Unity Church

Unity is a spiritual organization founded by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore in 1889. It grew out of Transcendentalism and became part of the New Thought movement.[1] Unity may be best known for its Daily Word devotional publication begun in 1924. Originally based in Christianity with emphasis on the Bible, Unity more recently has said it offers "positive, practical Christianity" and describes itself as "for people who might call themselves spiritual but not religious."[2]

Not to be confused with Unitarianism, Unitarian Universalism, the United Church of Christ, or the Unification Church.
Unity Spiritual Movement
Unity Village
Unity Village
ClassificationUnity (new religious movement)
OrientationNew Thought Christianity
HeadquartersUnity Village, Missouri
FounderCharles and Myrtle Fillmore
Origin1889
Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Official websiteunity.org
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Overview
Unity School of Christianity

Unity describes itself as a global, inclusive, spiritual community, offering practical tools and uplifting resources to help people of all faiths apply positive spiritual principles in their daily lives. Unity welcomes all people regardless of race, color, gender, age, creed, religion, national origin, ethnicity, physical disability, or sexual orientation.[3][4][5][6][7]

Unity describes itself as having no particular creed, set dogma, or required ritual.[8] It maintains that there is good in every approach to God and holds that one should focus on the potential good in all—that the essence of every human is divine regardless of current behavior.

Unity emphasizes healing by spiritual means, but it does not reject or resist medical treatments.[9]

History

Unity was founded in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1889 by Charles Fillmore (1854–1948) and Myrtle Fillmore (1845–1931) after Mrs. Fillmore had been cured of her tuberculosis, she believed, by spiritual healing. To learn more about spiritual principles, the Fillmores studied the teachings of world religions and the links between science and religion. They were influenced by Dr. E. B. Weeks, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emma Curtis Hopkins and Mary Baker Eddy (the founder of Christian Science).

Although Unity School of Christianity was not incorporated until 1914, the Fillmores began publishing their first magazine, Modern Thought, in April 1889. Later magazines included Wee Wisdom (for children) and Daily Word. In 1891 the Fillmores named the movement Unity and began publishing in 1903 with Lessons in Truth by H. Emilie Cady. In 1906, Mr. and Mrs. Fillmore accepted ordination and ordained seven other ministers.[10][11]

After World War I, Unity Village, which became a 1,200-acre incorporated town, was developed 15 miles southeast of Kansas City beginning with the purchase of a farm. Originally a weekend getaway for the Fillmores' downtown employees, Unity Village is now headquarters for the prayer and publishing work of the Unity spiritual movement.

After Charles Fillmore's death, the movement was initially led by the Fillmores’ sons and grandchildren.[9] Great-granddaughter Connie Fillmore stepped down as president in 2001. Governance was then converted to a CEO and board comprising Unity ministers and outside business people.

The mission of Unity World Headquarters is to help and serve through prayer, publishing, and community. Unity World Headquarters offers resources to people of all faiths including magazines, booklets, videos, books, meditations, retreats, and events.

The Unity Prayer Ministry, also known as Silent Unity, has been praying with people of all faiths worldwide continuously for more than a century. Prayer associates respond to more than 1 million prayer requests each year by letter, phone, email, and social media.

Organization

Individual Unity churches are autonomous, each governed by its own board and minister. Minister training, ministerial placement, and educational resources are supported by Unity Worldwide Ministries, a separate nonprofit organization that leases office space at Unity Village from Unity World Headquarters. Unity Worldwide Ministries counts 650 churches and 1,700 licensed and ordained leaders worldwide.

Basic teachings
New Thought
Divinity
Beliefs
Activities
Glossary

The five basic ideas of Unity teachings reflect the universal spiritual principles taught in most of the world's religions.

  1. God is everywhere and always present in every circumstance. This divine energy underlies and animates all of existence.
  2. Human beings are innately good because they are connected to and an expression of Spirit.
  3. Our thoughts have creative power to influence events and determine our experiences.
  4. Prayer and meditation connect and align us to our own spiritual nature and to God.
  5. It is not enough to understand spiritual teachings. We must apply our learning in all areas of life, incorporating them into our thoughts, words, and actions.

Unity teaches that each person is a unique expression of God and is sacred and worthy. It emphasizes the creative power of thought and encourages choosing life-affirming thoughts, words, and actions in order to experience a more fulfilling and abundant life.

God

Unity views God as spiritual energy that is present everywhere and is available to all people. According to Unity co-founder Charles Fillmore: “God is not a person who has set creation in motion and gone away and left it to run down like a clock. God is Spirit, infinite Mind, the immanent force and intelligence everywhere manifest in nature. God is the silent voice that speaks into visibility all the life there is.”

Jesus

Unity teaches the divinity of Jesus and of all human beings. They consider him an “elder brother” or “wayshower” whose life demonstrated what is possible when we live from our innate spiritual nature or divine consciousness.

Nature of humanity

Unity teaches that all people are individual, eternal expressions of God, and their essential nature is divine and therefore inherently good. Followers believe their purpose in life is to express their divine potential as demonstrated by Jesus, and that the more they awaken to their divine nature, the more they can do this.

Bible

Unity founders Charles and Myrtle Fillmore interpreted the Bible as a metaphysical representation of each soul’s evolutionary journey toward spiritual awakening. Unity considers the Bible its primary spiritual resource, a complex collection of writings compiled over many centuries and a reflection of the comprehension and inspiration of the writers and their times.

Affirmative prayer

Affirmative prayer is understood in Unity as the highest form of creative thought. It includes the release of negative thoughts and holding in mind statements of spiritual truth. Unity teaches the use of meditation and prayer as a way to experience the presence of God, heighten the awareness of truth, and thereby transform a person's life. Prayer is believed valuable not because it alters the circumstances and conditions of a person's life but because it alters them.

Relationship to Christianity

Unity emphasizes its agreements, not differences, with traditional Christians and[6] stresses its concurrence with the teachings of Jesus and the Bible.[12][13][14][15][16][17] According to Unity co-founder Charles Fillmore:

It has been generally accepted that Jesus' great works were miracles and that the power to do miracles was delegated to His immediate followers only. In recent years many of Jesus' followers have inquired into His healing methods, and they have found that healing is based on universal mental and spiritual laws which anyone can utilize who will comply with the conditions involved in these laws.[18]

Unity considers itself a non-sectarian educational institution, although Unity ministers are ordained following their prescribed courses and training.[6]

Notable members

Well-known people affiliated with Unity include Della Reese,[19][20] Betty White,[21][20] Eleanor Powell,[22] Lucie Arnaz,[23] David Friedman,[24] Wally Amos,[20] actress Michael Learned,[25] Licensed Unity Teacher Ruth Warrick,[26] Barbara Billingsley, Theodore Schneider, Erykah Badu, Matt Hoverman, author Victoria Moran,[27] Patricia Neal,[28] Johnnie Colemon, and Maya Angelou.[20][29][30]

See also

References
  1. "About Us". Unity.org.
  2. "What Is Unity?". Unity.org. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
  3. "Frequently Asked Questions about Unity". Unity.org. Retrieved 2012-12-29.
  4. Kornfield, Jack, "The Wisdom of Not Knowing" Unity Magazine Nov–Dec 2005 p. 10
  5. Gaither, Jim, Metaphysical Musings, Unity Magazine, Jan–Feb 2008, p. 10
  6. "Unity School of Christianity, The New Encyclopædia Britannica, 1987, Vol 12 P, 162.
  7. McQueeney, Krista (2009). ""We are God's Children, Y'All:" Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Lesbian- and Gay-Affirming Congregations". Social Problems. 56 (1): 151–173. doi:10.1525/sp.2009.56.1.151. ISSN 0037-7791.
  8. Rosemergy, Jim "No More Dogmas, No More Creeds, Unity Magazine, March–April 2003, p 17
  9. "Unity School of Christianity". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2009-06-26.
  10. www.unity.org/timeline
  11. "About Us". Unity.org. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  12. Fillmore, Charles Jesus Christ Heals, 19th ed 1999, pages 9–35
  13. Turner, Elizabeth Sands, Your Hope of Glory, 10th ed, 1996, pp. 7–15
  14. Butterworth, Eric The Universe is Calling, 1994, pp. 129–135
  15. Freeman, James Dillet, The Story of Unity, 2000, pp. 9–19, 225–269
  16. Mosley, Glenn, "Unity, Much more than a Denomination" Unity Magazine, Mar–Apr, 2003, pp. 15–16
  17. Shepherd, Thomas, "That's a Good Question" Unity Magazine, Jan–Feb 2008, p. 7
  18. Fillmore, Charles Jesus Christ Heals, 19th ed 1999, p. 79
  19. Banks, Adelle M. (October 19, 1996). "Della Reese Is No Angel, But She's Real Reverend -- In Dual Roles Of Minister And Actress, She Has A Big Following". Seattle Times Newspaper. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
  20. Hingston, Sandy (October 10, 2020). "Science and Religion Have Never Been More at Odds. Can Conshohocken's Templeton Foundation Bridge the Divide?". Philadelphia Magazine. Metro Corp. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  21. Villalva, Brittney R. (6 February 2013). "Betty White- I'm 'Sexier' and 'More Wise' at 91 (PHOTO)". www.christianpost.com. The Christian Post. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  22. Taylor, Jim. "OUR "QUEEN OF TAP DANCING" - ELEANOR POWELL". www.tapdance.org. International Tap Association. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  23. Messer, Kate X. "Lucie 'splains It All". www.austinchronicle.com. The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  24. "MidderMusic | We Make Learning Musical Instruments Easy". 4 May 2020.
  25. Learned, Michael (December 2002). "My Spiritual Journey". Daily Word. Archived from the original on March 28, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  26. "Paid Notice: Deaths WARRICK, RUTH". The New York Times. The New York Times. January 18, 2005. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  27. Moran, Victoria (21 March 2013). "Growing Up on Daily Word". www.dailyword.com. Daily Word. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  28. Raven, Barbara C. Badge of Courage. Unity Church of New York, 2002.
  29. "The Revelation That Changed Dr. Maya Angelou's Life". Oprah.com. May 19, 2013. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  30. Italie, Hillel (May 28, 2014). "Maya Angelou dead at 86". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved July 3, 2022.

Further reading
  • Berry, Harold J. (1975). Unity School of Christianity: What's Christian about It?. Lincoln, Neb.: Back to the Bible Publications. ISBN 0-8474-0745-4
  • Fillmore, Charles (1931). Metaphysical Bible Dictionary. Unity Village, Mo.: Unity School of Christianity.
  • Fillmore, Charles (1997). The Revealing Word: a dictionary of metaphysical terms. Unity Books. ISBN 0-87159-006-9.
  • Fillmore, Charles ([19--]). The Adventure Called Unity. Unity Village, Mo.: Unity. Without ISBN
  • Freeman, James Dillet (2000). The Story of Unity. Unity Village, Missouri: Unity Books. pp. 274 pages. ISBN 0-87159-145-6.
  • Vahle, Neal (September 2002). The Unity Movement: Its Evolution and Spiritual Teachings. Templeton Foundation Press. pp. 504 pages. ISBN 1-890151-96-3.
  • Mosley, Glenn R. (2006). The History and Future NEW THOUGHT, ANCIENT WISDOM of the New Thought Movement, Templeton Foundation Press. ISBN 1599470896
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