During March, 1987, at age 35, I walked into Christ Church Unity of Anaheim, California. My life was never the same again. I loved the church immediately. Reverend Mario de Ferrari was a wonderful Minister, & soon became a good family friend. I made wonderful friends, started attending every sermon, every class, & joined the Lay Ministry Program. I even became the Recording Secretary of the Board of Directors. Life was great. Unity beliefs & principles worked for me. Eventually, my husband & 5 then-young children became active members as well. We all enjoyed several happy years at this church.

One day, as friends sometimes do, Mario & I had a small understanding. Nothing serious. This misunderstanding escalated into a falling-out that would change the next 22 years of my life. What transpired next was a nightmare that would change my life forever.

Without prior Board knowledge or consent, Mario decided to throw me out & initiate a hate campaign against my family & I. I had not done ANYTHING to deserve what you are about to read.

Mario refused to let me graduate from the LMP, despite the fact that I had nearly completed the entire 8-month course. They handed me back not only the money I paid for the course, but for upcoming retreats as well. Hate mail from Mario & other congregation members began arriving at my home & workplace. Nasty phone calls were made to my family & I. Members of CCU called & impersonated the police, trying to scare me. We were forced to change our phone #. The press was called & Mario told them hundreds of lies about me that were printed in the newspapers. Mario sent people to my door with nasty notes & threats to me. One congregation member punched me in the face and ran!! Angry & hurt, I could take no more. I started calling CCU in an effort to stop the madness. Christ Church Unity of Anaheim, California took out a restraining order in an effort to no longer hear the complaints from me. This enraged me further.. These people were out of control!

One day, out of hurt, pain, desperation & rage, I called CCU & started hanging up. Repeatedly. This went on for a few days or less. I was SO ANGRY!! My family & I had had enough! CCU had me arrested & thrown in jail. I decided to go to trial & let a judge hear what Mario had done. Mario lied througout the trial, & I ended up in jail for months. I also ended up in the Cardiac Care Unit of the hospital, near death, for a week. No one at any Unity Church cared. When released, the hate mail & calls from them resumed!

The Association of Unity Churches knew of this the entire time. Reverend Joann Landreth condoned & supported Mario with everything, telling me to "forget it ever happened". Letters, calls & emails to her, Rev. Glen Mosely, & Rev. James Trapp were ignored for 22 years. My calls to The Association were blocked. So was any online access to any of their sites. Prior to being blocked, the Receptionist, Connie Waitley, hung up on me everytime I called to talk to someone. Joann Landreth eventually started sending me spiritual mail, still begging me to pretend it did not happen!

Mario & his Board of Directors got away with everything they did. No apology from him was EVER given to me. No compensation, nothing. To this day, 22 years later, this matter was never made right by me. Our children are all grown, with their own families, left with this Unity experience still in their minds. My husband & I have since moved to Texas, far from the horrible experience we were forced to endure.

I will never, ever walk into a Unity Church again.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. God Bless You.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/2013 12:33PM by rrmoderator.