Construction
of our Church home was originally scheduled to complete in 1901, but
as often happens on the Gulf Coast, a hurricane came ashore and
removed the roof causing damage to the entire structure. Repair and
more construction finally did complete in August of 1906 (with the
addition of cables lending strength to the roof) and the building was
christened "Sacred Heart" Catholic Church. The Sacred Heart
complex occupied the entire block between Jackson and La Rua to the
north and south, and 9th and 10th Avenues to the west and east. Nuns
ran a parochial school on the site and there are those today that
will tell you their parents attended school here. In 1956, the
Catholic Church, having outgrown Sacred Heart, decided to the sell
the church to the City of Pensacola with one condition - the building
could never be resold to a Protestant church. While owned by the City
of Pensacola, the Church housed the Greater Pensacola Symphony
Orchestra until the 1960's. The church was then converted by the City
into a gymnasium and functioned as such until the Church of Christ
bought the church in 1965. As they were Protestants, their purchase
required dispensation from the Pope himself for the purchase. They
restored the church and used it until Unity Church of Christianity
bought it in 1982.
A
MINI-HISTORY OF UNITY IN PENSACOLA
by
Lois Thiergart
In
1940, Mrs. William Gannon called a group of truth seekers together
to study and pray on a regular basis. Inez Howard, mother of Dorothy
Thomas, held classes on Lessons in Truth in a rented room (711) in
the Florida National Bank Building, downtown Pensacola. Approximately
18 students attended each week. Ethel Fitzsimmons came from
Warrington to conduct Sunday services in the ballroom of the San
Carlos Hotel. Unity became a church affiliated with Unity Village in 1945.
Room 406 in the Thiesen
Building was open daily from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. with EvaRosencrans
as the primary leader. From 1947 to 1949, Unity Center offered
prayer, classes, and services at 113 North Baylen Street with room
for 40 congregants.
In
1950, Unity Center moved to Garden Street. Unity Center of Truth was
chosen as the name of the church in 1951. Lowell Filmore ordained Eva
Rosencrans in June of 1953 at Unity School of Christianity, Unity
Village in Lee's Summit, MS. In 1954, Dorothy Thomas was designated
as Associate Leader of the congregation. She became a Licensed Unity
Teacher. Eva Rosencrans accepted an invitation to pastor a church in
Delray Beach, Florida, in 1955 where she served until her death in 1968.
Dorothy Thomas took the
reins of the Unity fellowship while still employed at the Pensacola
News Journal and was ordained in 1959. In 1968, Unity Center of Truth
moved into their own building at 1507 East Moreno Street. Mrs. Thomas
retired from the paper, and in 1970, the church was open daily for
prayer, meditation, and counseling. Classes were held on Tuesdays and
Thursdays, Sunday school and worship services at on Sundays. Dorothy
Thomas taught classes in Fort Walton Beach on Mondays; classes in
Mobile, Alabama, on Wednesday mornings; and at Fairhope, Alabama, on
Wednesday evenings. Because of her work and dedication to the Unity
movement, there are churches and study groups still meeting in these
cities. Dorothy Thomas served 21 years as teacher, minister, and
friend before retiring to St. Petersburg in 1976 to be close to her
daughter and granddaughter.
Charles
and Betty Lelhy were called to Pensacola as ministers from 1976 to
1978, at which time services were held at the Garden Center on 9th
Avenue, while the building at 1507 East Moreno Street was remodeled
and enlarged. Volunteer members of the congregation did much of the
work. Seating went from 62 to over 100 at services, when completed.
Glory
Andersen became minister in October of 1978 and Unity grew, thrived,
and enjoyed many happy celebrations. In 1982, Unity bought the
beautiful Sacred Heart Church at 716 North 9th Avenue from the
Central Church of Christ, who moved their congregation to Gulf
Breeze. Glory became seriously ill in 1985 and Joan Corbin was called
as a temporary minister to help the church through this sad time.
Joan was much loved for her patient work, classes, and services,
becoming Unity's fulltime minister in 1986. Again,
Unity blossomed and prospered. When Joan left in 1989 to follow a
different career, Leona Stefanko became minister. During 1989 while
the ministerial search was going on, Terry Ware from the Fort Walton
Beach congregation filled the pulpit many times, sharing her love and
good Sunday lessons as guest speaker. Unity of Pensacola helped
support Terry when she went to ministerial school at Unity Village.
Jervais
Phillips served as minister after Leona left, from 1991 to 1992.
William Clark was pastor from 1992 to 1993, and Bryan Graham gave the
Sunday lessons from 1993 to 1994. Bryan gave some interesting and
different classes and retreats. Elaine Casey helped administer the
business end of the Unity Corporation.
When Terry Ware graduated
as an ordained Unity minister in June 1994, she was asked to become
fulltime minister of Unity of Pensacola. With prayer and love she
accepted the job and was a blessing to all. Terry
was minister until 1998 when she accepted a job in Alabama, near her
mother and sisters. At that time, Elaine Casey administered Unity
business and Mary Enfinger was spiritual leader, responsible for services.
Pat Bosh was hired in
December of 1999 as an interim minister for six months. While a
ministerial search was going on, the church managed itself with
strong leadership from the Board of Directors and wonderful talks by
many of Unity's own members. Friends like Bill Mikulas, Sally Robins,
and Jamie Sanders gave inspiring lessons on Sunday mornings.
Unity Church of
Christianity in Pensacola hired Marsha Starrwolf in October 2000.
Marsha fell in love with Pensacola and shared that love with her
congregation. Native American drumming and a beautiful prayer garden
were evidence of her presence at Unity of Pensacola. When
Marsha left a year later, the Board of Directors administered the
church with the assistance of Secretary Janis Brandenburg. When it
became obvious that the administration of the church needed a
reliable person at the church building on a daily basis, Twana Hall
was hired on September 30, 2002.
During this interim
period, of no minister under contract, Jamie Sanders and Paulette
Hogan spoke frequently, as did some of our other Unity family. Both
Paulette and Jamie indicated a desire to serve as our minister on a
more permanent basis. Near the end of 2002, Jamie Sanders accepted a
six-month contract as minister/spiritual leader. Twana and Jamie are
a winning team! On October 1, 2005, an enthusiastic congregation
voted to call Jamie Sanders our permanent minister. We are blessed by
his presence on Sunday mornings, and his magnetic personality is
beginning to fill up the services. He is an expanding energy of
Christ Light.
Construction
of our Church home was originally scheduled to complete in 1901, but
as often happens on the Gulf Coast, a hurricane came ashore and
removed the roof causing damage to the entire structure. Repair and
more construction finally did complete in August of 1906 (with the
addition of cables lending strength to the roof) and the building was
christened "Sacred Heart" Catholic Church. The Sacred Heart
complex occupied the entire block between Jackson and La Rua to the
north and south, and 9th and 10th Avenues to the west and east. Nuns
ran a parochial school on the site and there are those today that
will tell you their parents attended school here. In 1956, the
Catholic Church, having outgrown Sacred Heart, decided to the sell
the church to the City of Pensacola with one condition - the building
could never be resold to a Protestant church. While owned by the City
of Pensacola, the Church housed the Greater Pensacola Symphony
Orchestra until the 1960's. The church was then converted by the City
into a gymnasium and functioned as such until the Church of Christ
bought the church in 1965. As they were Protestants, their purchase
required dispensation from the Pope himself for the purchase. They
restored the church and used it until Unity Church of Christianity
bought it in 1982.
In
1940, Mrs. William Gannon called a group of truth seekers together
to study and pray on a regular basis. Inez Howard, mother of Dorothy
Thomas, held classes on Lessons in Truth in a rented room (711) in
the Florida National Bank Building, downtown Pensacola. Approximately
18 students attended each week. Ethel Fitzsimmons came from
Warrington to conduct Sunday services in the ballroom of the San
Carlos Hotel. Unity became a church affiliated with Unity Village in 1945.
In
1950, Unity Center moved to Garden Street. Unity Center of Truth was
chosen as the name of the church in 1951. Lowell Filmore ordained Eva
Rosencrans in June of 1953 at Unity School of Christianity, Unity
Village in Lee's Summit, MS. In 1954, Dorothy Thomas was designated
as Associate Leader of the congregation. She became a Licensed Unity
Teacher. Eva Rosencrans accepted an invitation to pastor a church in
Delray Beach, Florida, in 1955 where she served until her death in 1968.
Charles
and Betty Lelhy were called to Pensacola as ministers from 1976 to
1978, at which time services were held at the Garden Center on 9th
Avenue, while the building at 1507 East Moreno Street was remodeled
and enlarged. Volunteer members of the congregation did much of the
work. Seating went from 62 to over 100 at services, when completed.
Glory
Andersen became minister in October of 1978 and Unity grew, thrived,
and enjoyed many happy celebrations. In 1982, Unity bought the
beautiful Sacred Heart Church at 716 North 9th Avenue from the
Central Church of Christ, who moved their congregation to Gulf
Breeze. Glory became seriously ill in 1985 and Joan Corbin was called
as a temporary minister to help the church through this sad time.
Joan was much loved for her patient work, classes, and services,
becoming Unity's fulltime minister in 1986. 
Again,
Unity blossomed and prospered. When Joan left in 1989 to follow a
different career, Leona Stefanko became minister. During 1989 while
the ministerial search was going on, Terry Ware from the Fort Walton
Beach congregation filled the pulpit many times, sharing her love and
good Sunday lessons as guest speaker. Unity of Pensacola helped
support Terry when she went to ministerial school at Unity Village.
Jervais
Phillips served as minister after Leona left, from 1991 to 1992.
William Clark was pastor from 1992 to 1993, and Bryan Graham gave the
Sunday lessons from 1993 to 1994. Bryan gave some interesting and
different classes and retreats. Elaine Casey helped administer the
business end of the Unity Corporation.
Terry
was minister until 1998 when she accepted a job in Alabama, near her
mother and sisters. At that time, Elaine Casey administered Unity
business and Mary Enfinger was spiritual leader, responsible for services.
When
Marsha left a year later, the Board of Directors administered the
church with the assistance of Secretary Janis Brandenburg. When it
became obvious that the administration of the church needed a
reliable person at the church building on a daily basis, Twana Hall
was hired on September 30, 2002.