Our church history
Unity Church of Christianity began in the summer of 1979 when a group of four people visited Unity Village in Lee’s Summit, MO. to discuss the possibility of establishing a Unity church in Tulsa. Later that summer, the first service was held at Byrd Junior High School with 19 persons in attendance. A core group guided the organization until it hired its first minister, Gary Simmons in the summer of 1980.
The church office, study center and bookstore were in a building at 4313 E. 31st street until the congregation purchased its present home, a former Church of the Nazarene (built in 1968) at 35th and Jamestown. We moved into our new home in the late summer of 1981, holding our first Sunday service in the new building on Aug. 2, 1981.
Over the many years, programs in music, youth and adult education, self-development and body renewal classes have been part of our story. We are also known in Tulsa for the many and varied speakers that appeared in the area. We have sponsored festivals in art and music, as well as being active in various community issues and projects over the years.
We have been served by a number of wonderful Unity ministers over the years who have brought to us their diverse interests and experience. Currently, our ministry is being served by Rev. Mary Anne Harris. She is a Bible historian and scholar, her expertise is the study of the early Christian church. An avid traveler, Rev. Mary Anne facilitates an overseas adventure each year. See travel page for fun photos and this years upcoming adventure brochure.
Unity Basics ~ What we believe.
The basic tenets of Unity philosophy are:
- God is all good and active in everything, everywhere.
- I am naturally good because God’s Divinity is in me and in everyone.
- I create my experiences by what I choose to think and what I feel and believe.
- Through affirmative prayer and meditation, I connect with God and bring out the good in my life.
- I do and give my best by living the Truth that I know. I make a difference!
The Story of Unity
Unity was founded in 1889 in Kansas City, Missouri, by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore. After Mrs. Fillmore’s remarkable healing using prayer and affirmations, many friends became interested in how she accomplished this healing. Unity grew from small prayer circles in livings rooms to the worldwide movement it is today.
Unity: A Path for Spiritual Living
Unity is a positive, practical, progressive approach to Christianity based on the teachings of Jesus and the power of prayer. Unity honors the universal truths in all religions and respects each individual’s right to choose a spiritual path.
God
God is Spirit, the loving source of all that is. God is the one power, all good, everywhere present, all wisdom. God is divine energy continually creating, expressing and sustaining all creation. In God, we live, move and have our being and in us, God lives, moves and finds expression.
Jesus
We believe that Jesus expressed his divine potential and sought to show humankind how to express ours as well. We see Jesus as a master teacher of universal truths. In Unity, we use the term “Christ” to mean the divinity in humankind. Jesus is the great example of the Christ in expression.
The Nature of Humankind
We are each individual, external expressions of God. Our essential nature is divine and therefore inherently good. Our purpose is to express our divine potential as realized and demonstrated by Jesus and other master teachers. The more we awaken to our divine nature, the more fully God expresses in and through our lives.
The Bible
Unity co-founders, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, studied the Bible as history and allegory, and interpreted it as a metaphysical representation of humankind’s evolutionary journey toward spiritual awakening. In addition, Unity recognizes that the Bible is a complex collection of writings compiled over many centuries. We honor the writings as reflecting the understanding and inspiration of the writers at the time they were written. The Bible continues to be a valuable spiritual resource for us.
Our Teachings
Unity teaches that each person is a unique expression of God created with sacred worth. Living from that awareness transforms our lives and the world. Unity emphasis the creative power of thought in our life experience. We refer to this as the Law of Mind Action. When we take personal responsibility to choose life affirming thoughts, words and actions, we experience a more fulfilling and abundant life. Unity teachings continue to evolve as we identify, embrace and apply spiritual insights and the spiritual implications of new discoveries.
Prayer and Meditation
Affirmative prayer is the highest form of creative thought. It includes the release of counterproductive, negative thoughts as well as, holding in mind statements of spiritual truth. Through meditation, we experience the presence of God. Prayer and meditation heighten our awareness of God and thereby transform our lives.
