About Us

The New Church in Britain is part of the worldwide New Church

The New Church, a new Christianity, teaches that there is one God, whom we know as the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God created the universe and everything in it because He is love itself, and that religion is to be lived, not just believed. The New Church is based on the teachings of the Bible as illuminated by Emanuel Swedenborg, an eighteenth century theologian and scientist. Swedenborg provided an explanation of the Bible's internal meaning, as well as writing many additional volumes which shed light on why we're here and how to develop a functional relationship with God. The teachings of the New Church are immediately practical and deeply spiritual, and provide answers that make sense to many questions about God, love and life after death.

We offer worship services every Sunday, as well as classes, programs, and community activities.

Four Organizations, One Church

The New Church in the UK has two national organizations, two main congregations and a number of smaller groups.

• The General Church Council, led by our National Pastor, Rev Erik Buss, has oversight for the finances and strategic vision of the church in the UK.
• British Academy oversees all educational activities (broadly considered) for the church. These include funding and supporting British Academy Summer School, young people (teens) and young adult (20- and 30-something) gatherings, All Age Weekends, and the like.
• Michael Church is located in Brixton in southeast London and serves the broader London area.
• Colchester New Church serves the broader Colchester area.

Additionally there are a number of groups that meet in places such as Oxford, Sussex, Deal and Surrey.

History of the Church

During the latter part of Emanuel Swedenborg’s life, there were isolated readers of his Theological books, often referred to as the ‘Writings’ or ‘Heavenly Doctrines’. These readers were scattered across Europe, especially in Sweden, France, Germany and England. In 1783, just ten years after Swedenborg’s death, an organisation was formed in London with the purpose of reading, discussing and eventually translating Swedenborg’s Latin Writings into English. From these beginnings in Britain the church has spread to many parts of the world.

The Organisation Today

Our Pastors

The pastors lead Michael Church, Colchester New Church and other UK activities and offer spiritual support to the community.

News

Here you'll find updates on what's going on in the UK