Hi Friends —
Here are three resources from Rev. Robert ("Bob") Marshall, 50-years in Unity ministry, most of which has been at Unity Orlando. His talk at the 1998 Fillmore Festival is an impassioned manifesto identifying Unity’s fundamental greatness and the path we must take in order for the movement to survive. His book published in 2001 is the only book I’ve seen that identifies and highlights clues that Charles Fillmore left in his writings about his mystical experiences. His interview with me in 2018 (shown below) summarizes his own mystical experience and adds many insights into his long ministry.
The first thing I recommend is to listen to the first 17 seconds of clip 150 in Bob’s 1988 Fillmore Festival talk. He says,
“What Unity has had, in my opinion, is spiritual experience. It is one thing to teach theology. It is another thing to know God.”
All I can say is that the rest of his talk, all of his 2001 book, and the entire message in his 2018 interview build upon and carry forward what is found in those 17 seconds.
If Bob’s message rings true for you, then we have his interview and his book. His interview is shown further down on this page, along with a short biography. Bob has given me permission to reprint the complete contents of his book here on TruthUnity and he has some hardcopies available. Write to him and share your thoughts and experiences. I know he would be happy to hear from you. Finally, if you find that Unity is essentially Christian mysticism, as Bob declares, then we have a slew of other resources on this page where you see “Other resources with similar topic.” I believe Bob’s message will bless many people today.
Sunday, October 16, 2022
Robert L. Marshall has been a spiritual explorer his entire life. An ordained Unity minister, he served Florida churches in Miami, Venice, and Fort Pierce prior to accepting leadership of Unity Church of Christianity in Orlando in 1993. In 2020, he celebrated 47 years in the ministry. Bob’s special expertise lies in meditation and spiritual exploration. He is an accomplished presenter and keynote speaker at many regional conferences and retreats.
Bob was born in Kentucky on June 5, 1950, and grew up in Ohio. His father was a Methodist minister who eventually left the traditional church looking for something deeper. This gave Robert the opportunity to become acquainted with Unity at the age of fifteen when his whole family discovered the New Thought Unity Center in Cincinnati.
A trained hypnotist by the age of thirteen, Bob Marshall graduated from high school top of his class in science and math. He attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, for two years, followed by a year at Glendale College in Glendale, California, pursuing a degree in chemical engineering. A crisis of “purpose” led him to leave college and head into Unity ministry. To this day he considers himself to be a “spiritual engineer,” charting the most efficient techniques of tapping into higher potential.
Bob entered Unity ministerial school a year after his father became a Unity minister. Bob was ordained as a Unity Minister in 1973 at the age of twenty-three and has since served Florida churches in Miami, Venice, Fort Pierce, and Orlando. Presently, he is senior minister of Unity Church of Christianity in Orlando. From 1997 to 1999, Bob served as president of Unity’s Southeast Region.
The Reverend Marshall has been deeply involved in the spiritual retreat experience throughout his ministry. He is a spiritual explorer and his yearning for a deep spiritual experience has led him through a number of mystical traditions even while serving as a Unity minister. He has studied Yoga meditation techniques, become a Sufi initiate, and explored Native-American shamanism. In recent years Bob has brought a condensation of all of his exploration back to a concentration on his roots in Unity. His commitment to spiritual experience, not mere philosophy, highlights for him the mystical side of the Unity movement. Much like Charles and Myrtle Fillmore before him, he hopes to empower everyone to open the doors to higher experience within themselves.
Bob lives in Longwood, near Orlando, with his wife, Patty. His daughter, Lindsey, and his stepson, Joshua, are a source of great pleasure to him. Bob is an avid gardener. He loves traveling, home remodeling, being involved in all types of nature activities, and going on “an adventure.” His most valuable time is often spent at home doing something mundane. He explains, “Real life experienced at a heightened level of awareness is the most exciting thing we can do!”
Offering
If you have been blessed by Robert's message, then why not consider making an offering to his church, Unity of Orlando?
