The Unity movement has for some time placed importance on “green practices.” One of the most significant environmental stewardship efforts was the addition of the Unity Village Hotel and Conference Center in 2007. The first hotel in the Midwest and the fourth in the nation to receive “green” LEED Certification from the United States Green Building Council, the hotel includes energy-efficient operating systems, green housekeeping practices and improved air quality—making it a comfortable and environmentally friendly place to stay.
Unity Ministries and EarthCare
Environmental stewardship is an important aspect of many Unity ministries. In 2002 the Northwest Region of the Association of Unity Churches International (Association) began grassroots environmental efforts. Interest grew throughout the Unity movement, and in 2006 the Association created what is now called the Unity Churches International EarthCare Ministry Team (UCIE). Its mission is to support Unity churches in fostering awareness of our spiritual oneness with the earth and to promote active care of all creation.
UCIE provides Unity centers with “earth-friendly” information and support through related films, books, Web sites, curricula and more. An Earthcare Congregation Program provides churches with increasing levels of commitment, activities and, if desired, UCIE EarthCare Certification.
“UCIE has numerous resources available to help churches, depending on the degree of involvement each church is seeking,” says UCIE co-chair Kym Farmer. “We also provide someone to help churches with the specifics on their path toward certification.” To date, five Unity churches have achieved Unity EarthCare Certification: Unity Centre of Practical Christianity, Unity of Fairfax Church, Christ Church Unity–Orlando, Unity of Beaverton and Unity of Overland Park.
Unity Centre of Practical Christianity
The Unity Centre of Practical Christianity in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada was the first UCIE EarthCare certified church. Minister Sharon Clements says her ministry has focused on ecology since 1999. “How we care about our world and other life forms … impacts every area of our life experience. If we want to prosper, we need to live in harmony with our world,” says Clements.
Environmental practices at the church include a “buy green” purchasing policy. They also replaced the sanctuary's gas ceiling furnace with an in-floor hot water radiant heating system. In addition, they use LCD, LED and halogen lighting and have replaced disposal utensils, plates and Styrofoam cups with reusable ones.
Unity of Fairfax
Located in Oakton, Va., Unity of Fairfax began their environmental awareness program with a verdant meditation garden that eventually led to a comprehensive environmental plan. In 2005 the garden was certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a Wildlife Habitat. A few years later the church added a green vegetative roof, composting, a landscaping policy, a storm water detention pond and an educational demonstration site.
“Nature best conveys the characteristics of God—awesome beauty, might, intelligence, and order,” says Rick Hartley, the church's EarthCare ministry chair. “Love and appreciation of nature connects heart, mind and soul and creates an awareness of our connection with all life.” Through this higher consciousness, the church is demonstrating to others good stewardship and helping to create peace on the planet says Hartley.
Christ Church Unity-Orlando
Ron Habin, UCIE co-chair and chaplain at Christ Church Unity-Orlando, says there is a strong correlation between Unity values and good earth stewardship. “Unity is about co-creating the life you wish to have and [earth care] permits people … to merge [this] understanding with actually creating the world in which they would like to live.”
The church sought a power company audit to find ways to be more cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Using those findings, they retrofitted pipes within the church, added a rain barrel, eliminated Styrofoam use and encouraged congregants without neighborhood recycling programs to recycle at the church.
Unity of Beaverton
Creating a successful earth-oriented ministry involves more than putting a few practices in place says Rev. Debbie Taylor of Unity of Beaverton in Beaverton, Ore. “It is critical that the entire congregation is educated and re-educated regularly, as well as fully informed [about] the ease of recycling and loving the earth. It is also essential to have a dynamic, self-motivated, communicative team dedicated to implementation of earth-friendly strategies throughout the church. We have been very fortunate to have a passionate and well-educated team.”
Environmental strategies at the church include recycling program improvements, establishing earth stewardship guidelines for support groups and others who rent space at the church, and using environmentally appropriate paint.
Unity of Overland Park
Unity of Overland Park in Overland Park, Kan., has implemented numerous environmental practices and activities over the past several years. Results from an energy/environmental audit yielded a new, energy-efficient HVAC system and soon-to-be-installed Energy Management System (EMS) that will monitor and control building functions, reducing heat and electrical use by 10 to 40 percent. They have also adopted a new landscaping plan and planting policy designed to incorporate native or other low-water plants wherever possible.
Mike McCord, UCIE EarthCare congregation program coordinator and the church's Green Team leader, says one of the most significant results of implementing conservation measures is the powerful signal it sends to the congregation. ”Members will be proud to belong to a congregation that cares about our earth and has a commitment to protecting the environment. Thus, through leading by example, [the church] has the opportunity to show others ways to live their lives in more spiritual harmony with the environment.”
Find out more about the Unity Churches International EarthCare Ministry Team.
Learn about the Unity publication Earth Blessings: An Anthology of DAILY WORD Messages for Our Planet.
