Unity's Diversity Statement & Resolution

Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing has made the Unity Worldwide Ministries' diversity statement a part of our bylaws.

We have an Inclusion-Diversity Team (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility) to help us live into our value of inclusivity.

 

Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing’s Diversity Statement  [adopted 2016, revised 2022,]brick wall with rainbow colors and words of diversity

adopted from Unity Worldwide Ministries and Incorporated into the bylaws of Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing as a requirement of Membership 2023

Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing’s Inclusion/Diversity Statement

Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing, its members and affiliates, welcome with love all people in every form as God’s creation. We embrace and honor the Divine within as the one common denominator that we share on our human journey.

We recognize the perfection represented in the mosaic of all humans by: race; culture; gender, sexual identity & orientation; body type; disability; economic status; neurodiversity; life experience; belief; ideas; and perspective.

We strive to expand beyond our individual unconscious biases, blinders, ignorance, and inexperience to create a space where gaps are uncovered, opportunities to be Love in action are identified, and wholeness is realized.

We affirm and support Unity principles and programs that are non-discriminatory and inclusive in our teachings, policies, buildings, and within our communities.

We champion the course of human rights and social justice for all. However varied, we are one.


resolutionOn May 26th, 2023, Leadership of Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing adopted a Resolution for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. The congregation is invited to sign this document as they as so moved.

(the read the full document, CLICK HERE)

RESOLUTION FOR

EQUITY, DIVERSITY

AND INCLUSION

RESOLVED: that based on Unity’s fifth principle of taking action, which states: “Knowing and understanding the laws of life – also called Truth – is not enough.  A person must live the truth that they  know”. 

Based on this Resolve, Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing commits to the following actions:

  1. To continually reevaluate the diversity, equity, and inclusion in our USCL Board of Trustees, Ministry Teams, staff and contracted employees.
  2. To commit to reinforce our core value of Inclusion by adopting and instituting best practices for insuring that all qualified applicants and candidates, for paid and for volunteer positions, are given full consideration for any and all positions, without respect to race, ethnicity, culture, or color.
  3. To accept responsibility for being complicit in discriminatory practices in the past and being benefitted by such practices.
  4. To educate our congregation on our individual and collective roles in systemic racism and the benefits we and our ancestors have received.
  5. To apologize to our black and brown neighbors whom we have harmed directly and indirectly through discriminatory practices, including legislation, business practices, and silence.
  6. To allocate resources at the direction of the membership to support the reparations work of the Justice League of Greater Lansing .
  7. To live our “Inclusion/Diversity Statement” adopted into USCL’s bylaws as a requirement of membership, March 2023
  • Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing, its members and affiliates, welcome with love all people in every form as God’s creation. We embrace and honor the Divine within as the one common denominator that we share on our human journey.
  • We recognize the perfection represented in the mosaic of all humans by race; culture; gender, sexual identity & orientation; body type; disability; economic status; neurodiversity; life experience; belief; ideas; and perspective.
  • We strive to expand beyond our individual unconscious biases, blinders, ignorance, and inexperience to create a space where gaps are uncovered, opportunities to be Love in action are identified, and wholeness is realized.
  • We affirm and support Unity principles and programs that are non-discriminatory and inclusive in our teachings, policies, buildings, and within our communities.
  • We champion the course of human rights and social justice for all. However varied, we are one.

As a member of Unity Worldwide Ministries (UWM), we support the resolution passed on Juneteenth, 2021 by UWM's Board of Trustees.  This resolution takes a stand on dismantling systemic racism, acknowledging and accepting our responsibility for its impact on black and brown neighbors.  It also lists the steps we are taking to dismantle systemtic racism within our movement and within our world.

Link: Unity Worldwide Ministries Resolution on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion