Hi Friends -

Sometime in the next few weeks TruthUnity.net, the website of TruthUnity Ministries, will be renamed Fillmore.faith. The banner will change as well. The reason for this change is explained in my revised mission/vision statement. Go there to read why the Fillmore name provides a more focused identity for the work I do.

This message is to explain why the Unity name has become a problem for me.

Unity has become, in my mind, a somewhat dysfunctional, but loving and blended family. Much like the gatherings we have at family reunions and Thanksgiving dinners, the mix is interesting, eclectic, inclusive, and fun for a while. These gatherings are filled with not only husbands and wives, but also ex-husbands and ex-wives, their new spouses and partners, their children and step-children, half-brothers and half-sisters, distant cousins, a few friends, some furry, others human but somewhat strange. We love them all. For a day.

That's healthy, I think, for family gatherings and also for Unity. I think we would all be better off if we let go talking about organization, denomination, and movement for a while and, instead, began relating to one another as blended family. If you want to explore what I mean, take a look at the Arbinger class I host every now and then. We relate to family as people. As Martin Buber said, it's I and Thou. Unity, as a family, has the capacity to bring I and Thou relationships into manifestation. And I am proud to be part of it.

Here's my problem: I don't pray with my family and my family is not my spiritual community. If you read my mission/vision statement, referenced above, you will know how deeply my spiritual journey is shaped by the Fillmore teaching. For my spiritual work, I need a more focused assembly; much more focused than the eclectic, blended family of spiritual pathways we see in Unity churches. What would I call that? ACIM has their name, Earthcare has theirs, rainbow and LGBTQ groups have theirs. How can I find a group focused on Fillmore teaching in an eclectic Unity church? The only way I know to find Fillmorians in Unity is to refer to them as Fillmore.

Here's another problem: 80 percent of visitors to my website come from Internet seekers looking for Bible information. They're Christians, seeking a better understanding of their faith. They're not in Unity and have no idea what Unity is. The problem is what they find when they wander into our blended family. Many of them are put off by the messages they find. Most of us know there are a few things better left unsaid at the family reunion and Thanksgiving dinner. To be honest with you, some of the messages I see on social media and Unity church websites, particularly about Christianity and politics, make me cringe. By adopting the Fillmore name, visitors are better able to focus on Fillmore teaching without being caught up in Unity family dynamics.

Here's a third problem: Long before the development of Unity churches, the Fillmores had hoped to see Metaphysical study groups form in existing Christian churches. That was the reason Charles Fillmore did not apply for membership in what is now the National Council of Churches. If Unity was a NCC member then it was a denomination. If it was a denomination then Unity study groups would never be accepted in mainline ministries. I share the Fillmore mission and vision of mainstream Christianity embracing Fillmore teaching. However the Unity name, perceived as a denomination, is a barrier.

Consider that somewhat dysfunctional but loving and blended family. Are they one? No, they are not one. They are ex-this and ex-that. They grew and in growing they grew apart. But are they whole? Yes, they are. They are not only whole, they are healed. Healed enough to gather and celebrate each other as I and Thou, as whole people. They are, as we say, a blended family.

Can we say the same about the movement begun by the Fillmores? Can we acknowledge our differences? Can we be whole without being one? Most importantly, can we be healed? I and my friend have voluntarily relinquished the Unity identity and adopted a Fillmore identity, so the website will become Fillmore.Faith. May we move forward as a somewhat dysfunctional, but truly loving blended family.

Superbowl Sunday, February 9, 2025