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Unity Worldwide Ministries Annual Summit 2025
Summary Highlights by Rev. Cynthia Vermillion-Foster
Unity Canada Regional Representative
Unity Worldwide Ministries Annual Summit was held on February 4 and 5. This yearly event is an opportunity for UWM to share updates with its members and to engage them in dialogue about specific topics. (Click here for information and videos from the Summit.)
The major topic of conversation for this year’s Summit was the commitment to “Moving Forward in Unity.” For the past 60 years, the Unity Movement has been served by two organizations:
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Unity Worldwide Ministries which educate and credentials Unity Leaders and provides service to Unity ministries and Leaders
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Unity World Headquarters which owns Unity Village and preserves our history, and serves the world through prayer and spiritual publications
There is sometimes confusion over having two separate organizations and there have been several attempts to bring these two organizations together. The boards and leadership of both organizations have made a commitment to reimagining what is possible and how we might combine resources to better serve the Unity movement.
What this looks like is not yet known, and your participation in this is encouraged. You can join the conversation by attending the monthly townhall meetings held by the UWM and UWH boards: https://www.unityuwm.org/connection-space
In order to support the “Moving Forward in Unity” initiative, Rev. Roxanne Graves has been promoted to the position of CEO, and UWM has cancelled the search for an Interim CEO.
Rev. Diane Venzera gave an update on the Education Redesign that has been in process over the past few years. Beginning in June, Unity Worldwide Spiritual Institute will be offering 14 credentialing prerequisites. This will replace the 18 SEE classes that were previously required from applications to a Credentialing Program. They will also be offering a Competency Based Training Course which will be required to teach credit classes.
The SpiritGroup Program is being simplified and a new training for this program will be offered in April. UWM will also be providing curriculums for Spirit Groups for those who are interested.
The Summit also included: a financial update, an Urban Ministerial School update, UWH update, and information on fundraising.
Unity Worldwide Ministries
Unity Worldwide Ministries (UWM) is an association that includes Unity ministries, their leaders and congregants, our regions, and our central office.
The work of the central office is to support ministers, ministries, credentialled leaders, regions, the Board of Trustees, and ministry teams. In short, we are your partners in ministry.
Unity World Headquarters at Unity Village
Unity World Headquarters (UHQ) is located on the beautiful 1,200-acre campus near Kansas, Missouri called Unity Village.
UHQ provides inspiration and tools for spiritual transformation through print and digital publications (Unity Magazine, Daily Word, books and booklets), as well as Silent Unity prayer ministry, available 24/7 by phone, text, or online
All Unity Leaders are required to obtain Continuing Education Credits each year to be considered active.
In May 2025, UWM added a requirement that Unity Leaders receive one credit hour for Ministry Administration and Governance.
This does not change the total number of credit hours required; it simply makes those requirements more specific. Annual Credit hours for ministers are:
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1 hour of Ethics/Boundaries
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1 hour of Inclusivity
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1 hour of Ministry Administration and Governance
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4 hours of general credits
Credit hours for Licensed Unity Teachers are:
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1 hour of Ethics/Boundaries
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1 hour of Inclusivity
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1 hour of Ministry Administration and Governance
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2 hours of general credits
For more information on CEU’s, please visit: https://www.unityuwm.org/uwsi/ceu-requirement
UNITY REIMAGINED UPDATE (as of July 2025)
For 60 years, Unity has been served by 2 organizations. Unity Worldwide Ministries (UWM) who provides services to Unity ministries and leaders, and Unity World Headquarters (UWH) which includes Silent Unity, Unity publications and owns Unity Village and the archives.
A Reimagine Team was created early 2025 to consider bringing the 2 organizations together as one. This will entail a membership vote to allow Unity World Headquarters to acquire Unity Worldwide Ministries.
✔️This vote will take place at UWM's annual meeting on November 5.
✔️All members of UWM (Ministries and Credentialed Leaders) have a vote.
✔️Ministries can assign 2 or 4 voting delegates (see Voting Information PDF below).
CLICK LINKS BELOW TO HELP YOU LEARN MORE⬇️
The next Town Hall is Wednesday August 27, 2025
1-5pm CT (Time Converter)
Credentialed Leader and Voting Delegate information: click here for PDF doc.
NOTE:
🔴 Ministries: If you have not filled out your AMR, you can do so now, email annualreportforms@unity.org
🔴 Credentialed Leaders: you will automatically receive the Nov. 5 Zoom meeting link If your completed CLR in is in the UWM database (it's not too late to send now!)
🔴 Delegates from a ministry are registered by the ministry sending a letter, with the ministry letterhead, designating the delegates including name(s) and email(s). Email delegate letters to Brenda Hicks-Wiggins (bhicks-wiggins@unity.org). Letters received after Oct 16, 2025 will not be registered to vote.
Only voting members and approved delegates will be sent the Zoom link. All others who wish to view the meeting can do so through Facebook Live (account not required to view).
