Academy of the New Church Secondary Schools

The Academy of the New Church Secondary Schools consists of an accredited, private girls' school and boys' school providing 9th through 12th graders with an education inspired by the New Church, an international Christian faith based on the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg.

History

The Academy began in Philadelphia in 1876, under the leadership of the Rev. Chancellor W. H. Benade. Its primary goal was to prepare men for the priesthood of the New Church. Following the establishment of the Theological School and a collegiate department, later to become Bryn Athyn College, the Boys School was established in 1881. In 1884, a Girls School, privately set up by Sarah DeCharms Hibbard, merged with the Academy.

At the start of the 20th century, the schools had been relocated to in what was then the countryside near Philadelphia, in Montgomery County. Funding from PPG Industries founder John Pitcairn enabled the construction of the new campus. Later, in the 1960s, the college moved to a separate, adjacent campus.

Dorms

The Academy has two dorms. The girls dorm is named Glenn Hall and the boys is Stuart Hall.

Description

The two schools today have an enrollment of approximately 250 students. The campus is located in Bryn Athyn, near Philadelphia, in a quiet, wooded setting. The campus is over one hundred years old, and contains academic, administrative, athletic, residential, and cultural facilities. Both schools are noted for their traditionalistic way of thinking, which is modernly considered sexist. Examples of this can be found in the three introduction videos on the schools' website's homepage.

Alumni

• Rakeem Christmas – Power forward (basketball) at Syracuse University.^[1]
• John Rienstra - Guard (American football) at Pittsburgh Steelers (1986-1990) and Cleveland Browns (1991-1992)
• Marcus Gilbert - Small forward at Fairfield University

References

External links

• Academy of the New Church Secondary Schools website

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, schools
Main school districts Abington Abington Senior High School Bryn Athyn (Does not operate any schools) Cheltenham Cheltenham High School Cedarbrook Middle School Colonial Plymouth Whitemarsh High School Colonial Middle School Hatboro-Horsham Hatboro-Horsham Senior High School Keith Valley Middle School Jenkintown Jenkintown Middle/High School Lower Merion Lower Merion High School Harriton High School Bala Cynwyd Middle School Welsh Valley Middle School Lower Moreland Township Lower Moreland High School Methacton Methacton High School Norristown Area Norristown Area High School North Penn North Penn High School Perkiomen Valley Perkiomen Valley High School Pottsgrove Pottsgrove High School Pottstown Pottstown Senior High School Springfield Township Springfield Township High School Upper Dublin Upper Dublin High School Upper Merion Area Upper Merion Area High School Upper Moreland Upper Moreland High School Wissahickon Wissahickon High School Wissahickon Middle School
Other schools Boyertown Area (partially located in Berks County) Boyertown Area Senior High School Private schools Abington Friends School Academy Of The New Church Boys School Academy Of The New Church Girls School AIM Academy Baldwin School Calvary Baptist School Christopher Dock Mennonite High School Coventry Christian Schools Episcopal Academy Friends' Central School Germantown Academy Huntingdon Valley Christian Academy Indian Creek Mennonite School Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy La Salle College High School Lakeside School Lincoln Academy Main Line Academy Martin Luther School Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Catholic School Meadowbrook School Merion Mercy Academy Mount Saint Joseph Academy New Life Youth & Family Svcs Reformation Christian School Saint Aloysius School Saint Basil Academy Saint Katherine Day School Shipley School Stowe Lighthouse Christ Academy The Haverford School The Hill School The Pathway School The Perkiomen School Torah Academy of Greater Philadelphia Trinity Christian Academy Valley Forge Baptist Academy Wyncote Academy Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia Bishop McDevitt High School Country Day School of the Sacred Heart Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School Lansdale Catholic High School Pope John Paul II High School Souderton Area (partially located in Bucks County) Souderton Area High School Spring-Ford Area (partially located in Chester County) Spring-Ford Senior High School Upper Perkiomen (partially located in Berks County) Upper Perkiomen High School

Coordinates: 40°07′53″N 75°03′37″W / 40.1314°N 75.0603°W / 40.1314; -75.0603