General Convention of the New Jerusalem in the U.S.A.

The General Convention of the New Jerusalem in the U.S.A., also known as the New Church or Swedenborgians, is a Christian church organized around the theological teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg. Swedenborg, an 18th-century Swedish scientist and theologian, believed his writings would form the basis of a "New Church".12

The first New Church society in the U.S. was organized in Baltimore in 1792, and the General Convention was founded in Philadelphia in 1817. Worship is typically liturgical, with preaching based on Swedenborg's spiritual interpretation of the Scriptures. The church observes baptism and the Lord's Supper as sacraments, along with established Christian festivals and New Church Day on June 19. The organization has a general council and a ministerial council as controlling authorities, and candidates for ministry undergo extensive training. The New Church has significant global missions, particularly in Africa.1