Toronto minister, James Sherman, was born into a “Unity” family. His paternal grandmother became a Unity student in 1918 and he grew up in a Unity environment. His minister growing up in the Long Beach, CA Unity church was one of a handful of Center Leaders that Charles and Myrtle brought into the meetings designed to figure out how to teach the Unity teachings. Her name was Louise Newman. Thus, he has a very deep and heartfelt connection to Unity and its amazing value.
In his teen years, he was active in a youth-group called the “Youth of Unity”, attending large regional Southern California gatherings four times a year, in addition to large international Y.O.U. conferences at Unity Village, annually. In his Y.O.U. years, he was elected the President of the regional body, and later served as the International President of the entire Y.O.U. body.
At 19 years of age, he took courses at Unity Village in the summer-time through the “Unity Training School”. At this point, he was given an opportunity to work full-time at the Village, first working in the Orchard Department, picking peaches, apples and driving a tractor; then being hired to work in the “Field Department”, the Unity body that provided support to a thousand Unity Churches and ministers. Sig Paulson and Elsie Shaw were leading it at that time.
These experiences enabled James to interact and get to know many of Unity’s earliest teachers and ministers Lowell and Rickert Fillmore (sons of Charles and Myrtle Fillmore), James Dillet Freeman, May Rowland, Elsie Shaw, Martha Smock to name a few.
After being invited to become an assistant to a minister in California, James experienced and learned the inner-workings of a church. There he began teaching some classes and presented a few Sunday sermons.
But, the “road to ministry” took an unexpected turn. After being ordered to report to a U.S. Army Draft Center, he was informed that he had 30 days to report to a U.S. Army station, unless he enlisted in another branch of military service. He chose Navy flight training, and soon began his nine-year period as a Naval Officer. He first flew as a “Hurricane Hunter” in the Atlantic, then became an instructor in radar air control, after which he flew in the Pacific, which included two combat deployments to Viet Nam followed by two years in active Naval Reserve, leaving the Navy as a Lieutenant Commander.
While James was in the Unity Ministerial School program he was also enrolled and graduated from the University of Missouri with a B.A. majoring in sociology, and with minors in psychology and philosophy. On every other weekend he flew to Memphis as a “week-end warrior” to maintain his flight and navigation skills.
James was ordained as a Unity minister in 1973 and has served in two ministries, two years in a Florida church, and now, 47 years in Toronto at Unity of Truth. James has also formerly served the Association of Unity Churches International (now known as Unity Worldwide Ministries [UWM]) on its Board of Directors and its Executive Committee. He was Vice-president of the Association for one term.
Upon coming to Canada, he formed the Canadian Association of Unity Churches and served as its president for its first two years. He and the Unity Church of Truth supported and started up several Unity churches in several Ontario, Canada cities such as Hamilton, Scarborough, Ottawa and Kitchener.
Reverend James Sherman developed a ‘unique concept’ for developing additional ministries in Ontario, Canada. The concept was that Unity Church of Truth (UCOT), Toronto would utilize its financial resources to guarantee the financial success of new ministries. Its members placed the new ministries under UCOT’s own corporate umbrella, whereby a lawyer in their church, Mr. Peter Libman worked with James, as minister of Unity Church of Truth, to establish a corporate structure and by-laws for any new ministry. Under James’ tutelage, the church selected and hired the ministers that were to develop the new ministries with UCOT’s backing, love and support. The umbrella covered ministers’ relocation expenses while guaranteeing their salaries during the start-up phase. A budget was developed and UCOT in Toronto guaranteed to meet any short-fall in the budget until the ministry was self-sustaining.
When James Sherman first came to minister in Toronto, things were not easy. He at one point wished to be relocated to another ministry but the Executive Director of the Association, Reverend Robert Sikking, who was mentoring James, told him to never leave a ministry when things were bad and to only reassess to leave when things were good in-order-for James to get the ‘gifts’ out of his experiences. James, to this date still follows this wisdom and decided in the good times to stay and has been with Unity Church of Truth and he is now in his 48th year. Ministerial service remains his passion.
On a personal note, James had 3 wonderful biological children (sadly, his eldest daughter, Lisa made her transition) and 2 wonderful step-daughters with his wife Deborah, who he has been married to for 30 years. James enjoys photography, gardening, travel, reading, writing and teaching, wood-working projects and is a perennial Truth Student. His intention is to continue his ministerial work as long as possible as he finds it both effective and rewarding.
