Our History
Unity Church of Muskegon
Unity History
Unity defined by our Co-Founder, Charles Fillmore:
"Unity is a link in the great educational movement inaugurated by Jesus Christ; our objective is to discern the truth in Christianity and prove it. The truth that we teach is not new, neither do we claim special revelations or discovery of new religious principles. Our purpose is to help and teach mankind to use and prove the eternal Truth taught by the Master."
Founded in 1889, by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, Unity offers a practical philosophy for living. We have no strict creed or dogma, but offer a comprehensive teaching to all who are seeking a deeper understanding of their spiritual nature.
Unity is more than a church, more than a school. It is a spiritual movement for all individuals growing, seeking, unfolding, and becoming what they are meant to be. Unity is more interested in teaching one how to think than what to think. It always leaves you free to choose what has value for you.
Unity is a way of life, a way of thinking that emphasizes humanity's divine nature and the goal of expressing that nature in every area of life. One of Unity's fundamental working propositions is that the way we think and feel about ourselves, our fellow human beings, our world, and God is a determining factor in the expression of that divine nature.
Unity stresses prayer as the fundamental method for developing constructive thought patterns. Prayer unifies us with God. It is out of our relationship with God that our divine nature comes alive, our thinking becomes constructive, and our life is blessed with good.
The actual impetus for the founding of the Unity movement came from Myrtle Fillmore's remarkable healing of tuberculosis. Myrtle Fillmore was healed because her thinking was changed. She had a deep-seated belief that her illness was inherited. From a lecture on metaphysics, however, she suddenly grasped the idea that she was a child of God and did not inherit sickness. She prayerfully applied her new insight with great success, and her health instantly began to improve.
In describing her experience, Myrtle writes: "I have made what seems to me a discovery. I was fearfully sick; I had all the ills of mind and body that I could bear. Medicine and doctors ceased to give me relief, and I was in despair, when I found practical Christianity. I took it up and I was healed. This is how I made what I call my discovery:
"I was thinking about life. Life is everywhere ... Ah! intelligence, as well as life, is needed to make a body. Here is the key to my discovery. Life has to be guided by intelligence in making all forms. The same law works in my own body. Life is simply a form of energy, and has to be guided and directed in man's body by his intelligence. How do we communicate intelligence? By thinking and talking, of course. Then it flashed upon me that I might talk to the life in every part of my body and have it do just what I wanted. I began to teach my body and got marvelous results."
It was the central event of Myrtle Fillmore's healing that provided the beginning inspiration for the Unity movement.
As a boy Charles Fillmore had suffered a hip disease and curvature of the spine. He, too, grasped and applied divine law and reaped benefits physically, mentally and materially. Charles began helping Myrtle and in 1899 they decided to devote their full time to a ministry of prayer and helping others.
The publication of the first Unity magazine took place in 1889. Unity now publishes two magazines--UNITY Magazine, a monthly magazine of inspirational articles and DAILY WORD, a monthly pocket-size magazine containing a prayer for each day of the month and a short uplifting message. And WEE WISDOM, one of the first children's magazines in the United States, was printed for almost 90 years. (It was, unfortunately, stopped in 1992).
The teaching practice of prayer led to the establishment of Silent Unity, the prayer ministry of Unity School. Silent Unity is the heart of the Unity work. Someone is always praying in Silent Unity around the clock. And anyone may request these prayers--for him or herself or another at any time. There is never a charge for Silent Unity's prayers.
(Silent Unity can be reached--any time of the day or night--by calling 1-816-246-5400. If you have an urgent need and have no means of paying for the call, you may call Silent Unity on their toll-free number: 1-800-669-7729).
In the book, The Story of Unity, James Dillet Freeman says of the early days of Unity: "Charles and Myrtle Fillmore were a man and woman of faith. In the word faith is summed up the story of their life and works--and the story of Unity. They did their works through faith. They soared beyond their works through faith. They were teachers through faith. They were healers through faith. They were builders through faith. They were overcomers through faith.
"Many, many times in the history of Unity they came to a place where it seemed that they could not go on, yet, they went on through faith.
"They taught that God is a help in every need and they prayed in this simple faith. Over and over when they were in need, they went to God to prove that what they taught is true. All that they thought and wrote and did they wrought through faith. Through faith, they turned to God in the beginning. Through faith, they healed their bodies. Through faith, they brought healing to others. Through faith, they founded Unity. Through faith, they persevered in their idea when everything seemed to say that they were destined for failure. Through faith, they built a work that circles the world.
"Once Unity was in serious financial straits. Bills that had to be paid were piling up, and there did not seem to be money enough to meet the payroll. The Fillmores called their staff together to pray about the matter. One of the staff said, 'Let us pray that the money holds out.'
"'Oh, no,' whispered Myrtle Fillmore, 'let us pray that our faith holds out.'"
And it did!