Our Minister

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Hi, I'm Wilma Wake, and here I'm holding Daisy, my Pomeranian family member. My family also includes a little Maltese named Coconut, and a cat named Jasmine.

We live in Kennebunk, Maine.  Daisy sometimes comes to church, as she is very bonded with the children of the congregation -- and to the coffee-hour treats they give her. Here you see her looking fondly at the turkey sandwhich of a child next to us on the sofa.

I grew up in the midwest, as a Baptist and then Presbyterian. I was in college during the turbulent '60's, and was active in a Unitarian-Universalist Church there where I found support for my anti-war beliefs.

For a while, I left all structured religion, as I explored my spirituality through the New Age.

Through mystical experiences, I came to understand Christ and Christianity in a radically different way from what I had learned in Sunday School as a child. I encounted Pure Love in a way that honored all religious traditions, and never condemned anyone to hell.

As I delved into the Christian mystical tradition, I found Emanuel Swedenborg's writings; and found someone who explained Christianity in the way I was experiencing it. I learned that there was, in fact, a church that honored Swedenborg's writings. Soon, I was a member of the Swedenborgian denomination and then was ordained in 1990.

I also was in school training to be a social worker during my seminary years, and I loved the overlap I found between social work and spirituality.

I helped start a small Swedenborgian group in New Hampshire while also working as a social worker from 1990 to 1993. I taught at our former seminary, The Swedenborg School of Religion, from 1993-2002. I taught pastoral care and church history, as well as serving as the Director of Field Education. I wrote two books during those years: Wings and Roots: The New Age and Emanuel Swedenborg in Dialog; and Crystals, Crosses, and Chakras: A woman's Spiritual Emergence.

I have been serving the Portland New Church [Maine] as a half-time minister since January, 2003.

I have also been serving the on-line community since February of 2008. [www.swedenborgiancommunity.org]

I still do some social work in the community, but most of my time is devoted to my two ministries: in Portland, and on-line. I dearly love ministry, and feel so blessed to be able to serve these incredible communities.