Psychic church gets a little too spirited

Nobody, reportedly, saw it coming, although the congregation of Australia's oldest spiritualist church includes psychics and clairvoyants.

Now the church is riven by internecine warfare, involving a lockout of members and claims of theft, vandalism and biker gang infiltration.

The crisis at Enmore Spiritualist Church, in suburban Sydney, began when the long-time president, the Rev Patricia Cleary, was ousted as treasurer by a fellow member, Chorel Terelinck. When Terelinck examined the books, she discovered petty cash missing and doctored receipts, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

An independent accounting review uncovered unreceipted expenditure of A$45,000 ($56,480) between 2006 and last year, when Cleary, 87, was president. When confronted, Cleary said "a spirit must have taken the money", Terelinck told the Sydney Morning Herald. Cleary accused the church secretary, Symn Waters, of removing the receipts.

In September, Enmore's 46 members voted narrowly to remove Cleary as president and call an election. She refused to accept the vote, changed the locks, shut the church and installed one of her supporters as caretaker. Other supporters have suggested Waters belongs to the Comancheros biker gang, which he denies.

Cleary has engaged a lawyer and is embarking on legal action.

The church holds two weekly services, plus meditation classes, seances and tarot readings.

But now its doors are closed. Terelinck said: "I know we're meant to be psychics, but none of us saw this coming."