Colchester New Church
Encyclopedia
Colchester
New Church is located on 175-181 Maldon Road Colchester, CO3 3BL
Colchester
New Church has as its theological basis the Old
and New Testament
s and the theological writings of Emanuel Swedenborg
. Colchester New Church is part of the General Church of the New Jerusalem
.
1 That the Lord Jesus
Christ
is the one and only God.
2 That we shall live by the Ten Commandments
. Living by the Ten Commandments
is also called the life of charity.
New Church began on 26 July 1816 when Rev. Robert Hindmarsh
came to give a public lecture in Colchester
. Shortly after this lecture a small group formed. They rented various rooms in town for their worship and discussions. In the minutes of the 46th General Conference in 1853, Colchester
New Church is listed as having 11 members, and renting a chapel in St. Helen's Lane with U. W. Mattocks as the leader. After this point the history of the Colchester New Church is uncertain until 1880 when George McQueen found the Writings of Swedenborg. In June, 1880, Mr. McQueen read Isaac Pitman
's Emanuel Swedenborg, the Spiritual Columbus, a little book which quoted from the Swedenborg's Writings. On his 20th birthday, Sunday, September 12, 1880, George McQueen walked the 10 miles to Brightlingsea
to attend the New Church service and with him walked "Eb" Finch. In 1881 Rev. J. Deans began a series of lectures in Colchester
, and a group was formed. Their first official worship was conducted on April 16 of the same year, and in June they rented a room, Shaftsbury Hall. Mr. William Gill joined the society shortly after its formation and became one of its lay preachers. Two members of the society gave money to help finance a church building, but the building did not materialize for 42 years.
In 1885 Rev. C. Griffiths became the pastor in Brightlingsea
, and Colchester appointed him as their honorary pastor. At this point the Colchester New Church is still a part of the General Conference. However, in 1885 the Colchester society began to read sermons from New Church Life for their Sunday worship. New Church Life is a periodical of the General Church of the New Jerusalem
. This might very well have been the beginning of the attraction to the distinctive ideas and principles of the General Church and its Academy movement.
In 1890 Rev. C. Griffiths withdrew from the Colchester society because he disagreed with the members' strong sympathies for the General Church of the New Jerusalem
. On July 6, Rev. William Frederic Pendleton
(of the General Church) gave a sermon that greatly pleased the members in Colchester. On the same day Mr. McQueen became a member of the General Church Academy. The next year in 1891, on 27 March, the Colchester New Church officially withdrew from the Conference to become part of the General Church of the New Jerusalem
.
In 1905 William Frederic Pendleton
(by now the bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem
) visited Colchester and discussed the possibility of opening a school, but it was decided that the time was not yet ripe for that.
In 1924 the church building was erected on 175 Maldon Road and around the same time Rev. Gyllenhaal became pastor of the society. In 1926 a day school was started under Muriel Gill.
In 1967 under the leadership of Rev. Frank Rose the church building was expanded. The sanctuary was extended two metres in length, a new school room, and a new entrance porch were added. The designer of the new additions was architect Geoff P. Dawson. The plan had been to dedicate the new school room on December 10, 1966. But the building work only finished in mid January 1967, and it was dedicated by bishop Willard Dandridge Pendleton on 15 April of the same year.
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
New Church is located on 175-181 Maldon Road Colchester, CO3 3BL
Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
New Church has as its theological basis the Old
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
and New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
s and the theological writings of Emanuel Swedenborg
Emanuel Swedenborg
was a Swedish scientist, philosopher, and theologian. He has been termed a Christian mystic by some sources, including the Encyclopædia Britannica online version, and the Encyclopedia of Religion , which starts its article with the description that he was a "Swedish scientist and mystic." Others...
. Colchester New Church is part of the General Church of the New Jerusalem
General Church of the New Jerusalem
The General Church of the New Jerusalem is an international church based in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, and based on the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the theological works of Emanuel Swedenborg...
.
Doctrine
The two essentials of the New Church are:1 That the Lord Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
is the one and only God.
2 That we shall live by the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
. Living by the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
is also called the life of charity.
History
ColchesterColchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
New Church began on 26 July 1816 when Rev. Robert Hindmarsh
Robert Hindmarsh
Robert Hindmarsh was an English printer and one of the original founders of Swedenborgianism.-Life:He was born at Alnwick, Northumberland, on 8 November 1759. His father, James Hindmarsh, was one of John Wesley's preachers, and was in 1777 under training by Wesley in London; Robert, however, was...
came to give a public lecture in Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
. Shortly after this lecture a small group formed. They rented various rooms in town for their worship and discussions. In the minutes of the 46th General Conference in 1853, Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
New Church is listed as having 11 members, and renting a chapel in St. Helen's Lane with U. W. Mattocks as the leader. After this point the history of the Colchester New Church is uncertain until 1880 when George McQueen found the Writings of Swedenborg. In June, 1880, Mr. McQueen read Isaac Pitman
Isaac Pitman
Sir Isaac Pitman , knighted in 1894, developed the most widely used system of shorthand, known now as Pitman shorthand. He first proposed this in Stenographic Soundhand in 1837. Pitman was a qualified teacher and taught at a private school he founded in Wotton-under-Edge...
's Emanuel Swedenborg, the Spiritual Columbus, a little book which quoted from the Swedenborg's Writings. On his 20th birthday, Sunday, September 12, 1880, George McQueen walked the 10 miles to Brightlingsea
Brightlingsea
Brightlingsea is a coastal town in the Tendring district of Essex, England, located between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea, situated at the mouth of the River Colne, on Brightlingsea Creek. It has an estimated population of 8500....
to attend the New Church service and with him walked "Eb" Finch. In 1881 Rev. J. Deans began a series of lectures in Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
, and a group was formed. Their first official worship was conducted on April 16 of the same year, and in June they rented a room, Shaftsbury Hall. Mr. William Gill joined the society shortly after its formation and became one of its lay preachers. Two members of the society gave money to help finance a church building, but the building did not materialize for 42 years.
In 1885 Rev. C. Griffiths became the pastor in Brightlingsea
Brightlingsea
Brightlingsea is a coastal town in the Tendring district of Essex, England, located between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea, situated at the mouth of the River Colne, on Brightlingsea Creek. It has an estimated population of 8500....
, and Colchester appointed him as their honorary pastor. At this point the Colchester New Church is still a part of the General Conference. However, in 1885 the Colchester society began to read sermons from New Church Life for their Sunday worship. New Church Life is a periodical of the General Church of the New Jerusalem
General Church of the New Jerusalem
The General Church of the New Jerusalem is an international church based in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, and based on the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the theological works of Emanuel Swedenborg...
. This might very well have been the beginning of the attraction to the distinctive ideas and principles of the General Church and its Academy movement.
In 1890 Rev. C. Griffiths withdrew from the Colchester society because he disagreed with the members' strong sympathies for the General Church of the New Jerusalem
General Church of the New Jerusalem
The General Church of the New Jerusalem is an international church based in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, and based on the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the theological works of Emanuel Swedenborg...
. On July 6, Rev. William Frederic Pendleton
William Frederic Pendleton
William Frederic Pendleton was the first Executive Bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, in Bryn Athyn, PA.-Biography:...
(of the General Church) gave a sermon that greatly pleased the members in Colchester. On the same day Mr. McQueen became a member of the General Church Academy. The next year in 1891, on 27 March, the Colchester New Church officially withdrew from the Conference to become part of the General Church of the New Jerusalem
General Church of the New Jerusalem
The General Church of the New Jerusalem is an international church based in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, and based on the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the theological works of Emanuel Swedenborg...
.
In 1905 William Frederic Pendleton
William Frederic Pendleton
William Frederic Pendleton was the first Executive Bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, in Bryn Athyn, PA.-Biography:...
(by now the bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem
General Church of the New Jerusalem
The General Church of the New Jerusalem is an international church based in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, and based on the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the theological works of Emanuel Swedenborg...
) visited Colchester and discussed the possibility of opening a school, but it was decided that the time was not yet ripe for that.
In 1924 the church building was erected on 175 Maldon Road and around the same time Rev. Gyllenhaal became pastor of the society. In 1926 a day school was started under Muriel Gill.
In 1967 under the leadership of Rev. Frank Rose the church building was expanded. The sanctuary was extended two metres in length, a new school room, and a new entrance porch were added. The designer of the new additions was architect Geoff P. Dawson. The plan had been to dedicate the new school room on December 10, 1966. But the building work only finished in mid January 1967, and it was dedicated by bishop Willard Dandridge Pendleton on 15 April of the same year.