Unity was a religious movement that began over a century ago in the 1880s by couple Charles and Myrtle Fillmore. Charles had a withered leg; Myrtle had tuberculosis. Myrtle (referred to as Mother Myrtle most often) healed herself through the use of positive affirmations and prayer. The Unity Movement was born.

It was originally defined as a church, but today it is more of a metaphysical movement focused on teaching positive spiritual truths that bring about more meaningful and abundant living. The foundation of this movement is prayer and affirmations. The headquarters of the Unity Movement is located in Lee Summit Missouri.

While each Unity is uniquely different throughout the world, we do have “5 Basic Principles” as our guide which we teach and live by.

The Unity Movement branched into Miami by May Stoiber, a widow from Cincinnati, Ohio, when she first had the thought in mind to open a Unity in October 1926. Doors officially opened on January 1, 1927.

She had a calling to relocate to Miami and help the people affected by a horrible hurricane that devastated the area that same year. Originally called “Unity Center for Practical Christianity," we found roots in Miami and began to grow into the vibrant spiritual community we are today.

Many leaders within the worldwide Unity Movement came through the doors of Unity on the Bay, whether as the Spiritual Leader of our community or as congregants who first felt the call into ministry through their time with us.

Throughout its history, Unity on the Bay has been a powerful agent of prayer, spiritual inspiration and sacred activism.

Our community has been a catalyst for positive change in many important issues for the South Florida community from homelessness, to hosting the largest backpack drive in South Florida for the last 15 years to being at the forefront of equality for the LGBTQ community.

We have become a powerful, positive, progressive, practical approach to life - and we welcome you to join us and be a part of our history!

It was the members of our spiritual community which came together many years ago to discern our mission, vision and core values below.

Vision: Humanity inspired to its divinity.

Mission: We are an inclusive community serving as a catalyst for spiritual awakening, evolution, and action.

Core Values:

Diversity
Generosity
Gratitude
Integrity
Love
Being Spirit-led
Wisdom

CLICK HERE to watch a video about our values.

In Unity, we believe in the positive spiritual living guided by our 5 basic principles which are these:

One Power. God is everywhere and always present in every circumstance. This Divine energy underlies and animates all of existence.

We are Divine & Good. Human beings are innately good because they are connected to and an expression of Spirit.

The Power of Thoughts. Our thoughts have creative power to influence events, and manifest our experiences.

Prayer & Meditation. Prayer and meditation connect and align us to our own spiritual nature within God.

We must take Action. It is not enough to understand spiritual teachings. We must apply our learning in all areas of life, incorporating them into our thoughts, words, and actions.

Who is Jesus to us? 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 and as our Way-Shower. In Unity, we use the term "Christ" to mean the divinity in humankind. Jesus is the great example of the Christ in expression.

What do we think about the nature of mankind? We are each individual, eternal 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.

How do we study the Bible? Unity cofounders 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.

What are our Unity 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 emphasizes 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 emphasizes the importance of applying spiritual principles in our daily lives. Unity teachings continue to evolve as we identify, embrace and apply spiritual insights and the spiritual implications of new discoveries.

What is prayer and meditation for Unity? 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 and thereby transform our lives.