In 2008, at the annual business meeting of ICSL, Rev. Joe Hooper placed a motion on the floor of the Congress stating, “That the President and the Board of Directors for Religious Science International enter into an agreement with the United Centers for Spiritual Living to integrate the two organizations into one, and that every department within RSI (now ICSL) make every effort to successfully integrate the two organizations within a reasonable amount of time, and that we lay aside the differences that have kept the two organizations apart and reveal a new era of cooperation, discovery, and growth by celebrating the unity, which our founder, Dr. Ernest Holmes, desired us to achieve.” This motion passed at a roll-call vote on the floor of our business meeting with 378 votes in favor and 9 against.

On page forty of the Science of Mind textbook Dr. Holmes wrote, “A unity must be established, and a conscious connection must be made, before we can derive the benefits which the greater Mind is willing to reveal or impart to us.” The unity Dr. Holmes talks of is a unity with our own higher power; there is only One! One! One! Therefore, it is our spiritual practice to unify with all of life, since all of life is one. Integration is spiritual practice.

I have five reasons why I support Integration and intend to stand in favor of the documents put forward in San Diego in February/March of this year:

1.  I believe in Spiritual Mind Treatment. As a body, we have treated and prayed for the integration of our two organizations. Every single thing that has occurred in this process has been Divine. We move forward with an invisible support that is constantly revealing itself in this process. I have been intimately involved in every aspect of this demonstration. There have been times when I could not intellectually figure out what the next step would or could be, and yet a pathway always emerged. I have witnessed the highest integrity from every individual involved in this process, from the module teams to the CORE Council and Board of Directors. I sense no hidden agendas and every individual has been serving for the greatness of the idea and not for any personal ambitions.

2.  I believe in democracy. The mandate has been delivered multiple times, officially and informally. Integrate! This is not a vision constructed and sold by any individual or small group of people. It is a vision that originated in the membership and that has risen through the voices of the majority to the mandate of your leadership. It is a grassroots intention.

3.  I believe in our teaching. We believe in One and we recognize that the key to enlightenment and awakening is through the recognition that there’s only one thing happening and that thing is Spirit. It is our teaching to unify in both the micro and the macro of life. This is a spiritual practice.

4. I believe in us. I fully understand that true integration of these two organizations will not take place in San Diego in 2011, nor will it be complete in New Orleans in 2012. Integration will require constant and committed practice by every person in our teaching—ministers, practitioners, and congregants. When I say I believe in us, I mean that I believe we are capable of doing this. We are capable of laying aside our individual opinions, agendas, dramas, and behaviors because we understand that this is not about us as individuals. It is about awakening the world to a greater idea in order to bring into being a greater experience of the attributes of Spirit. 

5. Finally, I believe in our future. It is my feeling that as long as we are separate, we will continue to expend valuable energy in either being apart or trying to be together. It is time for us to move forward. This next step in San Diego will free us from any doubt as to the completion of this intent. Once free from that energy leak, we will be able to turn our time, talent, and treasure toward the next vision and direction guided by Spirit. We will apply that energy toward spreading the message of Science of Mind to the world, and in so doing, we will evolve into the next step of manifesting our vision, we will support the world in awakening, and help lead a new paradigm where we experience a world that works for everyone.