Our Home and Roots
The Portland New Church was officially constituted on August 21, 1831, as The Portland Society of the New Jerusalem, by a group who had begun meeting to read and discuss the writings of Emmanuel Swedenborg.
Interest in the church grew slowly until 1850 when the Rev. William B. Hayden began a 25-year pastorate. During that time the church grew to 183 members and a new church was constructed on High Street.
The current building, which houses the present church, was completed in April of 1910, intended as a parish hall. The denomination itself was founded in 18th century England.
Portland New Church became the Maine Center for Sacred Arts in 2026. Learn more.
Our Roots: Emanuel Swedenborg
Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) was a Swedish scientist, philosopher, and theologian. Recognized as a "universal genius" or "Renaissance man", Swedenborg was a mathematician, geologist, metallurgist, minerologist, anatomist, botanist, chemist, physicist, cosmologist, astronomer, an author, inventor, legislator, mining engineer, economist, editor, a poet, and a musician.
He came up with engineering designs, anatomical discoveries, and psychological insights that were way before his time, and was very well respected.
However, in his fifties, Swedenborg had a spiritual awakening that opened a deep and clear-eyed perspective into the spiritual realm. With great care and intention toward accuracy, Swedenborg wrote and published 25 volumes of insights and information gained through this engagement with the spiritual realm. He did this with urgency and great dedication, offering what he found to be a much needed message to the whole human race.
Swedenborg’s Vision
How to bring heaven to earth, or what constitutes heaven on earth, as pure Love and wisdom. Swedenborg stated that the Christian church is finished as we know it (not denying Christ’s message and reality), and there’s a needed shift of spiritual connection in that there is a oneness in the spirit of Love and understanding experienced individually, embracing/honoring diversity, while recognizing and engaging, in resonance, with one’s community.
Resources
The PNC's Approach to Swedenborgian Philosophy
Although Swedenborg didn't intend his findings, and very extensive documentation, to spawn a religion in his name, those who resonated with the gift he was offering did come together to form The New Church. Swedenborg was raised a Christian, so his exploration of the spiritual realm is conveyed in Christian terms. However, he himself turned away from what Christianity had become in his day and age, as he was given what seemed to be a more true and wise view of Christ consciousness and spiritual reality. One of the main tenets of Swedenborg's findings underscores how each of us is our own closest and most direct link to God, Enlightenment, or Divine Truth and Wisdom.
Four basic truths offered by Swedenborg are:
- The church is within us, not a building or dictates outside of us
- Divine love and wisdom is the essence of life
- We are what we love, so we need to examine what we really love, being honest, as whatever that is, is the direction we go in
- Important to be useful, and every effort is useful
With that in mind, the spectrum of Swedenborgian churches ranges broadly, just as those of Christian followers. From something similar to conservative Christian leanings, where the words of Swedenborg's writings are followed closely, adhering to a literal interpretation (General Church)... to a more liberal, or personal interpretation, of Swedenborg's perspective (General Convention). This is to say that, the PNC is a very liberal church. We freely embrace Swedenborg's perspective because, in some way, this resonates well with our own sense of Truth and Wisdom. In this congregation, we also explore and debate aspects of Swedenborg's work which may not set well, but are intriguing. And often we make connections between Swedenborg's findings and the Truth and Wisdom we see in other spiritual teachings.
Each member of the PNC congregation has their own way of seeing, understanding, and resonating with Swedenborg. We learn about and explore facets of Swedenborg's work and his influence on prominent people in history by researching and sharing what we find during 2nd Sunday services.
