The History of Unity of Tampa

Unity of Tampa started with…

A Decade of Expanding Possibilities

As the First World War ended, a new decade began: the 1920’s! Despite the recession that followed the war, it was an exciting time of innovation and opportunity. In the United States, advances in transportation and communication opened up the country. People were on the move as never before. Trains and early automobiles might not seem like much in today’s mobility-driven world, but compare a train ride to a journey in a wagon, or a Model T trip to a bouncy horse-drawn buggy!  In Florida, the town of Tampa was thriving and expanding as tourists and sun-seeking Northerners made their way south.

For women of the era, there was even more to celebrate. On August 18, 1920 the 19^th Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified, giving women the right to vote. And that was just one sign of the times. As the restrictive clothing and customs of the Victorian era receded, opportunities arose.

Unity and the New Thought Movement

It was only natural that this increasingly progressive generation of women would be drawn to the New Thought spiritual movement that had evolved in the later part of the 19^th century.  Traditional religious institutions of the past had a history of patriarchal authority.  The New Thought movement offered women equal opportunities to participate as teachers and leaders. By 1920, the New Thought inspired organization known as Unity had established itself throughout the country.

Unity was founded in 1889 by former Christian Science Ministers Charles and Myrtle Fillmore. The practice focused on the power of prayer, healing, and channeling “the Christ Spirit Within.” Although Unity’s headquarters were located in Kansas City, MO, teaching materials were available by mail to study groups across the country.

Ruby Miller Comes to Tampa

It was in the middle of this unprecedented decade that a young woman named Ruby Miller came to Tampa. She was from New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and in 1925, when she was 26 years old, she moved with her family to Tampa’s Riverside Heights area, not far from downtown.

Ruby had been drawn to the New Thought movement and the teachings of Charles and Myrtle Fillmore. At the time of her arrival in Tampa, there was a Unity study group led by Louise Beaty that met across the bay in St. Petersburg. It was one of many such groups across the country offering Unity’s spiritual message through their correspondence materials. It would have been a long drive in 1925, but Ruby may have attended meetings with the St. Petersburg group. Or perhaps she met like-minded individuals in some other way. However it came about, it was in 1928 that Ruby collaborated with three other women to form a Unity study group in Tampa. Louise Beatty would later join them.

The First Unity Society

Ocoa Moore had studied Unity since 1912 and had established Unity study centers throughout the United States. In 1927, after teaching for six years in Florida’s Lakeland Unity Center, she moved to Tampa’s Hyde Park and resided near her close friend (some say sister) Laura Hyer on S. Rome Ave.

Louise Ramey was born in Tampa in 1892. She had been one of the first students to attend the Unity School when it opened in 1919, making the long journey from Tampa to Kansas to do so. In 1921, she may have started a study group in Tampa. However, in 1928, she, Laura Hyer, Ocoa Moore and Ruby Miller co-founded the First Unity Society, modeling it after the Fillmore’s Unity Society in Kansas City, Mo.

The First Unity Society met in a donated space inside the Lafayette Street Arcade building, on what is now Kennedy Blvd. It was during these classes that she met her future husband, a concert musician, Karl Wagner. When they married, she took his last name becoming Ruby Wagner. They would later joke about how she had married her “student!”

The Unity Movement

“The Unity Society is not a church, but a school for the training and discipline of all who would develop spiritually.”- Charles Fillmore, Weekly Unity publication, April 1913.

Although Unity was able to incorporate as a not-for-profit due to the religious and educational aspects of its mission, Charles Fillmore did not conceive of Unity as a religious organization. He viewed Unity as a spiritual and educational institution separate from New Thought religion.

In spite of the views of its founder, the Unity movement eventually evolved into the more formalized and familiar establishment of churches and the Unity School was created to meet the demand for Unity ministers.

A Growing Group in Tampa

By 1936, the First Unity Society had moved to the ballroom of the prominent DeSoto Hotel on Marion Street in downtown Tampa.  Listed in the 1937 Unity Directory, the study group included Ocoa Moore, Laura Hyer and Louise Ramey as ministers, and Ruby Wagner as a licensed Unity teacher.

Rev. Ruby Wagner

Ruby Wagner was ordained in 1944. By 1946, the First Unity Society had grown too large for the Desoto Hotel. Services were held in the Tampa Women’s Club on Hyde Park Ave. It was perhaps during this period of growth that Ruby was inspired to build a permanent home for the Society, which had grown from a study group to a formal spiritual organization, a “church.”

When Ocoa More moved to New York to be with her daughter, Ruby assumed leadership of the First Unity Society. She proved to be a strong leader and a powerful, inspired speaker, emphasizing healing and prosperity in her ministry. Hundreds of people would come to hear her preach on Wednesday afternoons when special services and lectures were held to raise money to build the new “temple” she envisioned.  She was also known as a spiritual healer.

“Whenever she spoke to me, she made me feel good about myself.” — Kay Tritt Vitittow (in an interview with Peter Klingman for his book, A Right and Perfect Place, The History of  Unity of Tampa 1928-2010)

The Unity Temple

In just two years, money was raised, property was purchased and the Unity Temple was constructed at 626 North B Street, near today’s University of Tampa.

The First Unity Society, with its 82 members, was incorporated as a not for profit organization in December of 1947. Ruby Wagner was listed as its president and treasurer.  None of the other women who had co-founded the Society with Ruby (Ocoa Moore, Laura Hyer or Louise Ramey) were listed as officers or directors. Ocoa had moved to New York.  For reasons unknown today, Laura and Louise had separated from the Society they had been instrumental in creating.

Unity Temple was completed in 1948. Under Rev. Ruby Wagner’s leadership, the First Unity Society flourished and grew for over 20 years. Karl Wagner, served as Choir Director. When he was ordained in 1958, he became the Associate  Minister.

Throughout this time, groups within the church assisted with classes and community service.  Keepers of the Light held fundraisers and hosted social events and gatherings. The Caring Circle assisted with services, visited the homebound, and met to discuss Unity’s spiritual principles. As the congregation expanded, additions were made to the facility including a choir room, Sunday School rooms, a kitchen, nursery and a library.

.The International Youth of Unity

“As a Spirit-led youth movement, we empower individuals around the world on their spiritual journey.” – Youth of Unity

In 1950, the First Unity Society established a Youth of Unity (Y.O.U.) group for teens, which became affiliated with the International Y.O.U. in 1951.The Youth of Unity is a Unity group for high school aged teens. It seeks to support the spiritual growth of Unity’s young people by providing them with the opportunity to explore Unity’s principles and to demonstrate these in their daily lives.

Y.O.U. groups usually meet on Sunday mornings to discuss and learn a variety of spiritual teachings, attend social gatherings, and become involved in their church and community. It is apparent that Unity of Tampa’s Y.O.U. has made a positive and memorable impression upon its participants.

Handprints on the Wall

In the Y.O.U. room of Unity of Tampa’s former location on Horatio St., the painted image of a tree encompassed half of one wall. The leaves were composed of the handprints of the many, teens who had grown up at Unity of Tampa. The long fingertips on a good number of the hands represented the continuing Y.O.U.’ers who reprinted their handprint every year.

Since 1950, Unity of Tampa has been blessed with dedicated Y.O.U. sponsors who facilitated the group, chaperoning trips to conferences around the country, organizing outings and providing guidance to teens when they need it most: during those difficult high school years. Often, even after they have gone on to college and careers in other cities, a former Y.O.U.’er would come back to look at their hand print on the wall, revisiting the memory of their time in the program.

Rev. Ross Goodman

Ruby Wagner retired from the First Unity Society in 1972. At that time, Ross Goodman had been the minister of the Unity church in Evanston, Illinois for the past seven years. He was a native of Canada. Being a Unity minister had been his goal since his involvement with the Toronto Youth of Unity as a teen. He trained at the Unity School in Kansas City, Missouri where he was fortunate to have Rev. James Dillet Freeman (Unity’s Poet Laureate) as a teacher. On his first Sunday visit to the Unity Temple (Unity’s mother church), he attended a Y.O.U. meeting.  He was introduced to a young woman named Joan. They would be married in 1951.

Rev. Ross had served Unity in Ohio and Oregon before his taking his position in Evanston. When he was offered the ministry in Tampa, he and Joan were ready for some warmer weather.

They arrived in Tampa in 1972, and chose to live near the Unity Temple, close enough to walk (with their seven children!) to church on Sundays. Joan Goodman dedicated herself to the Youth Education department of the ministry, and worked with the Keepers of the Light organizing social and community service groups and events.

Fire!

New Year’s Eve of 1981 started out as an uneventful day. Rev. Ross was at home preparing for the evening’s New Year’s Eve Burning Bowl Ceremony to be held at the Unity Temple. Everything changed when he received a call that the Temple was on fire. By the time he arrived on the scene, the fire had been extinguished, but there was too much damage to hold the service there. The University of Tampa offered its McKay Auditorium for the evening services and the Burning Bowl Ceremony went on. It was clear, however, that the First Unity Society would not be able to hold services at the Unity Temple in the foreseeable future.

Spiritual Growth

Undaunted and true to Unity Principles, Rev. Goodman later stated, “The fire has given us a great opportunity for spiritual growth.” The Board of Trustees apparently agreed with him, and instead of investing funds to repair North B Street Temple, they elected to seek out a new location and expand. A poll of the membership revealed that two thirds were in favor of a larger facility with room to grow: space for classrooms, workshops, and retreats.

The University of Tampa was also expanding and interested in purchasing the North B Street property. In addition, there was an insurance payoff on the fire. These funds, together with those in the building fund started by Ruby Wagner in 1946, were available for purchasing a new property. Still, it took over a year to find the “right and perfect place.”

Homeless!

In the meantime, the First Unity Society was without a permanent location. Their offices moved to small quarters on Grand Central Ave in Hyde Park, and services were held in various donated and rented spaces including the Tampa Preparatory School auditorium and the First Seventh Day Adventist Church in Forrest Hills.

A Site Selection Committee was diligently hunting, but it was a congregant who happened upon the ideal location. While visiting a friend in South Tampa, long time member Eve Menendez learned that the Seventh Day Adventist Church at the corner of Lincoln Street and Horatio Ave had recently been put up for sale. She passed this information onto Ross Goodman.

Tampa Unity

All the pieces fell into place: location, financing, features. The property was purchased. A new era was beginning for the study group that Ruby Wagner had founded back in 1928. The newly empowered Board of Trustees decided that along with a change of location, a change of business practice was needed. The First Unity Society needed to catch up with the times. During Ruby’s tenure, she had handled not only the spiritual aspects of the ministry, but the financial ones as well.  The Board felt that modern times called for modern accounting practices. Among other changes, the First Unity Society was re-incorporated as Tampa Unity. Budgets were created and financial statements made available to members.

Prosperity

During the 1980’s, Tampa Unity continued to grow and prosper at the Horatio St. location. The facilities were expanded to include a youth education wing. More classrooms were added in the 1990’s along with a new courtyard and landscape design.

An Ending and a Beginning

Ross Goodman retired in 1997. He had served Tampa Unity for 24 ½ years. As Rev. Ross was ending his career as a Unity minister, another man’s Unity career was just beginning.

Ross Goodman retired in 1997. He had served Tampa Unity for 24 ½ years. As Rev. Ross was ending his career as a Unity minister, another man’s Unity career was just beginning.

Allen Moss had a successful career in finance when he embarked upon another, that of a Unity Minister. He was born into a Southern Baptist family in a small Georgia town. He graduated from college and went on to a career in corporate banking.

But through the years, his thoughts would return to an event from his teens. It wasn’t something that might generally be thought of as a huge epiphany, but for Allen, it stayed with him the whole of his life and eventually lead him to Tampa Unity.

The event is described in Peter Klingman’s book, A Right and Perfect Place. Allen went out hunting alone one afternoon when he was 14 or 15. It was a chilly day and he was drawn to a sunny spot on a hillside where he laid down and looked up into a brilliant sky. It was there that he had the personal experience of knowing God – simply by watching the clouds, and feeling the natural beauty of the day. Later on, while he was listening to a minister he knew and respected, he had the feeling that he should be a minister, too.

Allen kept these thoughts on hold throughout his business career. In the 1970’s he became involved in New Thought programs, eventually facilitating classes and workshops. But, it wasn’t until the 1990’s that Allen began his Unity coursework. He graduated just as Unity of Tampa was in the market for a minister.  Even though he was newly ordained, the Board was impressed by Allen’s background in finance as well as his high recommendation from the Unity School. There were more experienced candidates, but Allen was offered the position and gave his first Sunday talk on October 5, 1997.

Allen steered Unity of Tampa towards a “community centric” course, one in which the members, rather than the minister assumed leadership of the organization. In this way, members are directly engaged and active in their spiritual community. He also sought to include the “Children’s Ministry” by having the Sunday school children come to the Sanctuary with their parents before going to their classrooms.

Rev. Debbie Moss

Allen’s wife, Debbie Moss, was also a successful professional with a career in sales and marketing. Vivacious, personable, and deeply caring, she worked tirelessly to support the congregation with prayer and action. Debbie was responsible for bringing the chaplain program to Tampa Unity. While working on the requirements to become a licensed Unity teacher, Debbie became involved in pastoral care at St. Joseph’s Hospital. She realized the need for a program at Tampa Unity and attended Unity’s chaplain training to create it. Debbie completed her studies to become a Unity Minister and was ordained in 2012. She joined Allen as a Co-minister of Tampa Unity.

Vision Teams

An important component of Tampa Unity’s community-centric model was the creation of Vision Teams, which offered opportunities for the congregation to actively participate in Tampa Unity’s growth and future. Volunteers created or selected groups they wished to join, such as the Facilities Team, the Fundraising Team, Garden Angels or EarthCare to name a few. They worked together to create and accomplish goals supporting their spiritual community.

New Thought Music

Understanding the importance of music in a ministry, Allen engaged John and Tanya McEwen as music

directors. John, a graduate of USF’s music department, was an experienced musician, teacher, and choral director. He was drawn to the New Thought music movement and eager to expand the music department at Unity of Tampa. In addition to a choir, a band was formed with a percussionist, bass player, John on guitar and Tanya playing piano for a sound that was uplifting and relevant. John worked with the Reverends Allen and Debbie to present music that complimented the theme of each Sunday’s talk. As a gifted songwriter, his original compositions often made the Sunday service a unique experience.

Unity of Tampa

In 2012, Unity Worldwide launched the Unity Identity Program. Using a common logo combined with the local chapter’s name below it, the goal was to present a consistent image and increase public’s recognition and understanding of Unity. Churches were offered a set of tools which included logos, colors, fonts and website development

. To conform to the logo, “Tampa Unity” became “Unity of Tampa,” registering the DBA with the State of Florida.

Expansion

Rev.’s Allen and Debbie accomplishments were many during their time at Unity of Tampa. They expanded community outreach by providing affordable space to support community-minded groups like AA. They brought in New Thought Speakers and Guest artists. Classes in meditation, yoga and even ballroom dance were offered. Audio/Visual technology was updated in the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall. The Courtyard, front entrance and Sanctuary were given a major makeover which included the addition of the tower.  When Rev. Allen retired in 2014, Debbie continued as Unity of Tampa’s minister bringing her warmth, humor and in-depth understanding of metaphysics to each Sunday talk.

Challenging Times

Rev. Debbie retired in 2016 and the Board of Trustees faced a challenging transition period.  The shift from small community churches to larger, flashier organizations cost many of the smaller churches their congregations.  Attracting the new generation to Unity of Tampa proved difficult without a minister in place. Rev. Clive deLaporte served as an interim minister in 2016-17, assisting as Unity of Tampa searched for a permanent minister.

Rev. Bob Uhlar joined Unity of Tampa as senior minister in December, 2017. When the Covid-19 Pandemic struck in Spring of 2020, Unity of Tampa, like most public places, was forced to shut its doors. Out of necessity, the Board replaced Rev. Bob with guest speakers. During this time, Unity of Tampa was reduced to the foundation previous generations had built. The decision was made to sell the now valuable property on Horatio Street. and purchase another site allowing for financial stability.

New Leadership Arrives!

By fall of 2020, things were looking grim. Although the church had reopened under Covid-19 safety guidelines, attendance was sparse.  The first contract for purchase had fallen through. Another was in the works, but the search for a new location had come to a standstill. It was during this tenuous time that Rev. Nancy Mercurio and Jeffrey King were offered the opportunity to take leadership of Unity of Tampa.

Nancy and Jeffrey are not new to Unity of Tampa. The husband and wife team are longtime members who were instrumental in establishing the  Vision Teams. Jeffrey, a member since 1999, had served as the Board of Trustees president for six years. Jeffrey and Nancy sang in the choir for 13 years and both completed 130 hours of Unity SEE class credits. Nancy substituted occasionally for Allen or Debbie, providing the Sunday talk to an enthusiastic congregation. Using the teachings of Unity as a springboard for her spiritual journey, Nancy was ordained as an interfaith minister in 2013, and completed her doctorate in ministry in 2019.

In 2013, she and Jeffrey co-founded Together In Peace Inc., (TIP) a global non-profit mission focused on peace, tolerance and acceptance. Through their bi-weekly broadcasts and online efforts, TIP built a following of 8,000+ social media followers. TIP is consistent with Unity of Tampa’s path as a mission-centric organization, its strength a benefit to future growth.

Under their guidance, Unity of Tampa is growing again. Following Covid-19 safety recommendations, Sunday services have resumed in the Sanctuary and are broadcast live on Facebook for those who cannot attend in person.  Attendance increases with each passing Sunday. And, everyone is excited about Unity of Tampa’s new home!

Moving Onward

We acknowledge that the move from our Horatio Street home of nearly 30 years was a challenging one. But it is not the location, not the building, but the people that make Unity of Tampa special and vital. We look forward to fulfilling Unity of Tampa’s mission as a thriving spiritual community that embraces diversity and inspires personal transformation by living Unity principles: a true spiritual center, just as Charles Fillmore envisioned it.