Rev. Kitty Benson

Raised as a third-generation Protestant in a moderate Baptist church in Central Illinois, I’ve had a passion for God for as long as I can remember. I loved Sunday Services, Sunday School, being part of the youth choir and my youth group. After studying Broadcasting at Bradley University, I moved to Oregon and later San Francisco where I spent 15 years pursuing a career in radio, television, and voiceover acting.

While in my twenties, my heart drew me to Pentecostal churches which were part of the “faith movement” and then finally in my thirties I discovered Unity.  This was also about the time my career path took a turn, when I formed a professional services firm with a partner. Over the next ten years, I had the amazing opportunity to learn the operations of a variety of industries. I was developing business systems for sole proprietors like rug designers and collection agents all the way up to major corporations like Intuit and Clorox. As I look back over the first half of my life, I can see how my childhood, my schooling, every broadcasting position, each business client, combined with my constantly evolving spiritual journey, were all helping to prepare me for my heart’s true calling…to enter the ministry and launch Unity in Naperville.

When I first found Unity, I felt like I’d come home. Over the next decade, it became more and more clear that the call to ministry I’d received as a child was about to come to fruition. Though I heard the call at the age of 10, I was confused because girls weren’t allowed to be ministers at the time. But now it was 1990…and here on the platform of my first Unity church was a woman minister. With every passing year, I could hear that original call getting louder and louder in my heart, until finally in 2004 I found myself moving to Unity Village and entering seminary. The rightness of it all was pure joy. After two years of inspiring studies and intense spiritual growth, I graduated from Unity Institute in 2006 and was licensed and ordained as a Unity minister by Unity Worldwide Ministries.

While most graduating ministers begin applying with open Unity churches, I felt the need for rest and contemplation. Little did I know that over the next few months, Spirit would guide me into starting a new Unity church in Chicagoland. After many signs and wonders, I could not deny that this was my purpose and on April 1, 2007, we opened the doors at Gregory Middle School to begin the first Sunday Service of Unity in Naperville.

The rest of the story continually unfolds. And as I say regularly, I love every part of it.  It is an absolute blessing to be able to serve in this way. I thank each and every one of you for allowing me to walk this spiritual journey with you. It is a sacred relationship and I have no doubt that if you’ve read this far, our paths were meant to cross. I’m looking forward to getting to know you and to hear your story too. Please let me know how I can support you as you begin to explore, experience, and express your own divine potential along this positive path called Unity.  And always know, you are loved…you are worthy of that love, and you are the Love of God expressing.

In loving Oneness,

Rev. Kitty