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Above: Legacy Society member Vera Glenn as a child, growing up in the apple orchard farm in Bryn Athyn.

The Legacy of Johnny Appleseed

From 1806 until his death in 1844, Johnny Appleseed, as John Chapman came to be known, devoted his life to cultivation, to planting orchards in the wilderness. He planted trees for the settlers and pioneers who came after him. He planted trees for the sake of the future and he also brought, what to him were the heavenly seeds of Swedenborg’s religious writings, to distribute among the homesteaders along the frontier.

By sharing chapters of the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, Johnny became one of the earliest Swedenborgians in America. He gave a few pages at a time to the settlers in their cabins as he walked he Midwest frontier. Johnny reached people who might not read a whole volume, and this was a way of giving them a glimpse of what he called "Good news, right fresh from heaven."

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Support ANC | Legacy Society

In honor of John Chapman’s legacy and in appreciation of friends and alumni who have informed us that they have included ANC in their estate plans through a will, trust, life-income gift, or other planned gift, we have established the Johnny Appleseed Legacy Society.

The Johnny Appleseed Legacy Society provides a community for everyone who has donated to ANC through some kind of planned gift. It is designed to honor those who make a commitment to our future, ensuring our religious and cultural heritage is passed on and will have meaning and impact for years to come.

Benefits to membership:

  • All the benefits of Planned Giving
  • Invitation to annual Johnny Appleseed Legacy Society Banquet
  • Satisfaction in knowing your gift is helping ANC reach its fullest potential

Enroll in this honorary society simply by advising us of the creation of a legacy gift: a bequest in a will or living trust; a charitable gift annuity; a charitable remainder trust, or designation as a beneficiary of a retirement plan or life insurance policy. Our planned giving office can assist you in with the development of any of the above planned giving vehicles, and structure them to your needs.

No individual bequest amounts are ever released publicly and we would honor all requests for anonymity, if so desired. The funds are deposited in a planned giving endowment fund managed and closely monitored by a trustee in compliance with our endowment investment policy, structured to preserve the principal.

To learn more about joining the Johnny Appleseed Legacy Society, contact Judy Lopacki, Director of Planned Giving, at 267-502-2423 or judy.lopacki@anc-gc.org.

267-502-4200 | admissions@ancss.org

Academy of the New Church Secondary Schools

2815 Benade Circle, PO Box 707, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009