Volunteer Work at the Spiritist Center

Pedro Arthur

Volunteer work at the Spiritist Center and the conduct of those who serve in the vineyard of good are fundamental pillars for the dissemination and practical consolidation of the Spiritist Doctrine. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon to encounter a shortage of volunteers and people willing to contribute to the work.

Kardec makes it clear that one of the foundations of our progress is the practice of charity.¹ Not merely material charity, which is the easiest to practice, but also the kind that involves giving of oneself, one’s time, and what one holds most valuable.

All of us who are Spiritists are workers of the eleventh hour—the ones recruited at the eleventh hour to work in the Lord’s vineyard. However, the Spirit Constantino warns us: “The workers of the last hour have a right to their wages, but their willingness has to have put them at the disposal of the master who was to hire them, and their tardiness must not have been the result of laziness or ill will.”²

Far from being a passive feeling, goodwill is the driving force that pulls us out of spiritual inertia and propels us toward meaningful work. Drawing on the teachings of the Spirit Emmanuel in the book Pão Nosso,³ we can understand it as the initial impulse that activates personal effort and attunes us to the currents of good. We often stagnate on our evolutionary journey while waiting for ideal conditions or great revelations, forgetting that genuine progress is built through the simplicity of everyday life. Having goodwill means accepting the invitation to do the best we can with the resources we already possess, transforming Gospel teachings into living action within the sphere of influence in which the Lord has placed us.

In light of this situation, it is worth asking ourselves: Are we truly engaged in service? How can we attract more volunteers? How can we help people become aware of the importance of working for good, supporting the initiatives already underway at the Spiritist Center, or even establishing new ones?

We could propose a three-stage process: recruiting new workers, training those already involved, and, finally, having the more experienced members place their trust in newcomers.

Recruiting volunteers for the Spiritist cause differs from purely promotional methods or those based on emotional appeals. Kardec teaches that the organization of a Spiritist group should rely on the participation of “true Spiritists, since the first duty the Doctrine imposes is charity and benevolence.”⁴

Recruitment takes place primarily through example and invitations to systematic study. New workers are identified among those who attend public meetings and demonstrate a commitment to moral self-improvement. This means avoiding the inclusion of individuals driven merely by curiosity about spiritual phenomena or by fleeting enthusiasm, as they tend to abandon the work when faced with the first demands of discipline and perseverance.⁵

The training of those engaged in Spiritist activities is an ongoing doctrinal requirement. Given its analytical and critical nature, the Spiritist Doctrine rejects amateurism and naïve mysticism. However, the training offered by institutions should not be limited to the technical or theoretical aspects of spiritual phenomena; its primary focus must be the moral education of the worker.⁶

Training involves an in-depth study of the foundational works, an understanding of the mechanisms of the Spiritist Center’s spiritual ecosystem, as well as its particular characteristics, and the development of self-discipline in dealing with those receiving assistance and fellow team members. A well-trained worker understands that a volunteer’s greatest authority lies in their continued efforts toward moral transformation.⁶

Trust is the test of maturity for both leadership and the institution itself. Delegating a task means granting a trained worker the autonomy to carry it out with personal responsibility. Excessive centralization of responsibilities in the hands of a few leaders reveals a lack of faith in the support of higher spiritual beings and hinders the development of new leaders within the center.

Trust does not mean a lack of supervision. Rather, it means providing a safe environment in which workers can apply their knowledge, face the challenges of their duties, and mature through their own efforts. It is through trust that volunteers strengthen their commitment to the Spiritist cause and experience the joy of being active instruments in the work of good.

The process of training and the maturation of workers in the Spiritist cause finds a historical parallel in the Gospel account of John Mark, as reported in the Acts of the Apostles and Paul’s Epistles. During the first missionary journey undertaken by Paul and Barnabas, the young John Mark joined the team as an assistant, helping with practical tasks. However, when they reached Perga in Pamphylia,⁷ Mark—overcome by immaturity, fear of the journey’s harsh difficulties, or discouragement in the face of the demands of sacrifice—left the group and returned to Jerusalem. His decision amounted to a voluntary abandonment of the mission at a time of great need, causing immediate difficulties for the group.

Later, when planning a new journey to strengthen the newly established churches, a disagreement arose between Paul and Barnabas over doctrine and team management.⁸ Barnabas proposed taking John Mark with them again, offering him a second chance. Paul, however, categorically refused to travel with someone who had deserted the previous mission. The disagreement was so severe that it led to the separation of the two apostles: Paul continued with Silas, while Barnabas took Mark under his care and sailed for Cyprus.

Barnabas put the principle of second chances into practice. By taking John Mark to Cyprus—a familiar and safe territory—he offered the young man an environment conducive to rebuilding his self-confidence and developing his character, away from the direct pressures of Paul’s missionary company.

The effectiveness of Barnabas’s compassionate approach became evident years later. John Mark completed his moral and spiritual transformation, becoming one of the most important collaborators of the Early Church.

Paul of Tarsus himself, in his spiritual maturity, reconsidered his earlier judgment. In his final letters, written while imprisoned in Rome, the Apostle to the Gentiles publicly rehabilitated Mark, including him among his closest collaborators and making a historic request for support in his letter to Timothy: “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.”⁹ Mark, restored to good standing and now mature, left humanity the legacy of writing one of the oldest Gospels in Christendom.

In today’s Spiritist Centers, the example of John Mark and Barnabas should inspire the way volunteers who fail, become discouraged, or temporarily withdraw from their duties are treated. The process of preparing a worker requires patience, tolerance, and the wisdom to welcome sincere repentance, providing the conditions for the gradual maturation of every Spirit called to serve the cause of good.

[1] KARDEC, Allan. The Gospel According to Spiritism. Translated by Guillon Ribeiro. 131st ed. Brasília: Brazilian Spiritist Federation (FEB), 2013. Chapter XV (“Outside Charity There Is No Salvation”), items 1–10.
[2] KARDEC, Allan. The Gospel According to Spiritism. Chapter XX (“The Workers of the Lord”), item 2 (“Instructions from the Spirits: The Workers of the Eleventh Hour,” Spirit Constantino, Paris, 1863).
[3] EMMANUEL (Spirit); XAVIER, Francisco Cândido (Medium). Pão Nosso. 28th ed. Brasília: FEB, 2008. Chapter 66 (“Goodwill”).
[4] KARDEC, Allan. The Book on Mediums. Translated by Guillon Ribeiro. 81st ed. Brasília: FEB, 2008. Part Two, Chapter XXIX (“Spiritist Meetings and Societies”), items 334–348.
[5] KARDEC, Allan. Posthumous Works. Translated by Guillon Ribeiro. 41st ed. Brasília: FEB, 2007. Part Two, “The Constitution of Spiritism,” Section IV (“Adherents”).
[6] KARDEC, Allan. The Spirits’ Book. Translated by Guillon Ribeiro. 93rd ed. Brasília: FEB, 2008. Part Three, Chapter XII (“Moral Perfection”), item 919.
[7] HOLY BIBLE. Acts of the Apostles. Translated by João Ferreira de Almeida. Almeida Revised and Updated Version. Barueri: Brazilian Bible Society. Chapter 13, verse 13.
[8] HOLY BIBLE. Acts of the Apostles. Chapter 15, verses 36–40.
[9] HOLY BIBLE. Second Epistle to Timothy, chapter 4, verse 11; Epistle to the Colossians, chapter 4, verse 10; Epistle to Philemon, chapter 1, verse 24.