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Keeping the Spirit Alive: Reverend Todd Leonard on the Legacy and Future of Spiritualism at Camp Chesterfield.
In a wide-ranging and insightful two-hour conversation, Reverend Todd Leonard—long-time Japan resident and spiritualist scholar—shares a deep dive into the living history of spiritualism, focusing on his experiences with Camp Chesterfield, a historic spiritualist community in Indiana. From his mentorship under respected mediums to the challenges facing modern mediumship, Todd offers a rare, detailed look at a faith tradition rooted in evidential spirit communication, inclusivity, and lived experience. A Spiritualist in Japan, Anchored in Indiana. Though he’s lived in Japan for decades, Reverend Todd remains deeply connected to Camp Chesterfield through academic research, mentorship, and active participation. He speaks with reverence about the camp’s enduring influence and its role in preserving the spiritualist tradition. Todd outlines the rich legacy of figures like the Fox Sisters, pioneers of spiritualist communication, and the Bangs Sisters, known for their precipitation art—spiritually manifested portraits. These figures, among others, helped shape a community where the unseen was not only believed but directly experienced. What Sets Spiritualism Apart? At its core, spiritualism is evidential—its practitioners don’t just believe in spirit communication, they seek proof through detailed, verifiable messages from the spirit world. This distinguishes spiritualism from other religions that rely heavily on faith without evidence. Todd describes this as a profoundly experiential practice, where truth comes not from dogma, but direct contact. Spiritualism also stands out for its inclusiveness. It has historically supported progressive causes such as abolition, women’s rights, and LGBTQ+ inclusion, weaving social reform into its spiritual fabric. From Reiki to Mediumship: A Personal Journey Todd’s path began with Reiki healing, but over time he was drawn deeper into mediumship. He gravitated toward mental mediumship, which involves receiving intuitive impressions and messages. Now, he’s working to expand his abilities into trance mediumship, a more immersive and challenging form of spirit communication that requires surrendering conscious control. Mentors like Reverend Glenda and Sarah Brown were instrumental in his development, guiding him through courses, practice circles, and one-on-one sessions. Todd emphasizes that mediumship is a long journey—it’s not something you learn once and master, but a skill honed over years with continuous education. Camp Chesterfield: More Than a Place For Todd, Camp Chesterfield is not just a physical location—it’s a spiritual hub and cultural time capsule. The camp houses rare artifacts, like the Fox Sisters’ diaries, and maintains an active museum and archives. But it’s also adapting to the times, using tools like QR codes to make exhibits more accessible and working to digitize fragile historical documents. Despite its historic charm, Camp Chesterfield faces modern pressures: aging infrastructure, the decline of physical mediumship practices, and the challenge of engaging younger generations. Mediumship: Then and Now Todd discusses the once-common phenomena of physical mediumship—like spirit trumpets, ectoplasm, and precipitation art—that are now rare. He attributes the decline to shifts in lifestyle and environment: processed diets, electromagnetic interference, and a lack of the intense spiritual focus that earlier mediums often had. Still, mental mediumship remains strong, supported by educational efforts like those of the Universal Spiritualist Association and retreats that provide hands-on experience. Modernizing the Message Despite its spiritual roots in the 19th century, spiritualism is evolving. The community has embraced digital tools, from online services to archive digitization, and is exploring ways to make spiritualist education more accessible globally. These efforts are helping Camp Chesterfield stay relevant and vibrant in the 21st century. Truth and Trust: The Fight Against FraudWith the rise of social media and internet misinformation, Todd stresses the importance of discernment. Fraudulent mediumship not only deceives seekers but undermines the legitimacy of genuine practitioners. Camp Chesterfield, he says, is vigilant in upholding ethical standards—ensuring that the sacred trust between medium and recipient remains intact. 🔍 Highlights
Final Thoughts Reverend Todd Leonard’s reflections offer a compelling portrait of spiritualism as a living tradition—one that bridges past and present, faith and proof, individual growth and communal support. Through Camp Chesterfield and communities like it, the spirit of spiritualism endures, adapting to modern challenges while staying rooted in its core values of truth, experience, and inclusivity. As spiritualism continues to evolve, voices like Todd’s help ensure that its message remains clear, relevant, and grounded in both history and heart. Below are all the links to websites Rev Todd mentioned: https://ulib.iupui.edu/digitalcollections/CampChesterfield The above is the digital collection of Camp Chesterfield in the IUPUI library. They got a grant to do this. https://campchesterfield.net/oral-history-project/ Above is an oral history project for mediums at Camp Chesterfield where Rev Todd is interviewed. https://youtu.be/ERhmbJVEEN4 Above is a link to a documentary done by a Hollywood crew, featuring Rev Todd, about Camp Chesterfield and John Fetzer who attended Camp from 1934-1974. He was one of the richest men in America at one time. https://campchesterfield.net/hett-art-gallery-museum/ The Hett Art Gallery and Museum at Camp Chesterfield. https://youtu.be/H2nkKji0gF8 Here is a tour of the grounds and buildings, with the history of Camp Chesterfield.
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