Brief History of Unity in New York City
Jim Gaither has been Senior Minister of The Center since 2004. Unity has been represented in New York City by a succession of distinguished Ministers. Jim Gaither’s predecessor at the Unity Center was Eric Butterworth.
Eric Butterworth served as Minister of the Unity Center of Practical Christianity from 1961 to 2003. Eric’s radio programs and books have inspired millions, helping people live more God-centered, richer lives. His books, Discover the Power within You, Spiritual Economics, and The Universe is Calling, have been used as part of the curriculum for Unity ministerial training, as well as for classes in Unity groups around the world. Under Eric’s leadership, Sunday Creative “Worth-ship” Services have been held in Carnegie Hall, Town Hall, 
and Avery Fisher Hall. Eric’s ministry is most strongly associated with Avery Fisher Hall, where he held Services from 1976 until his transition in 2003. Through his daily and weekly radio broadcasts, Eric was a source of inspiration to countless thousands of people, and greatly expanded the ministry of The Unity Center. His ministry continues through his writings and recorded talks, which are available at our bookstore, “The Discovery Room.” You can listen to a different inspirational message by Eric (from the archives of his radio broadcasts) every day on his website, www.ericbutterworth.com, the official website of the Eric Butterworth Foundation.
The Unity Center of Practical Christianity in New York City was founded by Georgiana Tree West in 1936. She authored many popular articles and books for Unity expressing the teachings in a clear and practical way. Georgiana was the Minister at The Center until 1959, when she was succeeded by another well-known Unity Minister: popular author and poet, J. Sig Paulson, from 1959 to 1961. One other distinguished Unity Minister who served in New York City was Richard Lynch, who wrote best-selling books on Unity metaphysics, including Mind Makes Men Giants and Know Thyself.
Although not “officially” a Unity minister, Emmett Fox was a great friend of Unity. Fox’s ministry in New York City, “The Church of the Healing Christ,” had thousands of followers and met in Carnegie Hall. Fox’s books and pamphlets have touched millions of lives. His book, The Sermon on the Mount, is one of the most popular inspirational books of the 20 th century and was used as a self-help text by the earliest Alcoholics Anonymous groups. Unity still publishes some of his pamphlets. Records and papers of Emmett Fox and the Church of the Healing Christ are now archived at The Unity Center of Practical Christianity in New York City.