Rev. Darlene Strickland is an ordained Unity Minister who brings a spiritually integrative perspective shaped by lived experience and sustained study across Interfaith, Indigenous, Mystical, and New Thought traditions, with formative roots in Pentecostal faith. She serves as Senior Minister of Unity of The Blue Ridge and regional Board President of the Southeastern Unity Ministries, Inc.
Known for her grounded presence and engaging style, Rev. Darlene is a thoughtful speaker, teacher, and singer-songwriter. Her work invites reflection, healing, and personal transformation; rooted in the understanding that all people are sacred - born as an original blessing - and that the Divine/One Spirit/God is experienced through many spiritual paths.
Ordained in 2004, Rev. Darlene has also served Unity ministries in Kansas, Hawaii, and Washington State. She is a seminary graduate of Unity Worldwide Spiritual Institute, a Certified Spiritual Coach through the Academy of Coaching Excellence, and holds Connections Certification through Brené Brown, Ph.D. Prior to seminary, she served as Music Director at Unity of the Triangle in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Before entering ministry, Darlene was a senior management executive in the children’s toy industry, working with BRIO Toys and TY Inc. -experience that continues to inform her creative and strategic leadership. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and is a native of North Carolina.
When she’s not speaking, teaching, or contemplating the mysteries of life, Darlene can be found tending her garden, experimenting in the kitchen, hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains with her Zen teacher and faithful canine companion, Ari Grace, or walking the beach in search of shark teeth - proof that patience, presence, and a good eye can still uncover hidden treasures… even in the sand. She is also known to sing or whistle while doing most of the above.
You may contact Rev. Darlene directly at unity@unitync.net