A History of Unity of Charlotte
1974 – Current
A Work in Process
The first meeting of what was to become Unity of Charlotte was held in 1969 at a private home, based on Unity Study and Prayer Groups as suggested by Unity co-founder Charles Fillmore.
The study group eventually became large enough that in January 1972 Unity Minister Rev. Myrtle Fitzpatrick and her husband began to make the round trip from Asheville every Friday night for 22 months to provide classes.
The group was first called The Unity Center of Charlotte. However, at the October 1974 membership meeting, the group voted to charter as "Unity of Charlotte."
In November 1974, Unity of Charlotte was incorporated and became the second Unity church in North Carolina, after Unity of Arden, North Carolina. It was and remains a member of Unity Worldwide Ministries based outside Kansas City, Missouri.
Meetings were eventually moved to an office building on the corner of Sharon-Amity and Providence Rd. The first noted meeting at this location was on June 2, 1974.
In January 1975, retired Unity minister Rev. Esther Louis, assumed the interim ministerial responsibilities.
From March of 1975 and for the next seven years, the Church used a nearby Seventh Day Adventist Church on Sundays. (This lasted until the purchase of property at 3500 Sharon View Road in March 1982. Pictured above.)
Rev. Eudolene Steeves began her service with the church in April 1975. During this period, a “Voice of Unity” line was put into service. By May 1975, there were two Sunday Services.
In January 1979, newly hired minister, Rev. Jerry Belanger, an Air Force pilot, joined the church and often spoke of the 180-degree turn needed within our minds. A bookstore was formed specializing in spiritual and Unity texts.
During 1979, a taping service was started to lend to those unable to attend the regular Sunday Services.
Also, in this period the church's purpose was stated: “I see Unity of Charlotte unfolding through me as a radiating center of light, life, and love. Its divine purpose is to bring harmony, healing, and prosperity to the hearts, minds and affairs of the people whom it serves.”
A dedication service of the new church home was held November 23rd, 1982, at 3500 Sharon View Road. The property consisted of 5 acres of woodlands, a pond and a small three-bedroom house.
In May 1984, Rev. Jervais Phillips became Unity of Charlotte’s new minister. He often spoke of "That which will be revealed." Membership at that time was 99 members.
On October 1st, 1984, a second Sunday Service was added, and Jervais' wife, Elizabeth Phillips became the musical director.
By March 1985, the church had outgrown its facilities, and leased space for the Sunday Services at the Sharon View Country Club across the street from the Church.
In September 1987, the Church accepted an offer from the board of the Seventh Day Adventist Church on Sharon Road to hold Sunday services in their building as a tenant.
The entire $85,000 mortgage at 3500 Sharonview was paid off in February 1988 and the congregation held a mortgage burning party. It was noted as of March there was a membership of 350.
In 1991, after much discussion, the congregation voted against proceeding with building a new church on the Sharon View site. The search for a new Unity Minister started January 1992.
During the period between permanent ministers, Nancy (McLaughlin) Ennis served as the Interim Spiritual Leader of Unity of Charlotte.
In May 1992, Rev. Randolph Wilkinson, a dynamic and powerful leader, was hired as the new minister.
During December 1992 a Christmas candlelight ceremony, was held at a former church building located at 1000 Woodlawn Road. Unity later leased the building from Pfeiffer College, which was using it for daytime classes.
By the spring of 1995, weeknight prosperity classes based on the work of Catherine Ponder were held at the Sharon View office. The Church had two Sunday services and the building was packed to overflowing.
In June 1996, Unity sold the property on Sharonview Road and used the proceeds for a down payment to purchase the 1000 Woodlawn Road facility.
By 1996, the video ministry entered a higher level, and purchased new audio equipment which allowed us to upgrade our tape ministry as well. The Sunday service was shown each week on the local cable access channel, a presentation which lasted until the end of 2019.
After serving Unity of Charlotte for a decade, Rev. Randolph Wilkinson entered into Formless Love in March 2002, leaving a huge void to fill. His passing was a shock to the congregation.
Nancy Ennis, a Licensed Unity Teacher, took over the church administratively. At the same time, she pursued her education as an ordained Unity Minister.
At the request of the Association of Unity Churches, Unity of Charlotte employed the services of Interim Minister Dr. Nicholas Griffin for several months in 2002 and again in 2003.
Meanwhile, the physical plant at 1000 Woodlawn Ave needed maintenance that was too expensive. Therefore, the search for another church home was undertaken.
In July 2005, Rev. Phillip Smedstad was offered the position as Senior Minister. He conducted services, taught classes, and helped to prepare the congregation for a move to 401 East Arrowood Road. The location was a former Elk’s Club, which was gutted and completely rebuilt inside to meet the needs of the Church. The previous building on Woodlawn Rd. was sold to a commercial developer and razed. The funds from the sale were put into the improvement of the building on Arrowood Road.
In March 2006, Unity held the first service at the new location, with about 160 in attendance. After that, attendance leveled off to about 130 or so each Sunday.
In 2007, the Board was required to address a budgetary short-fall and opted not to renew Rev. Smedstad’s contract.
Rev. Nancy Ennis was ordained by Unity Worldwide Ministries and became the church leader.
In 2014, Rev. Nancy was joined by Rev. David Hulse, who served as Minister of Education. Together, they provided many dynamic classes including Heart-Math and the School of Spirituality. The church also started its own YouTube channel in High Definition.
Rev. David departed Charlotte in late 2016 to take up residence in Columbus, OH.
Rev. Nancy also left Unity of Charlotte to devote more time and effort toward teaching the precepts of Heart-Math in 2016.
In February 2017, Unity of Charlotte began an on-going process to attract the right and perfect minister. Until a final selection was made, the church had guest speakers every Sunday while maintaining a strong and varied selection of classes.
After interviewing several candidates, the Board of Trustees selected Rev. Marty Bacher to be senior minister. Rev. Marty brought a strong sense of dedication and responsibility to the church, reorganizing it away from the minister-centric model into a more modern mission-centric structure. Rev. Marty served for three years as a transitional minister, departing in February 2020.
During the Year of COVID 2019, Unity of Charlotte provided a Sunday Service and several classes online with Zoom and YouTube. Four guest ministers rotated Sunday Services online. Faced with increasing maintenance costs, the church building on East Arrowood Rd was sold. It was purchased by the Sikh Educational Foundation of the Carolinas, which developed plans to use the building as an education and worship center. Unity of Charlotte leased space back from the Sikh organization and continued Sunday services there.
2021 and 2022 were dedicated to rebuilding the post-COVID community by recruiting a new Minister to take the church forward, as well as finding a new meeting space that better served the needs of the congregation. We found our current co-ministers in central Minnesota, Rev. Jim Ernstsen and Rev. Lisa Herklotz. They were hired in November 2022 and have been responsible for new and energized teaching and workshops, as well as a healthy growth in attendance.
In 2023, Unity of Charlotte moved to a new physical location in the space owned by Wesley United Methodist Church on Rea Road (currently pictured on our website). The facility that we share includes a beautiful sanctuary, several classrooms, ample space for Youth and Family Ministries and, of course, a large, industrial kitchen.