Charles Fillmore (Unity Church)

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Charles Fillmore (August 22, 1854 – July 5, 1948), born in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Originally involved in real estate, he founded the Unity School of Christianity, with his wife, Myrtle Page, in 1889. He became known as an American mystic for his contributions to interpretation of Biblical scripture.

At the age of ten, an ice skating accident dislocated his hip and left him with a withered leg - this event had a profound effect on his later life. As a printer's apprentice, he studied Shakespeare, Tennyson, Emerson and Lowell. He later worked as a mule-team driver and assayer before going into real estate. After marrying his wife, Myrtle and the births of their first two sons, he moved to Kansas City, Missouri. In 1886, Charles and Myrtle attended New Thought classes held by Dr. E.B. Weeks. These classes were influential because they proved useful in helping Myrtle with her tuberculosis and with healing Charles' pain from his childhood accident. Charles studied philosophy and religion and soon had a vision of his work in Kansas City. Myrtle was healed of her tuberculosis - something that she attributed to her prayer and her involvement in the New Thought movement. In 1889, Charles left his business to focus entirely on a prayer group that would later be called 'Silent Unity'. It was named this because of a legal conflict with Mary Baker Eddy over the use of Christian Science. In 1891, 'Unity' magazine was first published. Dr. H. Emilie Cady published 'Lessons in Truth' in the new magazine. They later were published in a book by the same name that is a seminal work of the Unity movement. Although Charles had no intention of making Unity into a denomination, his students wanted a more organized group. He and his wife were among the first ordained Unity ministers in 1906. Charles and Myrtle Fillmore operated the Unity organization from a campus near downtown Kansas City. The Unity Inn (Opened in 1905) was a popular feature; it was a cafeteria that was open to the public. The Unity Inn was a vegetarian eatery in accordance with the dietary habits of the Fillmores themselves. In addition to the Unity magazine, Unity also produced a weekly magazine (run by son Lowell Fillmore), a children's magazine ('Wee Wisdom' - discontinued in 1991), a business magazine and ran a radio station (WOQ). Unity's best-known publication made its debut in 1924 - 'Daily Word' features daily devotionals. In 1928, Charles Fillmore made plans for moving to a farm adjacent to nearby Lee's Summit. Unity Farm would be the name of the new center. He also made plans to build a new church at Country Club Plaza - the nation's first suburban shopping center. The iconic Silent Unity tower and complex were completed in 1929 but development slowed during the Great Depression. Myrtle Fillmore passed away in 1931. Charles remarried in 1933 to Cora G. Dedrick; she was a collaborator with his writings in his later years. Although, Charles Fillmore died in 1948, the Unity School and Association of Unity Churches (founded as the Unity Ministers Association in 1934) continued and grew into a worldwide movement.

Fillmore had one of the earliest radio shows in Kansas City. In them, he would invite Fundamentalist preachers to debate. He won the debates by telling his opponents that he loved them and saw God in them, and none had anything to say after that.

[edit] Books

Fillmore believed that his knowledge should be free to all, thus he never sought copyright on any of his books, and Unity House has been able to offer them in hardcover at trade paperback prices.