In 1996, Reverend Janet Nohavec founded The Journey Within. We became the first Spiritualist church in America to affiliate with the Spiritualist National Union, which is based in the United Kingdom. From humble beginnings in a shared space in a bookstore, the small community began to grow. One day, Rev. Janet provided a special communication from a young woman in Spirit named Lori. From this profound moment, the small church was blessed with a contribution from our benefactor, which led to the purchase of an old Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) hall in Pompton Lakes, NJ. We are forever grateful to this wonderful family, and our chapel is dedicated in Lori’s name.

Many volunteers and a lot of work transformed that old VFW hall into a new home where the church could grow. And it did grow. Attendance increased along with membership. The Journey Within Center for Spiritual Evolvement brought in respected teachers from the United Kingdom, and many courses were offered. Students came from all over the United States and Canada. Reverend Janet also began to grow the ministry to help serve the needs of a growing community.

Reverend Janet fostered relationships with Spiritualists around the world, and these connections led to the creation of the World Congress of Spiritualists in 2014. It was a profound moment in our history, as Spiritualists from around the world came together in Lily Dale, NY, to celebrate our common bond.

In 2017, Rev. Janet purchased an old schoolhouse in Hydesville, NY, just steps away from the Fox cottage and the birthplace of Modern Spiritualism. It is believed that the girls went to school there. Thanks to hard work and the generous contributions from special donors, we have been able to completely renovate the building and even add a small chapel named after Rev. Janet. The schoolhouse will be open for services and events in 2027.

In 2020, the world was challenged with the spread of the Covid-19 virus, and places of public congregation were closed. Rev. Janet saw the need to act, and the church was quickly transformed into a virtual community and continued to prosper. To this day, our online community remains an important part of our services and outreach. We have members and students from across the country and around the world.

The church reopened to in-person Divine service, and it was wonderful for the community to be together again. Then tragedy struck. Our beloved Pastor and friend, Rev. Janet Nohavec, passed to spirit. Today we continue to promote the values, ethics, and philosophies of our founder. The Journey Within Spiritualist Church continues with its mission and vision. The Center for Spiritual Evolvement’s mission and vision support the church. (hyperlink to Mission & Visions Page).

Our spiritual work continues.