after his meeting with Goldingham: “The way in which
the ISF handles the still contentious issue of its planned Fraternal
Week in Sweden could still be a deciding factor in whether its recent
decline in membership continues, or if it can now look forward to
rebirth and international growth.” |
Posted on Sunday, July 20, 2008
Category: Spiritualism
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