On a quiet stretch of Washington Road in south Lansing, between Willoughby and Holt Roads, a former banquet center and golf course has been transformed into the Unity Campus. Since 2021 this has been home to Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing, a spiritual community rooted in the Unity tradition that meets for Sunday celebration, prayer, classes, music, and fellowship. Members often describe the journey that brought them here as nothing short of miraculous, and they call it the Phoenix Process.
From Fire to the Unity Campus
On a Sunday morning in September 2019, an electrical arc in a junction box beneath the minister's office ignited a fire at the congregation's previous home on South Holmes Street. A passerby called the Lansing Fire Department just before 5:45 a.m. The response happened during a shift change that doubled the available crews, with nine fire trucks and eighteen firefighters arriving to fight the blaze. The structure of the sanctuary survived largely because fire-retardant drywall installed the year before held long enough for the flames to be contained. The offices were not as fortunate, and the entire building had to be gutted.
Within hours, neighbors, fellow Lansing churches, and Unity ministers around the world reached out in support. The Fledge, a creative incubator at 1300 Eureka Street one block north of the damaged building, offered its sanctuary for Sunday services. There the congregation gathered in borrowed space while McCardel Restoration worked through months of remediation, demolition, and inventory. The process took nearly four months to complete.
Plans had already been in motion to add a handicap-accessible addition at the Holmes Street location. Estimates to rebuild and add that space came in at $1.5 million or more, well beyond what insurance would cover. In September 2020 a board member came across a listing for the Chisholm Hills Banquet Center, a property at 2395 Washington Road that had been a golf course and event venue. The numbers worked. In late December 2020, Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing purchased the new property for $585,000 in cash, funded by the fire insurance settlement and the building fund.
Volunteers led by co-project managers Jerry Podany and then-board president Dan Maynard set about bringing the building up to Delhi Township code. Roughly $300,000 in renovations followed, including a new fire alarm system, environmental testing, ADA bathrooms, ramps, drinking fountains, signage, painting, foundation repair, and a complete audio-visual installation for live streaming. The first outdoor in-person service was held at sunrise on Easter 2021. A temporary occupancy permit came in mid-June, and the first on-site service in the Great Hall followed later that month. The building and grounds were consecrated in July 2021, and an official ribbon cutting took place that autumn.
A Congregation Born Twice
The Lansing Unity story stretches back to the 1930s, when Revs. Ida and Harvey Best, both ordained in 1923, held the first Unity service in downtown Lansing in November 1934. Over the decades, the work took different shapes and several different names, including the Society of Practical Christianity, the Lansing Truth Association, and the Lansing Unity Association. In 1941 the group moved to the YWCA. A second congregation, the East Lansing Unity Center, was founded in 1948 by Roxie G. Miller and met at 425 West Grand River Avenue. Roxie Miller was ordained in 1943.
On December 16, 1966, the two congregations voted to merge into Unity of Greater Lansing, and in 1968 the combined community moved to 240 Marshall Street. There the congregation thrived for nearly five decades. Under Rev. Dick Ammons, who served from 1977 to 2004, services grew so large that a second service was added, an associate minister was hired, and the Youth Education Department became active in the Great Lakes Region Y.O.U.
A second split occurred in 2004, when a group led by Rev. Kate DeMougin formed Unity Spiritual Renaissance at 230 South Holmes Street. Lucille Olson became the music director of the new community. After DeMougin's death in 2014, Unity Spiritual Renaissance continued under lay leadership. By the end of 2015, both Unity of Greater Lansing and Unity Spiritual Renaissance had voted to merge again, and on January 1, 2016, they became Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing, headquartered at the Holmes Street location. Rev. Sharon Ketchum was installed as the first minister of the new center in July 2016. Three years later, the fire at the Holmes Street building set the stage for the move to the current Washington Road campus.
Sunday Morning at the Great Hall
Sunday services are held at 10:30 a.m. in the Great Hall and last about an hour. The format weaves together music, an uplifting message, prayer, and meditation, with occasional interactive elements such as congregational singing and discussion. Seating is at five-foot round tables that hold four to six people, an arrangement the center adopted to encourage conversation rather than isolating rows. A coffee bar is open before, during, and after the service, along with a potluck snack table. Worship leaders rotate through the calendar, and teaching series explore spiritual themes drawn from Unity principles throughout the year.
Each service is also livestreamed on YouTube, with recordings posted to the center's video gallery for later viewing. A rotating roster of guest soloists brings a variety of voices to the platform.
For families, a special seating area with crawl mats and upholstered armchairs is set aside for very young children. An Activity Room just off the sanctuary is staffed for Youthcare, where kids can watch the livestream of the service while they read or play. Parents are asked not to leave children under twelve unattended unless another responsible adult is present. The center is rebuilding a fuller Youth and Family program and welcomes input from any member or visitor who would like to help shape it.
Visitors often wonder what to wear. The center's guidance is simple: come as you are. Whether casual or dressed up, everyone fits in. The community is intentionally diverse and welcomes people of every cultural background, sexual orientation, age, faith of origin, and ability. Attendance on a typical Sunday ranges from 30 to 60 in person, with another 50 to 60 joining online.
Parking is plentiful, with more than eighty spaces including designated handicap spots. The Great Hall is fully barrier free from the entry through the sanctuary, bathrooms, kitchen, water fountains, and activity room. The Lodge has a ramp and an ADA bathroom on the upper level, completed at the end of 2022.
What Unity Believes
Unity is a positive, practical spiritual path with roots in Christianity and openness to wisdom from many traditions. God is understood as Spirit, the loving source of all that is, the one power, all good, everywhere present, all wisdom. In Unity, other names for God include Life, Light, Love, Substance, Principle, Law, and Universal Mind.
Each person is taught to be an individual, eternal expression of God, with a divine spark within. Jesus is honored as the great example of the Christ in expression, a Way Shower, rather than an exception to a rule reserved only for him. The same Spirit that dwelt in Jesus, Unity teaches, dwells in everyone, and every person has the potential to express the perfection of Christ in their own unique way.
The Bible is Unity's primary text, read as history, ethical teaching, great literature, and metaphysical guide. The Trinity is interpreted as three aspects of mind in action: mind, idea, and expression. Sin is understood as a state of separation in thought from the good; salvation is a present turning back to love. Heaven and hell are states of consciousness rather than locations. The Second Coming is understood as the ongoing awakening of Christ consciousness in each person. Baptism and communion are observed symbolically, through spiritual awakening and prayer.
Five Unity Principles for Spiritual Living frame the practice. The center has adopted its own core values, abbreviated LOVE (Spirituality, Integrity, Inclusiveness, Community), each of which is rooted in scripture and Unity teaching. A Healthy and Safe Community Interactions Agreement invites members to listen deeply, default to prayer, and engage a Restorative Listening Team when conflicts arise.
The Music That Moves the Heart
Music at Unity is something to be experienced rather than observed. Music Director Jeff English, who holds a Master's degree in Choral Direction from Michigan State University and is a member of the Unity Worldwide Music Team, curates each week's program. The Unity Band features John Loose on guitar, Justin Valla on bass, and Steve Edwards or Michael Razz Rosetos on drums, with English at the piano and Greg Dening leading the singing from the platform.
English is active with Empower Music and Arts, and the center has hosted award-winning musicians through that network. In 2019, Empower Music and Arts presented Rev. Sharon with the Kathy Gee Award for her work in supporting New Thought music and musicians, a tribute also to the music program she has nurtured.
The Heartbeat of the Center: Prayer
Prayer is woven into almost every aspect of life at the center. Sunday services end with an invitation to be prayed with one-on-one by Prayer Practitioners, including LuAnne Champion, Rev. Grace Nicodemus, and others. They offer either Affirmative Prayers or Heart Energy Prayers. A Healing Light Prayer Corner in the sanctuary allows anyone to light a candle of intention, write a prayer slip, or release a prayer into a fountain. Silent prayer requests may also be placed in the prayer box in the Great Hall.
The Silent Prayer Team, a group of twelve members coordinated by Rev. Sharon, receives weekly prayer requests and prays affirmatively for each one. Requests can be submitted online, by phone through the office, or by speaking directly with the minister. Pastoral Connections, led by Lisa Haston, sends cards and arranges visits for those who are healing, grieving, or convalescing.
On the first Saturday of each month at 10 a.m., Prayer Practitioners gather in the Upper Lodge, followed at 10:30 by a book study. The Mastermind Prayer Circle meets via Zoom on the last Saturday of each month at 8 p.m., facilitated by Lisa Schmidt. Beyond the local ministry, Silent Unity at Unity Village in Missouri maintains a 24-hour prayer line that has been praying with people worldwide since 1890. The center is in regular partnership with Silent Unity and the Daily Word magazine.
Short-term spiritual counseling, offered by Rev. Sharon Ketchum and Rev. Grace Nicodemus, is available by appointment and supported by a love offering. The center's approach views each person as an integrated whole, exploring meaning, purpose, and connection through prayer, meditation, sacred text study, forgiveness, rituals, and spiritual journaling.
Classes, Books, and Conversation
The Education Team, facilitated by Pam Nelson, offers a wide range of classes and book studies each year. On Mondays at 1:30 p.m. on Zoom, Kathi Fredericks facilitates a study of Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukov. On Tuesdays at 1:30 p.m. in person, Rev. Sharon leads a discussion of The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts under the name Spiritual Quest. Tuesdays at 7 p.m. on Zoom, Lisa Schmidt walks through the workbook lessons of A Course in Miracles, with a separate group discussion of the same material on Thursday evenings. Wednesdays at 7 p.m. on Zoom, Bill Diedrich facilitates A Course in Love, a complementary text to A Course in Miracles.
The Empowerment Group, a monthly book study followed by a potluck lunch, meets on the second Friday of each month at 10 a.m. in the Activity Room. Discovery Sunday, the first Sunday of the month, features a morning gathering in the Upper Lodge from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. with music, reflection, and stillness. Specialty workshops round out the calendar, such as a four-hour course on praying with others led by Rev. Grace Nicodemus.
Classes are offered free of charge or by love offering. Donations are split 50/50 between the facilitator and the center unless otherwise designated, and year-end tax receipts are issued in January. The center maintains an active Library as well, stocked with Unity and related reading material that anyone may borrow.
Living Out Inclusivity
Inclusivity is one of the center's five core values and is rooted in its bylaws. The Inclusion (Diversity) Team, facilitated by Kathy Assiff, focuses on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Acceptance, and Accessibility. The team meets quarterly and coordinates monthly observances aligned with federal heritage months, including Black History Month, Women's History Month, Arab American Heritage Month, Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride Month, Juneteenth, Hispanic Heritage Month, Native American Heritage Month, and Disability Pride Month.
The Inclusion/Diversity Statement, adopted into the bylaws as a requirement of membership in 2023, recognizes the perfection in the mosaic of all humans by race, culture, gender, sexual identity and orientation, body type, disability, economic status, neurodiversity, life experience, belief, ideas, and perspective. The center was one of the first to adopt Unity Worldwide Ministries' 2021 resolution on dismantling systemic racism. In 2023, its own Resolution on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committed the congregation to ongoing education, to a public apology, and to allocating resources at the direction of the membership to support the reparations work of the Justice League of Greater Lansing.
Members of the LGBTQ community are part of the congregation, and the bylaws require that all members agree to the broad diversity statement. A Healthy and Safe Community Interactions Agreement and a Restorative Listening Team provide structures for resolving conflict with empathy rather than judgment.
Outreach Through Congregants' Choice
Each year, the congregation directs a portion of its tithes to local nonprofits through the Congregants' Choice program. Any member may nominate an organization whose work aligns with the center's values, and members vote in February for their top three choices. The top three receive the donations for three quarters of the year, while remaining nominees share the fourth quarter.
The program has supported a wide range of Lansing-area organizations over the years, including The Fledge at Urbandale (an urban farm and 24/7 free food pantry), the Southside Community Kitchen, Advent House Ministries, the Greater Lansing Foodbank, Haven House, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, the Justice League of Greater Lansing, Planned Parenthood, City Rescue Mission, the Capital Area Humane Society, Loaves & Fishes, the Refugee Development Center, the Global Institute of Lansing, and the UMH Sparrow Breast Clinic. The Justice League of Greater Lansing also receives ongoing support through the DEI resolution's allocation of resources.
The center also offers its campus for outside groups to rent for community and private events, with proceeds supporting the ministry. The Event Rental Team manages bookings and works closely with the Hospitality and Tech teams.
Care for the Whole Person
Spiritual counseling, offered by Rev. Sharon Ketchum and Rev. Grace Nicodemus, is available by appointment and limited to three sessions based on a love offering. The approach views each person as an integrated whole, exploring meaning, purpose, and connection through prayer, meditation, sacred text study, forgiveness, and spiritual journaling. The center also notes the importance of being aware of spiritual bypassing, where spiritual practice can be used to avoid addressing underlying emotional or psychological needs.
Rev. Sharon is available for life passage services, including weddings, the Blessing of a Child, and Celebration of Life services. Weddings can take place at the Unity Campus, outdoors under the pergola by the pond, in a restaurant, or at another location of the couple's choosing. Memorial Garden Trees and Unity Benches offer ways to remember loved ones while contributing to the campus landscape.
Pastoral Connections, facilitated by Lisa Haston, reaches out by card, phone call, or visit to anyone in the congregation who is healing, grieving, or convalescing. The Social Team hosts a calendar of gatherings designed to build friendships across the community, including Lunch Bunch on the first Friday of each month at a local restaurant, Super Suppers on the last Wednesday of each month, Game Days, Labyrinth walks, Lugnuts baseball outings, Trunk or Treat, and a Harvest Blessing potluck in November.
A Campus That Keeps Growing
The Unity Campus occupies a multi-building site on Washington Road. The Great Hall is the accessible main sanctuary and fellowship space, with seating in tables rather than rows and a coffee bar built in. Just outside the Great Hall, the Lodge houses offices, a commercial kitchen, a fireplace, an upper-level deck overlooking the pond, and the Activity Room where Youthcare and some classes meet. Across the grounds, a pergola by the pond serves as an outdoor venue for weddings. The grounds also feature a memorial meditation forest, a walking labyrinth under construction, and various garden beds maintained by volunteers.
Earthcare, while not currently meeting as a formal team, continues through battery recycling, Styrofoam recycling, aluminum tab collection for Ronald McDonald House, and ongoing energy-efficient upgrades. The center holds Level A Earthcare Covenant certification through Unity Worldwide Ministries and has been working toward higher levels. The campus has received multiple Green Star Awards for eco-friendly measures, including a new energy-efficient furnace for the Lodge, an Earth Day movie screening, the planting of ten trees, and recognition from Consumer Energy for participating in the Business Clean Energy Program.
Safety plans are in place for severe weather, fire, and disruptive persons, including active shooter protocols. The Tech Team supports live streaming, sound, and hybrid events across all ministries. The Hospitality Team keeps the coffee flowing, the kitchen supplied, and the sanctuary decorated for the seasons. The Design Team oversees the cohesive look of the campus, including signage, paint colors, and seasonal decor. The Facilities Team keeps the buildings and grounds in good order and continues to recommend capital improvements to the Board.
Getting Connected
There is no requirement to be a member to participate in the life of the center. Anyone may attend Sunday services, take classes, request prayer, or join a ministry team. A short online form offers a way to introduce yourself, ask a question, request information about membership, classes, or space rental, or arrange for a follow-up call or email from someone on the team.
The Leadership Council, made up of the Board of Trustees and the facilitators of each ministry team, meets at least twice a year to set vision. The Board of Trustees is elected by the membership at the Annual Members' Meeting, held on the second Sunday of March each year. Trustees serve three-year terms and may not serve more than two consecutive terms without a one-year interval. New trustees are nominated in the fall and installed at the annual meeting. The center's bylaws require members to agree to the Inclusion/Diversity Statement.
Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with tax ID 81-0897963. Donations are tax-deductible, and receipts are mailed by the end of January each year for annual gifts totaling $250 or more. Love offerings can be made online, by mail to 2395 Washington Road, Lansing, MI 48911, or in the offering basket on Sunday mornings.
The office is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is closed on Wednesdays. The minister can usually be reached through the office phone and email. The grounds are open around the clock for anyone who would like to walk, sit in silence, or enjoy the gardens.