This week, the Association of Unity Churches International presents its 2007 Conference entitled, “Unity Within Unity: One In Spirit.” In determining its “Unity Within Unity,” theme for this year’s annual gathering, conference organizers sought to communicate a concept that, “speaks to every relationship, every facet of our lives.” Thanks to Unity minister, Kyra Baehr (pictured above), one of the relationships scheduled to be discussed at this year’s conference, is our spiritual relationship with animals!

By Kris Haley, Best Friends Special Projects Manager

Rev. Kyra Baehr is the founding minister of, Unity of Divine Love; a growing church community in Chandler, Arizona, but she is also extremely active in the extended spiritual community. A passionate visionary and compelling speaker, she was selected to represent both the Arizona Interfaith Movement and Unity at the Parliament of World Religions in Barcelona (2004). She is also a member of the American Clergy Leadership Conference and helped sponsor legislation to celebrate Arizona as the first, “Golden Rule” state. At this year’s Unity conference, Baehr and two colleagues will be presenting a workshop entitled, “Unity's Place in the Interfaith Process Towards World Peace.”

A longtime animal lover, Rev. Kyra was inspired to incorporate the topic of animals and our spiritual relationships with them into her conference program after seeing a presentation on Animals & Religion by Best Friends Special Projects Manager, Kris Haley. Kris was invited to a recent Arizona Interfaith Movement board meeting at which time she introduced board members, including Rev. Kyra, to Best Friends Animals & Religion network community and discussed Best Friends commitment to this initiative. “It seems like a seamless connection to me, “ said Rev. Kyra, “…when one thinks of peace in the world, we must consider how many animals are not offered the ability to experience that. It seems that we have a responsibility to do what we can to extend the circle of peace to all species.”

Rev. Kyra is echoing the sentiments of more and more religious leaders who are stepping in to this emerging new paradigm of animal welfare in order to fully support the needs of their respective congregants. “For some,” said Rev. Kyra, “animals are their only family members. From a pastoral care perspective, supporting our congregants and their family members of all species, becomes a potential we must acknowledge. Best Friends Animals & Religion community is a tremendous resource to that end.”

We couldn’t agree more and are anxious for Rev. Kyra’s return to share her conference experiences with us! Stay tuned!

NOTE: Written by James Freeman, Unity's Prayer for Protection, (The light of God surrounds me; The love of God enfolds me; The power of God protects me; The presence of God watches over me; Wherever I am, God is!,) has an interesting history. In 1969, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin took along a copy of the prayer on the first manned moon landing. A microfilm copy of another of Freeman's works entitled, "I Am There" was left on the moon in 1971 by Apollo XV astronaut James B. Irwin. The Unity movement was founded in the late 19th century by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, after Myrtle experienced a miraculous healing through affirmative prayer.

The “Unity Within Unity” 2007 conference is scheduled to run from June 18th through the 23rd in Overland Park Kansas.

For more information on the Association of Unity Churches International, visit: http://www.unity.org/conf.html and http://www.unityonline.org

For more information on Rev. Kyra Baehr and Unity of Divine Love, visit: http://www.unityofdivinelove.org/

To visit Best Friends Animals & Religion network community visit:
http://www.network.bestfriends.org/religion

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