The service includes healing and clairvoyance from the medium taking the service. But Haynes resident Brian Lloyd, who organised the church with friend Cherry Smith, was quick to debunk misconceptions about spiritualism.

He said: “We get involved in helping people, not just at church, but everybody. We’re not doctors and we don’t diagnose, all we do is try to give help.

“Some people think we sit in darkened rooms and shout ‘are you there’ and chant things, but if that was the case I’d soon be out of that door. There’s a myth but that myth doesn’t exist.”

Mr Lloyd, 62, runs psychic suppers at the Chequers in Wrestlingworth and decided to open the church as the Biggleswade area was not previously served by one.

It held its first service on Wednesday, and Mr Lloyd says he was ‘gobsmacked’ by the positive response, with around 50 people turning up.

He said: ”I’m absolutely over the moon, I’m so pleased.

“We are a proper church affiliated to the Christian Spiritualist Church. We’re not an organisation that’s kept under the carpet. We’re genuine and have codes of conduct, especially with the healing and bereavement and things.

“Everybody gets a gift in life. My gift is healing and sorting people out. I’ve always wanted to know which way I was travelling and I’ve been around mediums most of my days and I have known from when I was five really the powers I had been given to look after.”

The church will be able to offer marriages, funerals and even baptisms and takes place on Wednesday evenings at St Andrew’s Rooms in Biggleswade. There is a £2 entry fee to help meet costs. For more information call 07944 700821 or 07866 855075.