Common ground, common good

BY DORAL PULLEY

I moved from Baltimore to St. Petersburg in August 2014, to become the Spiritual Leader of Unity of Midtown (formerly Unity Temple of Truth Church). I felt like the new kid on the block in a new religious community, which is inclusive of hundreds of places of worship and thousands of clergy.

I knew that in order for our church to truly make a difference, we needed to connect with other churches and ministers. We can not do it alone; therefore, I began praying and reaching out to other spiritual leaders.

The first to befriend me was Imam Askia Muhammad Aquil, who told me about the St. Petersburg Interfaith Association (SPIA). After attending a few meetings and events (such as the Thanksgiving Prayer Service and World Day of Peace), I knew that this was an organization that I was to join. Recently, I was elected as the secretary of their board.

My neighbor, Rev. Mark Greene, pastor of Travelers’ Rest Missionary Baptist Church, invited me to be a part of Faith and Action for Strength Together (FAST). I, along with over a dozen of congregants, joined thousands of people of faith at Tropicana Fields last month. At this event, we confronted the issues of injustice and poverty in Pinellas County.

While with FAST, I heard about 7×7 Evangelistic Crusade, whose mission is peace throughout St. Petersburg. I decided to cancel our weekly Thursday Prayer and Healing Service in order for our congregation to participate in 7×7’s celebration of National Day of Prayer at Gibbs High School.

After this prayer service on May 7, one of the members of our church asked me, “Pastor, why are we getting involved with all of these other groups who have different beliefs?” I explained to her: “We are not changing our beliefs. As a Unity church, we still believe in the 5 Basic Principles as established by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore: the Omnipresence of God, the Divinity of Humankind, the Value and Power of Thought, Practicing the Presence of God through meditation and affirmative prayer, and the Law of Demonstration.”

I further explained that our common goals are peace in the community, economic empowerment, and social justice for all. We all have different beliefs. Nevertheless, we can come together on common ground with other religions and denominations for the up-building of our community. As we continue to put aside our differences and focus on common good, we will see positive change in St. Petersburg! If you are looking for that common ground, you will feel right at home at Unity of Midtown located at 511 Prescott St. S., St. Petersburg.

Join us for any of our services:

Sundays

• 9:30 a.m. Church Orientation & Christian Education Classes
• 10:30 a.m. Prayer & Meditation
• 10:45 a.m. Praise & Worship
• 11 a.m. Morning Service

Tuesdays

• 6:30 p.m. Bible Study

Wednesday Morning Inspirations

• 6:30 a.m. Conference Call#605-562-0020 PIN#122-868-400

Thursdays

• 6:30 PM Prayer & Healing Service

For more information, like us on Facebook at Unity of Midtown, visit us on the web at www.unityofmidtown.org, subscribe to us on YouTube at Unity Midtown, call us at (727) 898-2457 or email us unityofmidtown1957@gmail.com.