The Assembly    The Assembly is an ecclesiastical governing body, incorporated by a special act of Legislature of the State of New York, Laws of 1914, with jurisdiction in several states of the United States of America and the Dominion of Canada. It is empowered to issue charters to churches and auxiliaries. It is empowered to ordain ministers with the right to perform the marriage ceremony and all other offices of the church. It has the right to extend its operations to the several states of the United States of America and the Dominion of Canada. The status of its churches and ministers is the same as that of all other religious denominations, having the highest authority that may be vested by law in any religious body. Its tenets are those accepted by Spiritualists of the world. It supports freedom of thought in religion, and adheres to the American principle of separation of Church and State, opposing and legislative effort of compulsory religious training in the public school system. It recognizes the demonstration of magnetic and spiritual healing as one of the tenets of Spiritualism. It recognizes the gift of prophecy, clairvoyance, trance and other forms of mediumship. It is governed by a Constitution duly adopted by a convention of its member churches. Its policies between annual conventions of the member churches are formulated by a Board of Directors elected at annual convention. The General assembly believes in the advancement of the Spiritualist religion as an idealistic, humanitarian, and inspiring movement, that gives aid to the sick, through spiritual healing, and aid to the sound of body, by well founded hope and faith. The General Assembly is firmly and permanently opposed to all fraudulent and dishonest imitations of real mediumship, and to the sensational display thereof. The ideal of the General Assembly is continually to raise the standards of the Spiritualist movement, to encourage study classes, reading courses, dissemination of Spiritualist literature, and research work, to the end that others may learn of the reality of the Spirit World and its meaning to mankind. Declaration of Principles We believe in Infinite Intelligence. We believe that the phenomena of nature, both physical and spiritual are the expression of infinite intelligence. We affirm that a correct understanding of such expression and living in accordance therewith constitute true religion. We affirm that the existence and personal identity of the individual continues after the change called "Death". We affirm that communication with the so-called "dead" is a fact, scientifically proven by the phenomena of Spiritualism. We believe that the highest morality is contained in the Golden Rule: "Whatsoever ye would that others should do unto you, do ye also unto them". We affirm the moral responsibility of the individual and that he makes his own happiness or unhappiness as he obeys or disobeys Nature's Physical and Spiritual Laws. We affirm that the doorway to reformation is never closed against any human soul, here or hereafter.   www.generalassemblyofspiritualists.com   • Material Copyright © General Assembly of Spiritualists Legal Stuff This site requires a Java-enabled browser best viewed 800x600 CE