Board Members

Unity Church of Truth (1913)

2024 Voting Unity Church of Truth Board of Directors:

Mr. Victor Austin ( ChairPresident/Treasurer) victore.austin@gmail.com
Ms Debbie Latcha (Secretary)
Mr Lester Singh
Ms Marlene Collins
Ms Gloria Pierre

2024 Non-Voting Unity Church of Truth Board Member:
The Reverend James Sherman (Senior Minister) office@unitytoronto.ca

Our Unity Church of Truth’s (founded in 1913) – Toronto minister, James Sherman, was born into a “Unity” family. His paternal grandmother became a Unity student in 1918 and he grew up in a Unity environment.

In his teen years, he was active in a youth-group called the “Youth of Unity”, attending large regional Southern California gatherings four times a year, in addition to large international Y.O.U. conferences at Unity Village, annually. In his Y.O.U. years, he was elected the President of the regional body, and later served as the International President of the entire Y.O.U. body.

At 19 years of age, he took courses at Unity Village in the summer time through the “Unity Training School”. At this point, he was given an opportunity to work full-time at the Village, first working in the Orchard Department, picking peaches, apples and driving a tractor; then being hired to work in the “Field Department”, the Unity body that provided support to a thousand Unity Churches and ministers.

These experiences enabled James to interact and get to know many of Unity’s earliest teachers and ministers Lowell and Rickertt Fillmore (sons of Charles and Myrtle Fillmore), James Dillet Freeman, May Rowland, Elsie Shaw, Martha Smock to name a few. 

After being invited to become an assistant to a minister in California, James experienced and learned the inner-workings of a church. There he began teaching some classes and presented a few Sunday sermons.

But, the “road to ministry” took an unexpected turn. After being ordered to report to a U.S. Army Draft Center, he was informed that he had 30 days to report to a U.S. Army station, unless he enlisted in another branch of military service. He chose Navy flight training, and soon began his nine-year period as a Naval Officer. He first flew as a “Hurricane Hunter” in the Atlantic, then became an instructor in radar air control, after which he flew in the Pacific, which included two combat deployments to Viet Nam followed by two years in active Naval Reserve, leaving the Navy as a Lieutenant Commander.

While James was in the Unity Ministerial School program he was also enrolled and graduated from the University of Missouri with a B.A. majoring in sociology, and with minors in psychology and philosophy. On every other weekend he flew to Memphis as a “week-end warrior” to maintain his flight and navigation skills.

He was ordained as a Unity minister in 1973 and has served in two ministries, two years in a Florida church, and now, 47 years in Toronto.

James formerly served the Association of Unity Churches International (UWM) on its Board of Directors and its Executive Committee.  He was Vice-president of the Association for one term.

Upon coming to Canada, he formed the Canadian Association of Unity Churches and served as its president for its first two years.  He and the Unity Church of Truth supported and started up several Unity churches in several Ontario, Canada cities such as Hamilton, Scarborough, Ottawa and Kitchener.

Reverend James Sherman developed a ‘unique concept’ for developing additional ministries in Ontario, Canada.
(The concept was that Unity Toronto would utilize its financial resources to guarantee the financial success of new ministries.  They placed the new ministries under our own corporate umbrella whereby a lawyer in our church Mr. Peter Libman worked with our minister (Reverend James Sherman) to establish a corporate structure and by-laws for any new ministry.  Under the Reverend James Sherman’s tutelage, the church selected and hired the ministers that were to develop the new ministries with our backing, love and support. We covered ministers’ relocation expenses while guaranteeing their salaries during the start-up phase. A budget was developed and our Unity Church of Truth in Toronto guaranteed to meet any short-fall in the budget until the ministry was self-sustaining.)

When James Sherman first came to minister in Toronto, things were not easy.  He at one point wished to be relocated to another ministry but the Executive Director of the Association, Reverend Robert Sikking, who was mentoring James, told him to never leave a ministry when things were bad and to only reassess to leave when things were good in order for James to get the ‘gifts’ out of his experiences.  James, to this date still follows this wisdom and decided in the good times to stay and has been with Unity Church of Truth and he is now in his 48th year.

On a personal note, James has 3 wonderful biological children and 2 wonderful step-daughters with his wife Deborah who he has been married for 30 years.  James enjoys photography, gardening, travel, reading, writing and teaching, wood-working projects and is a perennial Truth Student.  His intention is to continue his ministerial work as long as possible as he finds it both effective and rewarding. 

2024 Voting Members and Directors of Unity Church Toronto

Mr Victor Austin – Vice President (Voting Member)
victore.austin@gmail.com Victor is our Board Vice President and has filled the capacity of Board President in the past. Victor is retired from 36 years working with the Federal Government of Canada as a senior telecommunications officer. In June, 2008, Unity Church of Truth, Toronto was recognized as an Independent Unity Ministry (Independent Religious Body) by the Provincial and Federal governments of Canada with Mr. Victor Austin being its Governing official. Victor serves our ministry by supporting the online broadcasting of classes and services and has also served our ministry for 39+ years in the roles of Children’s Church Director, Y.O.U. Director and the founder of Unity Toastmasters as well as the developer and implementer of our Unity Online Broadcast service.
Volunteer Services:
Board Director, Online Broadcasting, Platform Support, Getting To Know Our Unity Spiritual Family Members Online, One Member at a Time Presenter

Mr Lester Singh – Director (Voting Member)
Volunteer Services:
Board Director, Real Estate Consultant

Ms Debbie Latcha – Director (Secretary – Voting Member)
Volunteer Services:
Board Director, 4T Prosperity Facilitator

Ms Marlene Collins
Volunteer Services:
Board Director, Hospitality Support

Ms. Gloria Pierre
Volunteer Services
Board Director, 4 T Prosperity Facilitator, Candlelighting, Decorating Support, Getting To Know Our Unity Spiritual Family Members Online, One Member at a Time Presenter

We bless our Board, new members and honorary member. We celebrate them and thank each member for their commitment and service to God and our ministry.

 

Principles

1. Our view of God.
2. Our view of the individual.
3. Our view of the relationship between God and the individual.

Our view of God can be summarized in our foundation statement: There is only one presence and one power in the universe, God the good, omnipotent. Though there are variations on this statement, the idea that God the good is the only power at work.

Our view of the individual is that God the good is individualized as the central core of every person’s being. All the elements that God is are focalized as the essence of the individual.

Our view of the relationship between God and the individual is that of unity, oneness. There is no place where God leaves off and the individual begins.

These three elements determine how and why we view Jesus in the way we do. They totally influence the way we approach prayer and meditation. They provide the rationale behind our approach to healing. They are the foundation that governs our understanding of prosperity. In fact, every single concept we teach has as its basis of logic our understanding of these three elements. Those who wish to know why Unity takes its particular approach on any given subject will understand why once they have this key.

Defines human beings as….

Physical entities who are divine by nature

Souls on an evolutionary journey

Capable of direct communication with God

What Unity Teaches

“Unity teaches three very simple ideas that no one will ever improve upon.

We teach that there is but one Presence and one Power in the universe, God, the Good, omnipotent.

We teach that every individual is a direct expression of this Presence and every individual has an unalterable relationship of oneness with this Presence.

Everything else that we teach is commentary on these ideas, instruction on how to rethink our individual experience based on these ideas, and how to deepen the awareness of our relationship of oneness with this Presence.

To remain a solid and practical catalyst to authentic, spiritual transformation, we will never stop talking about these ideas. We will only get better at doing it.” Rev. J Douglas Bottorff

Board Meetings

Dates: TBD

Learn, grow, love, heal, laugh and pray…

Life is meant to be good!”