What is Unity?
At its core, Unity is a positive spiritual practice that seeks wisdom and enlightenment from many spiritual traditions. Our founders considered their teachings to be “Practical Christianity,” and looked at all scripture as metaphor and allegory. As we have grown, we have included principles from a wide range of teachings and teachers. We know that each individual has a connection to the eternal Truth and power that we call the Divine. Therefore, we don’t have any dogma; rather, we have spiritual practices that enable each individual’s spiritual and emotional growth.
- We promote a way of life that produces health, prosperity, happiness, and peace of mind. Unity has established centers of education and worship throughout the world.
- We address physical, mental, and emotional needs through Affirmative Prayer and spiritual education.
- We serve those who seek inspiration and prayer support.
- We believe that all people are created with sacred value, and we strive to reach out to those seeking a supportive spiritual growth.
- Our ministries and outreaches are free of discrimination on the basis of race, gender identity, age, creed, religion, national origin, ethnicity, physical disability, and sexual orientation. We buld spiritually aware organizations that support and encourage diversity.
Our History
Our Founders: Charles and Myrtle Fillmore
The Unity spiritual movement began in the late 1800s, the principles of which are based on prayer and the power of mind over body. Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, a Kansas City, Missouri couple with three young boys, had suffered lifelong physical ailments and constantly sought healing. Together, they heard a lecture by metaphysician E.B. Weeks, and Myrtle came away with a startling new idea: “I am a child of God, and therefore I do not inherit sickness.”
After this revelation, Myrtle recovered from chronic tuberculosis and attributed her recovery to her use of prayer and other methods learned in Weeks’
A Growing Movement
In 1889, Charles left his business to focus entirely on publishing a new periodical, entitled Modern Thought. In 1890, Charles and Myrtle organized a prayer group that would later become Silent Unity, and in the following year, the Fillmores’ Unity magazine was first published. On December 7th, 1892, Charles and Myrtle penned their Dedication and Covenant:
We, Charles Fillmore and Myrtle Fillmore, husband and wife, hereby dedicate ourselves, our time, our money, all we have and all we expect to have, to the Spirit of Truth, and through it, to the Society of Silent Unity.
It being understood and agreed that the said Spirit of Truth shall render unto us an equivalent for this dedication, in peace of mind, health of body, wisdom, understanding, love, life, and an abundant supply of all things necessary to meet every want without our making any of these things the object of our existence.
In the presence of the Conscious Mind of Christ Jesus, this 7th day of December A.D. 1892
Charles Fillmore
Myrtle Fillmore
Dr. H. Emilie Cady published a series titled Lessons in Truth in the new mazine. This material later was compiled and published in a book by the same name, which served as a seminal work of the Unity movement. Although Charles had no intention of making Unity into a denomination, his students wanted a more organized group. He and his wife were among the first ordained Unity ministers in 1905. Charles and Myrtle Fillmore first operated the Unity organization from a campus near downtown Kansas City. Unity began a formal program for training ministers in 1931; this seminary is now called the Unity Worldwide Spiritual Institute, which has about 600 churches and study groups worldwide.
Myrtle Fillmore died in 1931. Charles remarried in 1933 to Cora G. Dedrick, who was a collaborator on his later writings. Charles Fillmore made his transition in 1948.
Frequently Asked Questions
If this is your first time coming into contact with Unity and its teachings, we understand that you likely have a few questions. With this in mind, we have compiled a list of some of the queries newcomers most often have for us, and we invite you to click on the prompts below to discover some additional information about Unity and its relationship to many traditional spiritual beliefs.
If you have any additional questions or concerns, please reach out to us! We would be delighted to speak with you. Please submit a contact form by clicking here.
What is Unity?
At its core, Unity is a positive spiritual practice that seeks wisdom and enlightenment from many spiritual traditions. Our founders considered their teachings to be “Practical Christianity,” and they looked at all scripture as metaphor and allegory. As we have grown, we have included principles from a wide range of teachings and teachers. We know that each individual has a connection to the eternal Truth and power that we call the Divine. Therefore, we don’t have any dogma; rather, we have spiritual practices that enable each individual’s spiritual and emotional growth.
- We promote a way of life that produces health, prosperity, happiness, and peace of mind. Unity has established centers of education and worship throughout the world.
- We address physical, mental, and emotional needs through Affirmative Prayer and spiritual education.
- We serve those who seek inspiration and prayer support.
- We believe that all people are created with sacred value, and we strive to reach out to those seeking a supportive spiritual growth.
- Our ministries and outreaches are free of discrimination on the basis of race, gender identity, age, creed, religion, national origin, ethnicity, physical disability, and sexual orientation. We build spiritually aware organizations that support and encourage diversity.
What time and where is Sunday Service?
Sunday Service begins promptly at 11:00 AM. We offer a guided Meditation Before Service, which begins at 10:15 AM. Our beautiful Sanctuary is located at 240 Page Street, which is easily accessible by public transportation and features a loading zone in the front for dropoffs by car. Neighborhood parking is also plentifully available.
Those who are not able to attend in person are invited to livestream our Sunday Services, which are broadcast every week. Please click here to visit our livestreaming page.
To get a sense of our Sunday Service experience, we invite you to view our archived livestream services by clicking here.
What happens after Service?
After Service, we offer a time for people to connect with each other while enjoying a cup of coffee or tea, along with some snacks provided by our Hospitality Team, in our Community Room. Some Sundays, we offer classes, prayer groups, and concerts from our visiting musicians that convene after Service in the Sanctuary. For more information about upcoming classes and events, please visit our calendar.
Do you offer a prayer ministry?
Yes! Our Prayer Chaplains are available to pray with you immediately following the service. If you are curious about our Prayer Ministry, or if you would like to make a prayer request, we invite you to visit our Affirmative Prayer page by clicking here.
What are Unity's basic teachings?
The basic ideas that underlie Unity are known as the Five Principles. They are:
- There is only one Presence and one Power active as the Universe and in my life: God.
- We are Divinity in expression, and inherently good.
- We create with our thoughts and beliefs.
- Through prayer and meditation, we align our heart-mind with God.
- Through thoughts, words, and actions, we live in the Truth we know.
We believe your spiritual life is enhanced through reflective prayer and meditation, and we encourage you to discover these teachings by incorporating them into your own spiritual understanding.
What is the role of the Bible in Unity?
We use the Bible and other sacred texts as a spiritual guide to enlightenment. We hold all sacred scriptures as metaphor and allegory, rather than as historical facts. We also know that each person and story in these holy texts represent some aspect of our spiritual life, and when we read and study them with this in mind, they become a vital and useful tool in our journey.
What does Unity teach about sin and salvation, heaven and hell?
We don’t believe in Sin, in the traditional sense. We would describe sin as missing the mark, or separation from the Divine in our consciousness. Salvation is in the moment we realize our true nature and that we can never truly be separated from the Divine Source; it is not something that happens after death of the body. It occurs whenever we transform our thoughts, opinions, and actions from fear, anxiety, worry, and doubt into feelings and beliefs of love, harmony, joy, and peace. We don’t believe in a higher power that excludes anyone from its love and compassion, and we speak of heaven and hell as states of consciousness, not geographic sites – we know that we create our heaven or hell in this world, by our thoughts, words, and deeds.
What is the relationship of Unity to other churches?
Unity is a medium for communicating teachings; it provides inspiration, prayer, and support for spiritual seekers, regardless of their religious affiliation. We belong to a family of New Thought churches that grew in the late 19th and early 20th centuries out of the Transcendentalist and Healing movements. Many of our core beliefs, teachings, and values – such as the power of our words, positive thinking, affirmations, and transcendent Divine presence – have become mainstream practices.
Is there any connection between Unity and Unitarianism?
No, there is no connection – although there is sometimes confusion because of the similarity of the names. Each is a distinct organization with its own set of beliefs, practices, and traditions.
Does Unity believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ?
We know that Jesus of Nazareth was a son of God. However, Unity explains that the Divine Spirit was in Jesus, just as it lives in every person. Each person has the potential of expressing the perfection of the Christ as Jesus did, by attuning to the Christ presence in everyday life.