National Spiritualist Association of Churches of the United States of America
The National Spiritualist Association of Churches of the United States of America is the largest spiritualist organization in the United States, founded in 1893 and based in Cassadaga, Florida. The National Spiritualist Association of Churches (NSAC) defines canonical spiritualist beliefs in the United States and certifies spiritualist teachers and ministers.
It offers bachelor’s and associate’s degrees in ministry and religious studies as well as diploma programs in licentiate ministry, healing, mediumship and teaching through the College of Spiritual Science, a nonresidential college.
Through the Morris Pratt Institute, established in 1901, it offers a correspondence course in modern spiritualism and provides a two-week residential course in pastoral skills and special seminars on selected aspects of spiritualism. The Morris Pratt Institute, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, also has an extensive research library, open to the public.
According to the definition adopted by the NSAC in 1919, “Spiritualism is the Science, Philosophy and Religion of continuous life, based upon the Demonstrated fact of communication, by means of mediumship, with those who live in the Spirit World.”
In 1950 spiritualist phenomena were recognized by the NSAC as consisting of “Prophecy, Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, Gift of Tongues, Laying on of Hands, Healing, Visions, Trance, Apports, Levitation, Raps, Automatic and Independent Writings and Paintings, Voice, Materialization, Photography, Psychometry and any other manifestation proving the continuity of life as Demonstrated through the Physical and Spiritual senses and faculties of man.” (See Automatic Writing; Mediumship; Spiritualism.)
The NSAC has eight affiliated state organizations; there are affiliated churches in 27 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. Ten states have SPIRitualIST CAMPS, the oldest and most famous being LILY DALE, in upstate New York. The NSAC publishes National Spiritualist, a monthly magazine.
SEE ALSO:
FURTHER READING:
- National Spiritualist Association of Churches. Available online. URL: https://www.nsac.org. Downloaded on Oct. 5, 1999.
The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits– Written by Rosemary Ellen Guiley – September 1, 2007