Those who are lucky enough to have met Elizabeth da Silva Stevenson (photo) will certainly agree that this sentence sums her up. Her warm smile and gentle manner are a reflection of her friendly personality, of someone who is always ready to help. Beth, a trained secretary and teacher, was born in Londrina, in Brazil’s southern Paraná state.

When did you move to Britain? 

I’ve been in London since 1990. I didn’t come to stay but of course I ended up becoming a resident, in accordance with the plans set up in the Spiritual World before this incarnation. 

What are the main duties you’ve had in Spiritism? 

I was for many years in charge of the library in Spiritist Centres and also worked as a healer. In Britain, I had the post of counsellor in the country’s official Spiritist Federation, BUSS – British Union of Spiritist Societies. I’m currently the president of the Fraternity Spiritist Society. 

Tell us about your first contact with Spiritism. 

My maternal grandmother was a medium and she used to take me a Spiritist Centre where she worked as a volunteer when I was a child.  

Was there a particular event or circumstance that led to you fully embracing Spiritism later in life? 

In 1994, when I was already living in London, someone gave me a book by Carlos Toledo Rizzini, called Evolução para o Terceiro Milênio (Evolution Towards the Third Millennium). Based on the bibliography in that book, I began to set up my own Spiritist library. It was only in 1997 that I began attending the meetings at the Fraternity. 

What was your family’s reaction? 

We are 13 brothers and sisters, all of us brought up as Catholics. But many eventually adopted other faiths. So we have in the family now Catholics, Lutherans, Mormons, Methodists and Evangelicals. I am the only Spiritist. 

Which of the three aspects of Spiritism – Science, Philosophy and Religion – means the most to you? 

In the beginning, I was drawn into Spiritism for its scientific approach. Now, the religious aspect is clearly the one that means the most to me. 

If you had to pick one particular Spiritist book, something you consider unforgettable, which one would that be? 

It’s difficult to pick one among so many wonderful books. But I would say I consider the book Boa Nova by Humberto de Campos, written in trance by Francisco C. Xavier, as a very special one, especially for those moments when you feel you’re missing Jesus and needs him closer to you. 

You’ve been the president of the Fraternity Spiritist Society for the last three years. What is it like to be in charge of a Spiritist group? 

The Fraternity was my first group and from day one I had the motivation to work hard and with a smile on my face. We, the Spiritists of the United Kingdom, face some big challenges. The main one is finding and being able to afford to pay for a place to meet, a room, which is normally rented per hour just for our public meetings. The other problem we have is the shortage of people available to work as volunteers. We wouldn’t be where we are without the amazing dedication of some of our members. But thank God we can rely on the benefit of patience and the support of our Spiritual Benefactors. 

The Fraternity was 20 years old in the beginning of March. Tells us a bit more about the history of this group. 

It was founded on March 1^st 1992 by Kleber and Lily Celadon, as the first bilingual group in the country. The meetings are held in Portuguese and English. It was also the first group here to open its doors to newcomers and Brazilian Spiritists. The group attracted a great number of regular members, who eventually founded other groups in Britain, such as the Solidarity Spiritist Group, the Sir William Crookes Spiritist Society, the Pathway to Light and the Spiritist Psychological Society. The British Spiritist Movement continues to expand, and that wouldn’t have happened without the initial push given by the Brazilians in the country. We are lucky to have so many Spiritist books available in Portuguese. Many have been translated and are still being translated into other languages. 

It took a long time for you to manage to get official Charity status for the group. What does it mean in practical terms?

To get the official recognition of our Charity status according to British law is a big achievement for us and for the whole Spiritist Movement. But we must bear in mind that we now have much bigger responsibility. All the paper work, the balance sheets etc. must be in order and available for the authorities in case they decide to check. 

What have you prepared to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the Fraternity Spiritist Society? 

We had a special guest from Brazil, Harold Dutra Dias, on March 4^th and 11^th. He’s a young judge who knows Aramaic, Greek and Hebrew and has done important studies on the Gospel of Jesus. His seminars, on “The Parables of Jesus” and “Apocalypse – Myth and Truth”, had simultaneous translation into English. Another guest this month is Gorete Newton, who comes from Switzerland to talk about “Suffering or Being Happy – Is there a choice?” And finally Charles Kempf, from France, speaking about “Drugs, the Youth and Alcohol – Challenges and Possibilities.” To find out more, check our webpage: http://www.fraternityspiritistsociety.org.uk/#/language/4558225847.