Unity of Columbus sits on Maize Road in the Easton area of northeast Columbus, a 16,500-square-foot spiritual campus that serves as a home for New Thought seekers, longtime meditators, and families looking for an affirming place to grow. Its motto, "A Positive Path For Spiritual Living," captures both the church's approachable spirit and its roots in the Unity movement begun by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore in 1889. Within its walls, a diverse congregation gathers on Sunday mornings for uplifting music and practical messages, while weekday evenings fill with meditation, Reiki shares, and dance.
Sunday Mornings at 4211 Maize Road
Every Sunday at 11:00 a.m., the Sunday Celebration Service fills the sanctuary with music, prayer, and a talk grounded in practical spirituality. The service runs about sixty minutes. Music Director Tony Bonardi leads the musical program, joined by vocalists Simone Johnson, Laura Adair, Bobby Ellis, Chad Warren, Carisa Holmes, Julie Didlick, and Louise Salvador, as well as rotating guest performers. The music blends contemporary and traditional selections, and the message is delivered by a rotation of Unity leaders, ordained ministers, and Licensed Unity Teachers who draw on more than a century of New Thought teaching.
Visitors are welcomed with warm greetings and the assurance that "you are welcome here," regardless of background, worldview, culture, age, orientation, race, or gender identity. After the service, guests are invited to stay for refreshments and fellowship. Each service is recorded and posted to the church's YouTube channel, Unity of Columbus Talks, so members and friends can revisit the message or share it with someone who could not attend in person.
The Sunday morning also includes a brief period of shared silence and guided prayer, a hallmark of Unity worship. Children are always welcome in the sanctuary, and on the first and third Sundays of each month, the Youth and Family Ministry offers classes in parallel with the adult service.
Practical Christianity and the Five Principles
Unity of Columbus teaches what its founders called Practical Christianity: the application of the timeless Truth that Jesus taught and demonstrated, brought into daily life in the twenty-first century. The church's stated vision is "United in Spirit, we are a loving community, co-creating a world of peace, abundance, and joy for all." Its mission frames the work as "an inclusive spiritual community that inspires personal transformation through meditation, prayer, and action."
The core values of the community are a loving and compassionate community, an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere, practical and transformative teaching, and inspiring awareness of the God-Within. These values shape everything from Sunday services to small groups.
Five principles organize the teaching:
- God Is. God is Absolute Good, an everywhere Presence rather than an entity located somewhere. God is the very Presence of all Life, eternal, infinite, and unchanging.
- I AM. Human beings carry a spark of Divinity within them, the Christ Spirit. Their essence is of God, and therefore they are inherently good. Unity embraces God as Divine Love within each person.
- Law of Mind Action. Human beings create their experiences by the activity of their thinking. Thoughts held in mind produce after their kind, especially when infused with faith and imagination.
- Affirmative Prayer. Prayer is the most creative form of thought. It heightens the conscious connection with God-Mind and brings forth wisdom, wholeness, and prosperity. Prayer does not change God; it changes the one praying.
- Living the Truth. Knowing the laws of life is not enough. A person must also live the Truth he or she knows. This is the basis of practical Christianity.
The church emphasizes that humans co-create with God through the power of their thoughts and words. It teaches that God is Spirit, everywhere present, the one Spirit behind, in, and through all things visible and invisible. Suffering and what appears as evil arise from a consciousness of separation, not from any power opposed to God. Sin is what results when people act from that "error thought" of separation.
Unity affirms the divinity of Jesus and understands him as a Master Teacher of Universal Truths and the Way Shower. Jesus was not the exception; he was the example of what every human being can express. The Bible serves as Unity's core textbook, read primarily through metaphysical interpretation, where each figure, place, and story represents an aspect of consciousness. The church also draws on wisdom from many traditions, honoring "the many names for God, the many paths to God, the many ways to worship God."
From Pagetown to Easton: The Fillmore Legacy
The Unity movement that Unity of Columbus belongs to has deep roots in central Ohio. Co-founder Myrtle Fillmore was born Mary Caroline Page on August 6, 1845, in Pagetown, Ohio, a small village roughly thirty-five miles north of downtown Columbus that had been founded by her father, Marcus Page. She was the eighth of nine children in a strict Methodist household. At twenty-one she enrolled in the Literary Course for Ladies at Oberlin College, graduating in 1867, then taught school in Clinton, Missouri, where she met Charles Fillmore.
Myrtle had been told she had tuberculosis and had little time to live. After attending a class led by a metaphysician named Dr. E. B. Weeks, she began repeating an affirmative statement: "I am a child of God, and therefore I do not inherit sickness." She credited this affirmative prayer practice with her recovery. Charles, who had walked with a withered leg since a childhood ice-skating accident, began practicing the same techniques and saw his own healing begin.
In 1889 the couple launched Modern Thought magazine in Kansas City. In 1890 they organized a prayer group that would become known as Silent Unity. Dr. H. Emilie Cady's Lessons in Truth, first serialized in the magazine, became a seminal text for the growing movement. Charles and Myrtle founded The Unity Society of Practical Christianity in 1903, and they ordained the first Unity ministers in 1906. Myrtle also began Wee Wisdom magazine for children in 1893, which remained in print for ninety-eight years. Daily Word, the devotional prayer magazine launched in 1924, continues to be printed in six languages, including Braille, and is distributed in more than one hundred countries.
That history is close to home for Unity of Columbus. Members have made pilgrimages to Pagetown, the birthplace of Myrtle Fillmore, to walk the ground of the woman whose affirmative prayer practice gave birth to the worldwide movement. A chapel within the Maize Road facility is named in her honor.
The Minister of Record and the Leadership Team
Rev. Dan Holloway has served as Minister of Record for Unity of Columbus since August 2021. A Unity minister for more than thirty years, he previously served churches in Texas, Nebraska, Virginia, and Florida, and held leadership roles including Board Chair of Unity Worldwide Ministries and President of the Southeast Region. His work now focuses on Ministry Consulting through Unity Worldwide Ministries, guest speaking, spiritual counseling, life coaching, writing, and teaching. His goal is to help people see life a bit differently and apply universal spiritual principles to find clarity, balance, and a true sense of purpose.
The 2026 Board of Trustees includes Sydney Sher as President, Thomie Timmons as Vice-President, Harriette Heibel as Secretary, Veronica Carter as Treasurer, and Pam Cobb and Savy Lewis as Trustees-at-Large. Several long-time members trace their involvement back decades; Veronica Carter has been a member since 1991, and Sydney Sher first walked through the doors in 1998.
Volunteer leaders include Licensed Unity Teachers Jewelene Henson (Adult Education Team Leader and Worship Team Lead), Daryn L. Wells (Prayer Team Leader and Chaplain Trainer-Coordinator, and Director of Youth and Family Ministry), and Shirley Williams (Unity Women of Truth Circle Leader). Other Licensed Unity Teachers serving the community are LaDonna Prillerman and Susanna Warren. A team of prayer chaplains offers confidential affirmative prayer support.
Guest speakers from across the Unity movement rotate through the pulpit, including Rev. Ric Schumacher, Cedric Miller, and Kim Belew, along with the resident ministers and Licensed Unity Teachers.
Raising Conscious Kids: Youth and Family Ministry
Children and teens have their own space at Unity of Columbus. The Youth and Family Ministry meets at 11:00 a.m. on the first and third Sundays of each month, offering classes in parallel with the adult service. As of the 2026-27 school year, the program offers two age-appropriate experiences.
UniKids serves Pre-K through fifth graders with creative, interactive sessions that introduce concepts through stories, art, crafts, and music. Uniteens gathers sixth through eighth graders for group sharing, prayer, meditation, and age-relevant spiritual discussions. YOU, or Youth Of Unity, is the international peace organization within Unity for high school students, designed to empower them as leaders through self-awareness, affirmative prayer, mindfulness, sacred service, and retreats with other YOUers from across the globe. The church hosted the 2026 Great Lakes Eastern Subregional Mini-Rally.
Now in its fourth year, the program uses a curriculum called "Seeds Of Spirit," created by Rev. Dr. Kristine L. Pass. The program is designed to empower children and teens to find Presence, Purpose, and Peace using Unity and New Thought principles, through stories, songs, games, and activities. Children are seen as whole and perfect expressions of God, empowered to fulfill their divine potential, taught to meditate and pray, and invited to experience a loving God.
Parents can register their children online through the Youth and Family Ministry Registration Form, and questions can go to Daryn L. Wells, LUT, by phone at 614-267-4959.
The MidWeek Rhythm
Wednesdays at Unity of Columbus are given over to the MidWeek Renewal, an evening of meditation and discussion. The program opens at 6:30 p.m. with meditation, followed at 7:00 p.m. by a discussion series that rotates through different topics. Past series have included "The True Spirit of Gratitude," a seven-part exploration led by Daryn L. Wells, LUT, that examined gratitude as the foundation of thought, word, and deed. The MidWeek Renewal is offered both online via Zoom and in person, with a Love Offering appreciated.
Longer seasonal classes deepen specific themes. Unapologetic Manifestation: The 10-Week Master Series on Co-Creating Your Life with Purpose, Power, and Grace, based on Rev. Ken Daigle's book of the same name, has been facilitated by Daryn L. Wells, LUT, and Spiritual Director Michele Timmons. The series integrates Ken Daigle's five-step model with New Thought principles, shadow integration, and companioning practices. Participants work on focusing their vision, unmasking limiting belief systems, practicing heart-brain coherence, taking inspired action, and engaging in spiritual companionship. Sessions are offered both in person on Sunday mornings from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. and virtually on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. All sessions are complimentary, with Love Offerings welcomed. Some classes are eligible for Spiritual Education and Enrichment (SEE) Credit through Unity Worldwide Spiritual Institute for a $45 registration fee.
Past workshops have included "The Spirituality of Wellness: A 6-Week Journey of Health, Peace and Grace," led by Michele Timmons, drawing on the Unity booklet The Power of Faith to Heal. Classes at Unity of Columbus are offered on Sundays either before or after service, on Saturdays, or as part of the MidWeek Renewal on Wednesdays.
Reiki Shares and Friday Night Dances
Thursdays bring the Free Reiki Share to Unity of Columbus, running from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Reiki practitioners gather to share healing with one another and with anyone who wants to receive it. There is no charge, and participants do not need to be Reiki practitioners to attend. The church has long had a Reiki tradition: Board President Sydney Sher has been a Reiki practitioner for about fifteen years, and Trustee Savy Lewis is a certified Level One Reiki healer.
Fridays at 7:30 p.m., the church opens its doors for Unity Dance, hosted by DJ "Spanky" Mezger. The event runs until 11:00 p.m., is open to the public, and carries a $10 cover at the door. The Friday night dance has become a lively community gathering, drawing both members and friends from across the city to the Maize Road campus.
Small Circles for Women and Men
Two intimate circles complement the larger Sunday and Wednesday gatherings. The Women's Circle of Truth meets on the first Sunday of each month from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., facilitated by Licensed Unity Teacher Shirley Williams. The group gathers for discussion and currently works through Richard Rohr's Everything Belongs. The circle meets monthly through the year.
The Unity Men's Group meets on the second Saturday of each month from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in the Myrtle Fillmore Chapel. The group offers a smaller setting for conversation, connection, and spiritual support among the men of the congregation.
Meditation and Affirmative Prayer
Meditation is foundational at Unity of Columbus. Each Sunday after the service, from 12:15 to 12:30 p.m., the community gathers for Silent Meditation, fifteen minutes of shared silence and prayer held in the sanctuary. The church teaches that meditation unites Spirit, soul, and body, an inner yielding that centers the practitioner in the Presence of pure Being.
The Wednesday evening MidWeek Renewal also opens with a half-hour meditation at 6:30 p.m. Prayer support is offered around the clock through Silent Unity, the prayer ministry of the worldwide Unity movement, which can be reached at 1-800-669-7729. Local prayer requests can also be submitted through the church's online form, where a prayer chaplain responds in affirmative prayer.
The church's meditation page offers practical guidance for starting a personal practice: select a regular time, sit upright in a comfortable chair or cushion, concentrate on the breath, shift attention to a special phrase such as "I AM," empty the mind of all thoughts except the chosen words, expect nothing, and take time to savor the experience afterward.
Reaching Out to the Homeless
Outreach has been part of Unity of Columbus since the late 1990s, when Board President Sydney Sher began the first outreach to the homeless in central Ohio. Today the Resource Group for the Homeless meets on the second Tuesday of each month from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. in Wilson Hall. Members bring snacks, toiletries, socks, towels, and other supplies to provide to a Columbus homeless shelter. The group is open to anyone in the congregation who wants to participate.
Volunteers can also serve through Sacred Service opportunities, including the Worship Team (greeters, ushers, platform assistants, lobby desk support), Care Team, Facilities and Grounds Team, Audio-Visual Support, Music Ministry (Choir), Youth and Family Ministry, Lawn and Garden Team, and Administrative and Office Support.
Planning Your First Sunday
Visitors are warmly encouraged. The church offers a Plan Your Visit program in which newcomers fill out a short form before coming. A Greeter meets them at the door, gives a tour, answers questions, and a fresh cup of coffee or tea is waiting after the service. First-time visitors receive a Unity Welcome packet, and parents can pre-register their children for the Youth Ministry to save time at the door.
The dress code is "come as you are," from Sunday Best to jeans and sneakers. Parking is available in the main lot, with designated visitor spots near the front entrance. The service features inspirational music, a practical talk on positive teachings that can be applied in daily life, and a brief period of shared silence and guided prayer.
A Welcoming Campus in Easton
The 16,500-square-foot facility on Maize Road is available for rental for special occasions, and it includes spaces such as the main sanctuary, the Myrtle Fillmore Chapel, and Wilson Hall. The address is 4211 Maize Rd, Columbus, OH 43224, and the office phone is 614-267-4959.
The church connects with the wider community through a weekly newsletter and free PDF guide, "10 Spiritual Principles for Health, Prosperity and Inner Peace," available to anyone who signs up online. Donations are accepted through PayPal or by check made payable to Unity of Columbus. A free pamphlet, recent Sunday messages, and the full calendar of events are available, and the congregation is on Facebook at Unity of Columbus.