Visit Our Church page for
list of scheduled events.

Please visit us at
3038 Q Street NW
Georgetown area of Washington, DC.

"As the sunflower turns its face toward the light of the sun,
so Spiritualism turns the face of humanity toward the light of truth."

History of the Spiritualist Movement

National Spiritualist Association's First 100 Years
(1893 - 1993)
Compiled by Rev. Sandra Pfortmiller, NST {Lily Dale)

1893 - Organizational Convention of National Spiritualist Association of the United States of America.
1893 - World's Fair and the first Parliament of World Religions, all in Chicago, IL
1897 - N.S.A.C. Bureau of Lyceums Organized. The Training School incorporated at Mantua, OH.
1899 - Seven sets of Principles received for Convention consideration, after much deliberation the first six Principles were adopted.
1900 - Sunflower Club established to gather young people to Spiritualism.
1903 - Morris Pratt Institute (MPI) opened to offer training for Spiritualist workers.
1909 - Seventh and Eighth Declarement of Principles adopted.
1911 - The First Spiritualist Manual published.
1911 - Spiritualist Song Book published.
1914 - Definitions such as A Spiritualist, A Medium were adopted
1919 - The National Spiritualist began Publication, with Dr. George B. Warne as the first editor.
1919 - Whitwell's explanation and interpretation of the Declaration of Principles. 1920 - The name amended to read "National Spiritualist Association." 1922 - The Bureau of Education established.
1925 - First students to receive National Spiritualist Teachers Certificates.
1927 - The National Spiritualist Teachers Club was organized.
1927 - Granite Obelisk dedicated in Rochester, New York as a result of worldwide donations to the memory of the Fox Family.
1928 - Sunflower adopted as the Official Badge of "International Spiritualism."
1932 - The first Spiritualist Yearbook was published.
1932 - The National Spiritualist Booster Club for TNS was begun.
1932 - NSA Junior League established to encourage young workers.
1938 - The Dale News was incorporated. 1938 - Lyceum luncheons and conferences were begun.
1941 - Advanced Education Course by Dr. Victoria Barnes was first offered.
1944 - The National Missionary Club organized.
1944 - Wishing Well erected at Lily Dale by NST Club.
1944 - The Ninth Principle adopted.
1944 - Spiritual Manual and Lyceum Manual revised.
1945 - The Ministerial Association of the N.S.A.C. was begun.
1945 - Spiritualist Healers' League formed.
1946 - MPI moved to Wauwatosa, WI.
1946 - Licentiate Ministers and Certified Ministers Society organized.
1947 - The Spotlight publication became the official voice of the Lyceum.
1948 - Spiritualism recognized as a religion in 48 nations.
1953 - Name of organization amended to The National Spiritualist Association of Churches.
1955 - Definitions appeared for the first time in the N.S.A.C. Manual.
1955 - First Annual Lyceum Conference.
1965 - The Sunflower Banner became the Official Flag of the N.S.A.C.
1972 - Spiritualist Hymnal revised.
1977 - MPI building remodeled and rededicated to teaching Spiritualism. Committee appointed to prepare updated Educational Course.
1978 - Summit Publication, Indianapolis, IN established to print and publish all N.S.A.C. materiaL
1978 - Spiritualist Memorial Park dedicated and Obelisk relocated there — Rochester, NY.
1981 - New Educational Course in Modern Spiritualism offered.
1981 - International Symposium of Healing.
1983 - Last change in Declaration of Principles. The Ninth Principle added " and Healing."
1986 - State Lyceum Conferences and retreats decided with annual meetings at N.S.A.C. Conventions.
1990 - Summit building sold — The National Spiritualist moved to Phoenix, AZ, and The Spotlight to NY.
1991 - National Office moved to Lily Dale, NY.
1991 - Video library established.
1992 - Social Policy Statements issued.
1992 - Missionary Club dissolved and Missionary Society formed.
1992 - Public Relations Handbook printed.
1993 - Parliament of World Religions, 100 Years, Chicago, IL.
1993 - Centennial N.S.A.C. Convention, Chicago, IL., September 27 through October 1. View Centennial Program (PDF) from our archives.

Bismarck Hotel, Chicago, welcomes Spiritualists
to the 1993 Centennial N.S.A.C. Convention

Our Church

The Church of Two Worlds
is a National Association of Spiritualist Churches NASC affiliate.

History of C2W

By Lee Barlow

When I first came to Washington, in 1946, I looked for a Spiritualist church and I found one in the telephone book. It was founded by its [then] current Pastor, the Rev. Hugh Gordon Burroughs. He was renting one of the French embassy's ballrooms, on 16th Street. opposite Meridian Park, just for the afternoon. He set up chairs and there was a small congregation.

One day, he saw an ad in the paper for the sale of an old Methodist church at 3038 Q. Street. NW in the heart of Georgetown. The Methodist church was building a new church on another street, close to the current church, and wanted to sell the old one.

Now Dr. Burroughs had no money, but his friend, an organist named Freda Egbert, had a wealthy mother and father, and they offered to make the down payment on a mortgage.

Church founders H. Gordon Burroughs and Freda Egbert

The National Spiritualist Association of Churches (NSAC) helped by giving the accreditation (church charter), which hangs on the wall in the church above the steps to the pulpit. Someone else gave the red carpet on the aisles

There was an empty window on the right side, just as you go into Fellowship Hall, and I found a shop that would install a leaded pane with the name of Dr. H. Gordon Burroughs, founder of the church.

Dr. Burroughs was the Vice President of the NSAC for a time. He was known as a remarkable medium and he lived with a friend in Chevy Chase, so I always brought him home after service. He set the time for the service at 2 PM so that people could attend their other churches in the morning. Dr. Burroughs remained the Pastor until he died at the age of 91.