Our Mission
Unity of Delray Beach is an ever-expanding, vibrant, spiritual community, guided by infinite wisdom and prospered by divine love. We are dedicated to inspiring individual spiritual empowerment through the practical teachings of Jesus Christ.
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Our Vision
Unity Church of Delray Beach is a loving fellowship dedicated to the practical application of the Jesus Christ teachings.
We are here to assist people on their journey of faith through worship, education, and fellowship.
We are dedicated to encouraging men, women, and children to realize their full God-given potential.
Unity of Delray Beach is a church that empowers thousands of individuals and families to embrace their divinity and accept the abundance of health, wealth, happiness, love, harmony, and perfect self-expression that God has provided.
Unity of Delray Beach is an expanding center of Christ light, mighty to attract its good and to radiate good to others.
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History of Unity of Delray Beach
In 1948, Frances Jarrell began a Unity class in the old Civic Center, beginning with only one member. In less than three years, Unity of Delray Beach outgrew that space and so Warren Grimes provided the "Upper Room" on Atlantic Avenue, where services began on December 16, 1950. Frances retired in 1954, and after the interim ministry of Lucy Stringer, Eva Rosencrans assumed ministerial leadership in 1955. Under her direction, we once again required larger quarters, and on January 5, 1964, Eva Rosencrans conducted her first service in our new church and school facility on lands donated by Warren Grimes.
Unity School was founded in 1964 as one of the first five Montessori pre-schools in the United States, all of which were established in Unity church locations around the country. Our school now educates more than 300 students from pre-school to eighth grade.
In 1966, Eva Rosencrans appointed Mary Kupferle as her associate minister. Mary replaced her as the Senior Minister in 1968. Mary Kupferle was Unity's third best-selling author of the last half of the twentieth century, along with James Dillet Freeman and Eric Butterworth. All three made their transitions within just a few hours of each other in 2003. Mary retired in 1983 but then returned in 1991 as Minister Emeritus.
Richard Barnes assumed leadership of the church and school in 1983. With skills acquired as a private school headmaster, he helped Unity School to become recognized as a world-renowned educational institution. In 1989, Greg Barrette, a lifelong Unity member, staff writer for the Daily Word, and leader of three of the five largest Unity ministries became the senior minister. The growth that ensued required the appointment of a new associate minister, Nancy Norman, who then assumed the senior minister role in 1996. The church continued to thrive under Nancy’s direction and a new associate minister, Laurie Durgan, was appointed. Laurie has also served as Director of the Children’s Ministry since 1986 and Church Administrator since 1991.
After Nancy Norman's retirement in 2017, the ministerial search led to the re-appointment of Greg Barrette as Senior Minister and School CEO, in 2018. Greg’s retirement in 2019 has resulted in a search for a new senior minister and many popular Unity ministers speaking as guests- virtually during Covid restrictions, and again live now.