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Who's Who
Unity Board of Directors
Unity Executive Team
Association of Unity Churches International Board of Trustees
Association Leadership Team
Association Regional Resources
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Charles Rickert Fillmore |
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Rev. Howard Caesar Howard has been a minister for more than 30 years; 23 years as senior minister of Unity Church of Christianity, Houston, Texas. A founding member of the Leadership Council for the Association for Global New Thought, he previously served on the Board for the Association of Unity Churches International and on the board of the International New Thought Alliance. |
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Rev. Ellen Debenport Ellen was appointed senior minister at Unity Church, Dallas, Texas, in December 2003 after serving four years as an associate minister. Before she was called to ministry, Ellen was a journalist with United Press International and the St. Petersburg Times (Fla.), mostly covering politics. She has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Baylor University. |
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Rev. Gregory Guice Gregory is senior minister at Unity Church of Lake Orion, Mich. He is a 2000 graduate of the ministerial program of Unity Institute at Unity Village (formerly Unity School of Religious Studies). |
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Doug Harris Doug has attended Harvard's Graduate School of Business and has been featured in Who's Who in America publications. He has over 30 years of management-level experience with corporations such as Knight Ridder, Inc., and United Air Lines. |
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Rev. Pat Williamson Reverend Pat Williamson is senior minister of Unity Christ Church in Minneapolis, Minn. He has recently served as chair of the Board of the Association of Unity Churches International (2006–2007). He is affiliated with the International Conference of Police Chaplains. During Pat's 15 years of field ministry, he has served congregations in Kansas City, Mo.; Evanston, Ill.; and Cincinnati, Ohio. |
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Rev. Duke Tufty, Board Chair Has served as senior minister at Unity Temple on the Plaza, Kansas City, Mo., since 1991. Duke served as associate minister at The Myrtle Fillmore Center in Prairie Village, Kan., from 1989 to 1990. Duke is currently the Board Chair. |
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Ron Bonar Ron serves as founder and current chairman emeritus of Bonar Group, a consulting engineering, surveying and planning firm. From Fort Wayne, Ind., he has over 45 years' engineering and construction experience. |
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Rev. Richard Mantei Recently retired after 20 years as senior minister of Unity in Marin County, Calif., and currently in Reno, Nev., he is a 1986 graduate of the ministerial program. He is a former member of the Board of Trustees, former Executive Team member, and past chair of the Association of Unity Churches International. |
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John R. Knowles, LUT From Plymouth, Wis., John Knowles is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is an entrepreneur and has an extensive background in business and engineering. He is president/owner of Plymouth Industries, Inc., which specializes in computer-controlled custom machinery and material-handling equipment. John holds several patents and many original designs. He has been in Unity for over 30 years. He is a licensed Unity teacher and currently serves as spiritual leader at the Unity Church of Sheboygan. |
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Griselda Hale A resident of Plantation, Fla., she serves as a child advocate for neglected, abused and dependent children and is court liaison for the Guardian Ad Litem Program. She also serves as a member of the board of regents for Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. |
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Rev. Sylvia Sumter Sylvia has served as the minister of Unity of Washington, D.C., since 1991. Prior to that, she served as the chairperson for Communication Studies and Skills for Unity School of Religious Studies. She graduated from the ministerial program in 1986. |
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Michael Sheets A graduate of the University of Kansas, Michael Sheets has a master's degree in Communications. He is retired from a career in the general aviation industry. Active in his local church (Unity of Wichita), he has been involved with Unity for nearly 20 years. |
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Charlotte Shelton |
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Peggy Ball-Coleman Director, Human Resources With over 25 years of experience in human resources, Peggy has managed corporate functions in more than 10 states. Peggy joined Unity in 2002 and oversees recruiting, employee relations, benefits, safety, compensation and security. |
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Rev. Lynne Brown Vice President, Silent Unity Lynne is an ordained Unity minister. She has served Unity in various capacities for over 25 years. Lynne and her family enjoy country living in a rural Missouri community. She is responsible for Silent Unity, which includes the Telephone Prayer Ministry, Correspondence Services, Message of Hope and our international ministry. |
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James Blake Chief Information Officer With more than 15 years of experience as manager and director of I.T., network services and Internet services in the corporate/financial sectors, James manages all aspects of information technology at Unity, including the Internet/Intranet infrastructure, application development and process improvement/automation. |
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Paula Coppel Vice President, Communications In senior management for more than 10 years, most recently at Waggener Edstrom Worldwide in Portland, Ore., Paula has worked with and for a wide variety of organizations, from publicly held companies and government entities to private agencies and nonprofit organizations. She has been involved in Unity since 1980 and is completing her requirements to become a licensed Unity teacher. At Unity, she is responsible for internal and external communications, including Web content, public relations, new media and Unity's new online radio network, www.unity.fm. |
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Martha Lynn Vice President, Spiritpath Martha has over 20 years of leadership roles in healthcare, banking, engineering and consulting. She is responsible for Spiritpath, which includes our Hotel and Conference Center, the Unity Book Store and Coffee Shop, Unity Inn, and Spiritpath Retreats, Workshops and Events. Martha is also the project manager for Unity's Holistic Healing Center. |
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Jan Murfield Director, Development As a senior manager of other not-for-profits throughout the Midwest, Jan has 24 years' experience in donor relations and managing staff throughout Kentucky, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri for the American Heart Association. Other leadership positions were with the Children's Miracle Network and Jeffrey Byrne and Associates, Inc. She is responsible for donor relationships, including Development and Direct Response. |
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Stephanie Stokes Oliver Editorial Director, Publishing With more than 20 years of New York publishing experience as an editor at Glamour and Essence, and as editor-in-chief of Heart & Soul, Stephanie is the author of three nonfiction books, one of which, Daily Cornbread: 365 Secrets for a Healthy Mind, Body, and Spirit, was inspired by Daily Word. She is responsible for book publishing with Unity House® books. |
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Bruce Schall Chief Financial Officer Bruce has over 20 years' financial management experience in the for-profit sector. With corporate assignments in North Carolina, Massachusetts and Switzerland, Bruce joined Unity in 2000 and is responsible for accounting, control, finance, manufacturing, purchasing, logistics and facilities. |
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Ted Collins Dean/Chief Academic Officer of Unity Institute Prior to joining Unity, Ted served as Campus Executive Officer and Provost for Adult Professional Studies at Ottawa University in Kansas City. Ted is a board member of the C.O.R.E. Council of the Center for Spiritual Living in Kansas City. He brings a variety of experiences to Unity, including business ownership, leadership in public and private education and civic leadership in Overland Park and Kansas City. He has a B.A. and M.A.T. from the University of Iowa and is a graduate of the Drake University Law School. |
Association of Unity Churches International
Full list of Home Office Staff
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Julie Montague Chair Julie is current Chair of the Association's Board of Trustees. She serves as minister of Unity of the Valley in White Rock, British Columbia. She previously chaired the Association of Unity Churches Canada. Julie has been a board member and served educational programs at various Unity churches before entering ministry. She was a Youth of Unity sponsor and youth education director, and has directed regional retreats. Julie's professional experience includes church growth and development, management, public relations, marketing, strategic planning and implementation, communication, and motivational speaking. |
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David McArthur First Vice Chair David is current 1st Vice Chair of the Association's Board of Trustees. He is the senior minister at Unity Center of Walnut Creek, Walnut Creek CA. With more than 30 years in Unity and 27 years in Unity leadership positions, he is a nationally recognized leader, speaker and presenter for the Institute of HeartMath. David was previously an attorney at law in consumer advocacy and environmental issues. He co-authored The Intelligent Heart. |
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Jim Lee Second Vice Chair Jim is current 2nd Vice Chair of the Association's Board of Trustees. He is senior minister at Unity Renaissance in Warren, Mich. Ordained and serving in Unity leadership positions since 1994, he was formerly a successful corporate marketing instructor and national marketing representative and worked for IBM Corporation. Jim has a degree in business management. He was executive director for Youth at Risk, transforming lives of inner city youth. |
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Lei Lanni Burt Keeper of the Flame Lei Lanni serves at the Board's Keeper of the Flame; as a nonvoting member, she was appointed by fellow board members in recognition of her prayer consciousness, holding the high watch in all Board deliberations. She developed Light and Love Ministries to support leaders and congregations in creating effective and innovative pastoral care programs. Services include consulting, training programs, ongoing support, products and other services. As founder of the Prayer Chaplain Program, Lei Lanni previously served as Director of Pastoral Care at Unity of Phoenix. |
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Julie Armour Member Julie is senior minister at Mountain Light Unity Spiritual Center in Evergreen, Colo. She has served as regional representative and chair of the Association's Standards Ministry Team. Serving as a member of the Credentialed Leaders/Ministries Review System (CLMRS), she has chaired the judicatory regional representatives. Julie also served on the Licensing & Ordination Ministry Team. With a professional background in accounting, Julie has over 20 years of business experience working in nonprofit corporations. |
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Bonnie Gilbert Ashe Member Bonny is senior minister at Unity in the Foothills in Torrington, Conn. In her ministry, she places a strong emphasis on membership commitment to Unity education and service in the church and community. She led the first Connecticut program for “A Season for Nonviolence.” Bonny fosters increasing community awareness of Unity through personal and ministry involvement in local education, welfare and health organizations. She is a certified Peace Worker and served on and co-chaired the Association's Field Licensing Team. |
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Mary Masters Member Mary has been senior minister at Unity Church of Practical Christianity in Buffalo, N.Y. since 2003. Her passion for organizational development, financial responsibility and spiritual leadership are demonstrated through her ministry, her five years on the board of the Association's Eastern Region, and in service in the Buffalo community. She has a bachelor's degree in political science and organizational behavior and a master's in managerial communications. She was a licensed Unity teacher prior to ordination. |
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Donna Johnson Member Donna is senior minister at Unity of Fairfax in Oakton, Va.. Active in the work of the Association for a number of years, Donna served on the Admissions Ministry Team and Credentialed Leader/Ministry Review Team. She has also served on the Church Growth, Development, and Gift Planning teams. With a degree in psychology, she has taught at the secondary level, worked in real estate, newspaper journalism and served as a mental health counselor. |
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Eileen Goor Member Eileen was founding minister of New World Unity Church in Springfield, Va. She co-created a dynamic operating system using spiritual discernment, focusing on supporting others in growing into the fullness of their potential, especially as ministers and leaders. Prior to entering ministry, Eileen was a teacher, speech therapist, college instructor and church administrator. She earned a bachelor's in speech therapy and a master's in education. Her work includes support of church leaders in bringing spiritual discernment and other worshipful practices into leadership and church operation. She co-created Participating in God's Unfolding, a spiritual discernment process facilitated in Unity churches and other organizations. |
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Jamie Sanders Member Jamie is senior minister at Unity of Pensacola, Fla. He recently received his ordination through the Association's Field Licensing Program. He has been a featured performer on the television show presented by Rev. Dr. Barbara King's Hillside Chapel and Truth Center in Atlanta and various radio programs around the country, as well as executive producer and host of his own weekly television program, Positive Living. He currently hosts Spirituality Today on the Unity.FM network. |
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Jim Labrie |
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Linda Lowery Member Linda is a licensed Unity teacher serving in Detroit Unity Temple in Detroit, Mich. She has co-chaired the Association's Licensed Teacher Ministry Team. She has served the church as a lay minister in teen and children's ministry, and coordinated and conducted interfaith services. With a degree in marketing and business, she is certified in sales, marketing, consulting, training, management, negotiation, telecommunications, digital imaging technology and finance. She has been on radio and television and is an author. |
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Jack Hartog |
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James Trapp President, Chief Executive Officer James Trapp, President and CEO of the Association of Unity Churches, began his term in 2005. Rev. Trapp was ordained in 1994 and has served at Unity on the Bay in Miami, Fla., for the past 10 years. Since being at Unity on the Bay, he has been instrumental in creating a growing and dynamic spiritual community that is racially, ethnically and culturally diverse, mirroring the wide spectrum of people who live in South Florida. Under his leadership, Unity on the Bay has grown from an average Sunday attendance of 125 to more than 1,300. Rev. Trapp believes that Unity principles, such as honoring the divinity of all people, are relevant to select societal issues. He was a keynote speaker at an interfaith service for religious leaders, organizations and politicians who support equal treatment of all people. Rev. Trapp has a bachelor's degree in economics and a certificate of concentration in African-American studies from Princeton University and a law degree from the University of Florida. "I am deeply honored and humbled to have the privilege of serving as the next President and CEO of our Association of Unity Churches International," Trapp said. "I look forward to working with our collective Unity movement as we go about carrying out the great commission of spreading the good news and co-creating with spirit to transform lives and our world." Rev. Trapp, his wife Angela and son Jaelan are settling into life in Missouri and weather with four seasons. |
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Susan Beck Formerly the Executive Director of the HearthStone Global Foundation in Omaha, Nebraska, she managed several significant global projects, including efforts to promote large-scale conscious transformation within nations, including Israel, and within businesses, other organizations and communities. Previously, Susan served 24 years as an Air Force officer and retired active military service from the Pentagon in 2001 after achieving the rank of Colonel. Her experience included squadron command; advisor to the first female Secretary of the Air Force; and later Director of the Secretary's Action Group (think tank). Susan stayed on in Washington, DC as a consultant for the Department of Defense and defense contractors immediately after the events of 9/11 and then became a business and life coach, guiding businesses and individuals in consciously creating their work and lives. Susan hails from Orlando, Florida where she earned her bachelor's degree in Respiratory Therapy from Florida Technological University. She later earned a Master of Science degree in Logistics Management (Acquisition and Contract Management major) from the Air Force Institute of Technology and a Master of Science degree (National Resource Strategy major) and Distinguished Graduate recognition from the National Defense University. She enjoys traveling, speaking and facilitating workshops and retreats. A Unity Truth student since 1993, she volunteers her time to support non-profit organizations, especially Unity churches across the country, in intentionally envisioning and planning for their future, as well as healing and releasing their past. |
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Gary Simmons Assistant Vice President, Integral Operations Ordained 1980 Alternative Ministry: (with Jane Simmons) I Make The Difference Ministries Rev. Dr. Gary Simmons is assistant vice president Integral Operations at the Association of Unity Churches International, where he is responsible for the coordination and implementation of an integral approach to organizational practice and development within the Association of Unity Churches home office, regional associations and member ministries. Having won praise from Ken Wilber for his is groundbreaking doctoral research, Dr. Simmons has formulated a new paradigm for church growth, called the integral model of ministry, that focuses on creating thriving, coherent and integral church organizations. In addition to his work at the Association home office, he is an adjunct faculty member for both Unity and Holmes Institutes, developing new course content and curriculum based on the application of integral principles and second-tier practices to peacemaking, transition consulting and church development issues. Dr. Simmons is the author of The I of the Storm: Embracing Conflict, Creating Peace, a Unity best-seller, now in its 10th printing; Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain: Spiritual Conflict Management, and Day-By-Day Reconciliation Journal: A 21 Day Spiritual Practice. He is a contributing author to the new book, Sacred Secrets, published by Unity House®. Dr. Gary Simmons has spent the last 10 years as director of Peacemaking Services. Prior to his work with the Association, Dr. Simmons pioneered three Unity churches and served on the Board of Trustees for the Association of Unity Churches International. He has implemented peacemaking and transition consulting processes in over 250 New Thought organizations. Rev. Dr. Gary Simmons was the 2004 recipient of the prestigious Myrtle Fillmore Award. He received his doctor of theology degree from Holos University Graduate Seminary. He holds a fourth-degree black belt in the martial art of tae kwon-do. He is an experimental aircraft builder and pilot and lives with his wife, Rev. Jane Simmons, also a Unity minister, in Lee's Summit, Mo. |
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Deborah Frownfelter Vice President, Education, Leadership and Ministry Development Ordained 2006 Deborah is responsible for capacity-building functions of Association members that further the strategic plan and goals established by the Board of Trustees of the Association. These functions include programs and services involving spiritual education for all ages, leadership development, ministry expansion and development and worldwide support. Deborah is responsible for the development of the Association's new Transformation Experience program. Prior to ministry, Deborah's career included education, counseling, management, corporate training, organizational development, leadership development, coaching and consulting. Most recently she worked with the Center for Leadership Development at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and College of Medicine. |
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Carl Osier Vice President, Minister and Ministry Services Carl Osier joined the Association home office staff in September 1996, assuming the position of vice president of Organizational Services. He works closely with Gary Simmons and Barbara O'Hearne in their member ministry service areas. His department also operates as the "human resources" department of the Association, keeping track of staff policy and hiring. Carl has a background in medicine and hospice care and is an ordained (1993) Unity minister. |
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Young Bae Vice President, Administration and Finance and Chief Financial Officer Rev. Dr. Young Bae is currently the chief financial officer and vice president of finance of the Association. He joined the staff in August 1985. Young's previous experience includes teaching, consulting and accounting services in various organizations. Young is a graduate of Seoul National University (B.A.) and the University of Missouri (M.A.), and holds a Ph.D. in applied management and decision science from Walden University. He is an ordained Unity minister (Class of 1995). A native Korean, Young came to the USA as a foreign student in 1975, and later became a U.S. citizen along with his wife Myoungsoon Bae. Both Young and Soon love playing golf, and the entire family (daughter Suzanne and son Daniel) enjoys music (choir, trio, piano, guitar) and travel. |
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Lisa Wittman Vice President, Communications Lisa Wittman came to the Association in 1995, when she started the Marketing Department. She worked in industrial marketing for GE and two smaller companies in Kansas City. She completed her master's degree in business while at GE. As vice president of Communications, Lisa oversees the communications, events, publications and development efforts of the Association. She participates in the Association's Leadership Team, where the focus is to accomplish our mission through developing enlightened leaders and thriving ministries. |
Holiday gifts from Silent Unity
Voices of Silent Unity CD
The prayers, poems and songs on this new CD capture the essence of Silent Unity. Use it to deepen your prayer experience and heighten your awareness of God’s presence within.
Silent Unity Christmas Ornament
A beautiful new Christmas ornament is available as a reminder of the “Light That Shines for You."
