One Unificationist’s Journey Inspires New Global Health Ministry

Photo courtesy of Manhattan Family Church

“I believe everybody has a mission,” says Phil High, a Unificationist in New York City. For Phil, that mission took root in the field of public health and safety. However, the longtime EMT and certified first responder didn’t always know his calling. In fact, his struggle with mental health took him down a difficult road — before finding faith and the Unification movement in 2019.

“When I was younger, I was diagnosed with Bipolar I disorder,” recalls Phil, who said the mental health condition created a “strained relationship” with his family. Raised in a non-religious Jewish household, the Fort Lauderdale native felt lost and alone with his internal struggles. “It was on me to make my own religious pathway,” he says.

As a teen, Phil attended a local Baptist church, and stayed at a Catholic shelter for young people. Still, there was “something missing,” he says, in his pursuit of meaning and purpose. Then, in the summer of 1992, Hurricane Andrew hit. The Category 5 storm devastated the Florida area, as well as Louisiana and The Bahamas.

“I always wanted to do something with public safety as a kid,” Phil recalls, pointing to the hurricane as a “jumping off point.” He quickly began working with the Red Cross to provide disaster relief, and soon became a member of a volunteer fire department. But it was “ride alongs” with city ambulances, he says, that inspired him to become an EMT. 

Shortly thereafter, a move to New York City opened his eyes in a new way. “I saw on a daily basis how much poverty and inequitable access to healthcare affected people on a personal level,” Phil says. Working nearly 25 years in the Bedford-Stuyvesant-Bushwick area, Phil witnessed firsthand the effects of untreated mental health, including homelessness, crime, and drug and opioid addiction. Still wrestling with his own mental health, the epidemic hit home.

“I was working for years in the emergency medical services field before seeking help,” Phil says. “I was living half a life.” He says shame and stigma associated with mental health often prevents people from dealing with it head on, as well as the obstacles of the nation’s healthcare system. “This formed my belief that access to good healthcare is not only a good policy, but also a human right,” Phil says.

In late 2019, Phil was hospitalized when his pacemaker stopped working. “I almost died,” he recalls, being rushed into the ER to prevent cardiac arrest. It was during recovery in the hospital that Phil says he had a “spiritual awakening.” With only three free television channels available to patients, he settled on Trinity Broadcasting Network — a Christian station.

“As I am watching the TV, all of a sudden I start bawling,” he says, “and I’m asking for God’s forgiveness.” After being discharged from the hospital, Phil prayed to be led in his newfound Christian faith. Soon after, he met a Unificationist – Richard – in his assisted living community. Together they attended the Manhattan Family Church, where Phil’s passion for mental health care deeply touched Rev. Miilhan Stephens.

Photo courtesy of Manhattan Family Church

“Mental health is not only a New York City and New York state problem, it’s a national and international problem,” says Rev. Miilhan. “In many places around the world, there isn’t mental health care.”

In the US alone, one in five adults and one in six children experience mental illness each year, including anxiety and mood disorders, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). About 75% of all lifetime mental illnesses begin by age 24. 

To address this prevalence, the Manhattan Family Church recently launched a new Global Health Ministry. “Phil has firsthand knowledge of the medical world,” says Rev. Miilhan, “so he can find good people to connect us with as we build this ministry.” 

And Phil’s vision is big to say the least — already partnering with two non-profit organizations: the Dallas-based Institute for Field Research Expeditions (IFRE Volunteers) and International Medical Relief (IMR) in Loveland, Colo. 

“We want to address the Maui wildfires and provide some form of relief and assistance through fundraising or donating,” Phil says. 

An exploratory trip to Thailand in late November or early December is also part of the plan. A special EMT training course will be available online and in-person, Phil says, with hopes to eventually open a clinic and provide medical equipment, as well as medical and non-medical volunteers. “Mental health is a part of overall health,” Phil says, “so we pivoted to make this Global Health Ministry. We’re looking for people who are able and willing to fundraise ... We want to have global medical missions in the future.”

The new ministry is a great opportunity for young Unificationists pursuing the medical field, or anyone with interest and looking to serve. “Our [movement] is a family where everyone loves each other unconditionally,” Phil says. “That’s why I’m passionate about this new ministry. Healthcare is a God-given right to help all God’s children ... “This is not my mission,” he says. “This is God’s mission.”

You can support the new Global Health Ministry here, and get involved by contacting Director Phil High at (917) 933-4802 or philiphigh707@gmail.com, and Rev. Miilhan Stephens at mstephens@unification.org.