Virginia Berger’s Story

Virginia was raised in a rural community in New York and attended a Presbyterian Church when she was growing up. Her church was a social center that provided a powerful feeling of belonging and instilled in her the importance of spiritual community.  

In the 1960s Virginia was introduced to New Thought in Los Angeles, where her husband was in law school.  They later moved to San Diego and found a Religious Science church nearby, which became their church home as they raised their family. Virginia was active in the youth program and also deepened her spiritual practice by studying to become a Religious Science Practitioner. Sometime in the late 1980s, when her children were in middle school, the Religious Science church was sold and the youth program discontinued.

Though it was difficult to leave this church community, Virginia felt it was more important to find a church home with a program for her sons. Fortunately, a friend recommended she try Wendy’s church, then The Church of Today in Mission Valley. She did and made the switch quickly, beginning over three decades with The Unity Center (“TUC”). Virginia still recalls Wendy’s compassion and loving support through this transition. 

When Virginia joined TUC, she became very active in TUC’s Youth Program. From the start, in addition to her appreciation for Reverend Wendy, she loved the feel and flow of the service and the music selections. She truly felt like she had “come home.” Since then, Virginia has participated extensively in a variety of roles. In addition to the Youth Program, Virginia helped organize and facilitate multiple “Travel With A Purpose” trips to Peru, was secretary of the Board of  Advisors for nine years, helped lead the Prayer Ministry, and, most recently, has been organizing the Life Groups. Through her unwavering commitment and dedication to the success of TUC and its mission, she has become an integral part of the TUC community. 

With regard to Virginia’s spiritual interests and passions, she has enjoyed studying Rumi, Ervin Seal’s spiritual and metaphysical interpretations of the Lord’s Prayer and parables, and Eric Butterworth, among others. Recently, she was inspired to delve more deeply into her prayer practice through Reverend Wendy’s lesson series based on the book “Discover Your Divinity—A Modern Guide to Affirmative Prayer.”

When asked how she would describe TUC, Virginia shared that TUC has a very open and welcoming environment. While Unity’s roots are in Christianity, she appreciates that Eastern philosophies are often included in Reverend Wendy’s teachings. Reverend Wendy makes philosophical and religious information accessible to audience members at all stages of their personal and spiritual development, usually suggesting practical and specific steps for change in each lesson.

Virginia became a member of TUC because it was important to her to belong to and support a spiritual community that shares her beliefs. She and her husband, George, made the decision to tithe their incomes to TUC because it’s the community that provides spiritual growth, inspiration and support for them personally and also spreads a positive and hopeful message to the wider community. 

TUC has broadened Virginia’s horizons personally and professionally, as well as spiritually. She has benefited from a solid spiritual foundation in her life and a tremendous amount of support and learning from Reverend Wendy and countless individuals in the TUC community. Many of the people she has volunteered with, whether in Youth Village, the Prayer Ministry, on the Board, in Life Groups, or on “Travel With A Purpose” have become dear friends. While serving in these roles, Virginia has also learned valuable life skills, people skills, business and leadership skills that contributed to her success in teaching, chairing an academic department, earning a second master’s degree, training for a second career in coaching, and establishing her own business as a retirement coach. Virginia wishes for all people, especially youth and young adults, to experience the indescribable value that comes from being deeply involved in a spiritual community like TUC.

The most important spiritual principles that Virginia has learned, lives by, and wishes to share are:

  • Oneness—that God (or divine energy, life force, etc., whichever name you choose) and we are one.

  • Totality—that God is all present, all powerful, and all knowing.

  • Perfection—that we are all born in perfection

  • The power of consciousness and prayer—changing our beliefs and levels of consciousness are key to manifesting positive change

Finally, Virginia believes we are all here for three reasons: 

  1. To love,

  2. To serve, and 

  3. To remember our divinity.