Unity Church

Unity Center, Mills R.

Lobby of Unity Center

Unity music group

answers 20 questions!

These are not the answers that would be given

by any Fletcher "Unitic" but the one's supplied

by the "Association of Unity Churches"

PO Box 610, Lee's Summit, Missouri 64063


The pamphlet used here was first prepared by Phil and Mary Stovin and revised and edited

by the Executive Ministry Team and Management Staff of the Association of Unity Churches.

It was considered current April 2004.


Although not a member of any Unity Church or center, I have attended the Mills River Unity Center long enough [several years] to have formed an opinion about some of these answers, and will therefore freely criticize them. My criticisms will be in the right column, colored yellow to show my readers that these are not Unity Church's opinions, but my own. Dr. Robert Holt, MD

Questions and Answers:

1. What is Unity?

"Unity is positive, practical Christianity. It teaches the practical application in everyday life of the principles of Truth taught and exemplified by Jesus Christ, as interpreted in the light of modern-day experience by Unity (School) and the Association of Unity Churches. Unity is a way of life that leads to health, prosperity, happiness, and peace of mind. The Association of Unity Churches, in cooperation with Unity (School), has established centers of study and worship throughout the world where people study and practice the Unity way of life.

.....We believe that all people are created with sacred worth. Therefore we recognize the importance of serving all people within the Unity family in spiritually and emotionally caring ways. We strive for our ministries, publications, and programs to reach out to all who seek Unity support and spiritual growth. It is imperitive that our ministries and outreaches be free of discrimination on the basis of race, gender, age, creed, religion, national origin, ethnicity, physical disability, or sexual orientation. Our sincere desire is to create spiritually aware organizations that are nondiscriminatory and that support diversity.

/////In our effort to reach out to all people as did our Way-Shower, Jesus Christ, we support: the modification of our facilities to make them accessible to all people, regardless of physical challenges; the translation of our materials into Braille and other languages; and respect for the wonderful variety of human committments and relationships.

.....We encourage ministers, teachers, and others within Unity to honor the strength of diversity within their spiritual communities. It is with love and in celebration of our unity, in the midst of our wondrous diversity, that we affirm this position."

My Critique:

....I can affirm that the statements on the left are True, so far as it has been my experience in attending the Fletcher Unity center. Fletcher Unity Center was, until relatively recently, located on the busy corner of Route 280 and Route 25, halfway between Hendersonville and Asheville, North Carolina. Technically it was in Arden.

.....This busy location allowed them to run a very successful Bingo game on Saturday nights, and many in the group had superb musical talents that allowed the church to earn more money with secular programs for the greater community.

.....To be sure, nobody is discriminated against, the service is quite unstructured, and no one asks your creed when you enter. Friendly peole in the lobby may be drinking coffee, munching on cookies, and visiting with friends, while in the background, music from Lytingale [the minister's very talented wife] and her also talented musical group can be heard as they tune up for one of the two main services on Sunday morning.

......Although Christian, with pictures of Jesus Christ obvious everywhere as in most Christian Churches, there are on display lots of books by Hindu and Buddhist authors also. And Reverend Chad O'Shea is as likely to cite the words and wisdom of Ram Dass, or some other Indian guru during the main service as the words and wisdom of Jesus Christ.

.....Many of those people who attend Fletcher Unity Center also have a second religion they still have strong emotional ties with.. A devout Catholic may be sitting next to a Jewess. And a Baptist next to a Hindu. One passes smokers takung a few puffs outside the church, but such super-health practitioners as Reiki masters and Yoga instructers are in plentiful supply. In the regular Wednesday night "Soup and Soul" meeting, vegetarian food is available.

Next: Question 2: What are the basic tenets of

the Unity teachings?

 

Return to Main Index