Lake Pleasant, Massachusetts, was the home of the New England Spiritualist Campmeeting Association (NESCA), founded in 1874. It is the oldest continuously existing Spiritualist center in the United States and was once the largest Spiritualist gathering place in the country.
For generations, Lake Pleasant has served as a meeting ground for spiritual inquiry, mediumship, healing, music, and community life.
Rev. G. Tabor Thompson, originally a Baptist minister from Philadelphia, became deeply interested in Spiritualism and began traveling to Lake Pleasant each summer. Often staying in the cottage of John Wheeler of the Standard Sewing Machine Company, he became a prominent voice within the Spiritualist movement.
Known as the “Psychic Songster,” Rev. Thompson was a prolific writer and composer whose hymns and publications were widely read and sung within Spiritualist communities.
In 1909, Rev. Thompson became President of NESCA. A philosophical disagreement arose — primarily regarding reincarnation. NESCA did not affirm reincarnation, viewing it as retrogressive and unproven. Rev. Thompson and his followers, however, believed reincarnation to be a learning vehicle assisting the soul’s progression toward perfection.
Unable to reconcile these views, Rev. Thompson and several members formed The National Spiritual Alliance.
On September 12, 1913, The National Spiritual Alliance of the United States of America was incorporated as a church corporation by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Today, TNSA remains an active Spiritualist center and nationally recognized denomination. Thousands of visitors come to Thompson Temple each year to participate in:
• Sunday Spiritualist Services
• Development Circles and spiritual education
• Spiritual healing practice and training
• Psychic and Mediumship Fairs
• Ministerial education and ordination
• Workshops, classes, and community gatherings
Through stewardship of Thompson Temple and the historic Spiritualist village of Lake Pleasant, TNSA continues its mission with integrity, openness, and care.