Unity of Panama City...

Seasons of Change

Jo Ann McClellan (Dubrouillet) had always been a visionary.  In August 1987, however, when she accepted a position as minister of Christ Unity Church of Panama City, she could not have known that just sixteen years later, she would be retiring as the minister of a beautiful new church on Lisenby on a wooded

lot in the heart of Panama City.  She could not have foreseen the fountain flowing behind the church; the

sunlight pouring through the tall, clear windows; the high, arched sanctuary; the thriving youth ed program; the inspirational choir; or the summer concerts.

In July 1975, just twelve years earlier, a small group of about twenty people had held a Unity service one evening outside the Panama City Garden Club.  Seated near the building, they had read the words in their hymnals by the light from the Garden Club windows.  It was an appropriate beginning for Unity in Panama City.

A few days before this service, more than fifty people had met at the Panama City Chamber of Commerce to establish a Unity study group.  Afterwards, services were held at various other locations, including Truesdale Park and a small building on the corner of Jenks and 11th. street.  In March 1980, the group incorporated and purchased property at 513 Satsuma.  After considerable hard work and prayer and many weekend work parties, the building, which had previously functioned as a furniture refinishing shop, was transformed into Christ Unity.  In this tiny steepled building, as the rose window and teddy bears looked on, newcomers arrived, stayed, and mingled with the old-timers.  Together, the people attended workshops, classes, and fish fries and listened to inspirational messages.  Gradually, as they began to discover their inner divinity, they were moved to share this truth.  Healing lives, fulfilling dreams - this became their mission.

For eighteen years, the church on Satsuma served the needs of its people.  As time passed, however, the Christ Unity's vision expanded, it enlarged beyond the capacity of the church's facilities.  Members realized that to move into its full potential, the church would require a larger sanctuary, more classrooms, additional parking spaces, a more spacious bookroom and lending library - in short, more physical space.  Again, a move was required; again, it was time to grow.

During this time, Dorothy Wainwright, a long-time member devoted to Unity, left the church a legacy of dollars and faith.  Because of her belief and her commitment, Christ Unity's vision of a new church home became a possibility.

As a result of Dorothy's gift and the contributions of many others, in the spring of 1998, the church, which had burned its Satsuma mortgage in March 1996, was able to purchase over seven acres of land on Lisenby.  That fall, the congregation approved a design for the new building.  In January 2000, the groundbreaking took place and at the end of the year, in December 2000, Christ Unity Church moved into its new spiritual home at 1764 Lisenby Ave.  It moved with a new identity:  Unity of Panama City.

Since its relocation three years ago, the church has continued to grow.  In the meditation room, a rose window [in the background of this page] offers a silent commentary on its journey.  The bud represents the small prayer group, the beginning of Unity in Panama City.  The partially open flower serves as a reminder of the times of early growth:  the gatherings at Truesdale Park and 11th. Street.  The open rose, the church on Satsuma, represents a time of completion.

A full-blown rose, however, at last yields its place; its legacy lives on in vibrant new growth. Even now, as a new bud unfolds, Unity of Panama City is looking toward the future.  As Jo Ann once observed during a time preceding the church's move,  "We're being called to step out, to stretch, to move out of our comfort zone - to

let ourselves be molded into something greater than anything that we have ever imagined."

Once again, we are being asked to hold this important vision.    New blossoms will emerge.

In the Beginning...

                                                                                                      513 Satsuma Ave.

  A New Day - Rev. Jo Ann's first day at Unity of Panama City's

  new  building at 1764 Lisenby Ave.