About The Creators of Out Of The Matrix

Rev. Tony's Background

Ordained Unity minister, as well as having an ordination from the University of Metaphysics, is only how Rev. Tony "officially" retired. But how do you retire from a life you love? It's not how but WHY? Why would you want to? 

Most of his days are spent like a little child having so much fun that he doesn't want to go to bed. In fact, for the most part, that has been of his life. Like an adventurer sprinting from one adventure to another, but with more diversity. Here's a little bit about his journey, which is far from over.

Rev. Tony inherited his wanderlust for life while growing up in a small, close-knit, loving family of five. Three boys, of which Tony was the oldest, all one year apart, more like triplets than linear brothers. Tony's father worked for a very large international construction company that kept his Dad busy in the north eastern United States, and sometimes south eastern. This meant that Tony's father was transferred from project to project. His dad told the company that he would travel but he was taking his family with him and they were paying for it. And so it was. Long story short, Tony lived in 17 states and he can remember going to three different schools in three different states in one school year. Some of the cities in some of those states, Tony lived in two or three times. Rev. Tony went to 26 different schools before he graduated from high school in Ravenna, Ohio. In all of the travel, Tony still managed to Letter in Football, Track and, his favorite, Wrestling (State Champion).

From there, Rev. Tony went to Mid Western Baptist Seminary in Pontiac Michigan. After accumulating three years of credits in two years while working full-time at General Motors truck and coach in the United Auto Workers Union, Tony decided to finish up his education near home. Because his grades were high enough he knew he didn't have to hurry to enroll into Akron Bible college.  Besides, seminary students, at that time, were draft exempt. 

In the middle of the summer of 1968, before enrolling in seminary, Tony got a call from a friend whose mother worked at the local draft board. She had told him that she saw Tony’s unusual name, Tony Tim Senf, go through for processing. That meant if he wanted to do something other than go to Vietnam, he had better do it right away.

Not being in alignment with what was going on in Viet Nam, Tony enlisted in the US Navy on the 90 day delay program and quit his job. He and a friend threw their guitars over their backs and headed for Greenwich Village, NY. Tony and his friend played guitar and sang in the clubs in the Village for almost two months. This was back in the day when Bob Dylan, Janice Joplin and Arlo Guthrie made occasional appearances, but Tony never had the pleasure. 

From there, Tony went into the US Navy doing Boot Camp in San Diego. It was his first time in California, and he fell in love with it. While in boot camp he audition for and was selected to sing in the Navy Blue Jackets Choir. This meant every weekend off the base singing with the choir at some event, like the San Diego Chargers footballs Games, the Rose Bowl, etc. Then after the event it was shore leave, free time. He got to see a lot more of San Diago and Southern California than just the Boot Camp. Something other recruits did not get to experience. 

Some of his other Navy experiences are mentioned below, along with many of Tony's other adventures, but not nearly all of them. I don't believe White Water Rafting the best rivers in the country and skydiving are mentioned.  Nonetheless, all Rev. Tony would say is: "Variety is the spice of life. And I love a spicy life." And he must!

In the military, Tony served as a U.S. Navy Nuclear Submarine Sonar Technician, and Ship's Diver, where he earned a Polaris Patrol Pin with two stars, a Presidential Unit Citation and served as the drug counselor for the submarine flotilla in which he was stationed. 

He currently resides in Ortona, FL with his wife, Rev. Susan Haberland in a little spot, he calls their little piece of heaven. And he means that literally. He and Susan are on a very remote spot with access to a river from which they can sail their boat anywhere in the world. And when they're not out sailing they are spending time in nature, fishing and watching the otters, dolphins, manatee, and alligators that swim by their yard.

Rev. Tony's last full-time position was that of Spiritual Direct of Unity Center of the Heights in Cleveland, Ohio where he served for eleven glorious years. 

He began his first two years of serious Spiritual study as a Baptist seminary

student, made the leap into metaphysics and is currently working on

his Doctorate in that field of study. 

He has been studying A Course In Miracles (ACIM) since 1983 and his unique, energetic and somewhat humorous teaching style enhances his ability to convey the seemingly complicated teachings of ACIM in a very practical, understandable way. The responses and participation of those who have attended Rev. Tony’s

classes and workshops has been nothing short of enthusiastic.

Rev. Tony’s formal education includes Metaphysics, where he earned his degree,Behavioral Science, Psychology, Philosophy, Theology, Ontology, Cosmetology, and Tai Chi.

He has worked with experts in the fields of transformational training, psychology, counseling, and metaphysics to produce a new technology in gaining awareness of advanced forgiveness presented in his weekend intensive workshops...Beyond Forgiveness, Quantum Abundance, Creating a Holy Relationship and Out of the Matrix (OM). OM is a secular presentation of the ACIM principles designed to be used in high

schools and as an intensive weekend for adults. It has been utilized in a number of schools in the Cleveland area and presented to hundreds of people in many states. A seven year study of OM was authorized, by Kent State University, after a number of Professors and grad students went through the training. Their conclusion was that OM produced more profound and ongoing effects than that of almost all self development and psychologically founded programs. OM has transmuted into "Consciously Creating," as Tony integrated his understanding of Consciousness, True Forgiveness, the Creative Process, Laws of the Intangibles and the Reflective quality of the Universe. Tony believe Consciously Creating will accelerate and deepen the effect that were achieved with Out of the Matrix.

Prior to becoming a Reverend, Tony's endeavors includes working in the bricklayers, carpenters and cement finisher unions, the united auto workers union and as merchant marine when he worked on the first

floating oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico as a roustabout pusher and pedestal crane operator. 

From there Rev Tony moved into the business world and gained over 30 years of successful entrepreneurial experience in business development, marketing, advertising, sales, customer service and public speaking. Tony also achieved a high level of success as a National Marketing Director in the Travel, Telecom, and Environmental industries. He focused on the fitness industry for twelve years as a manager, consultant, trainer and Tai Chi instructor, and was the owner of a chain of diet, fitness and behavior modification centers. While there, Tony created an exercise program, Calirobics, for which he wrote the music, produced and directed an exercise tape, then produced a TV pilot which was featured on the nationally syndicated TV program PM Magazine. 

The major purpose in Rev. Tony's life is to teach people to

live a fully expressed life, first of all, by demonstrating it in his

own daily living and next, through his study groups, workshops and

intensives, which focus on personal responsibility and the realization of an individual’s full potential. Rev. Tony believes that with a "little willingness,” vigilance and practice, anyone can live a life they unconditionally love.

So what was it in that variety of occupations, fields of study, and diverse experiences that lead to this major purpose for his life? To understand that we would have to go back and look at his journey, his inquiry into why we are here and what is really going on. A journey which he eventually came to understand that what he was actually seeking was the Truth. Not his truth or a relative truth, but the Truth, that is always True. The Truth that is True for everyone. everywhere, in all circumstances, all the time.

That journey officially began when he was 11 years old, and went to the altar with the rest of his family to be saved. That initiated a study into what is commonly referred to as fundamentalism or traditional Christianity, which led to Baptist seminary. Going from there to serve in the US Navy on nuclear and traditional submarines gave him the time to read and do further study. 

One of the books he picked up was Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. The book impacted him to the point where he began to entertain the thought that there may be another way of looking at the spiritual domain. It actually started loosening the vice like grip that traditional Christianity can exert. It was in 1970 when Rev. Tony met one of Paramahansa Yogananda's devotes who was traveling the world teaching the art of Transcendental Meditation. Setting traditional Christianity aside, but not letting it go completely, yet Rev. Tony studied a Hindu path that has its lineage in Vendantism and a structured style of Yoga, more akin to Kundalini.  

About two years after Rev. Tony completed his time in the navy, he was introduced to Master Femon Ong, one of five Shaolin Priest sent out into the world to teach the art, in case the Communist came down and destroyed the temple in China. Master One was sent to the United Sates and had trained four Black Belts who each had their own studios in the area. Rev. Tony was fortunate enough to be able to study under a black belt that taught in Master Ong's home. Rev. Tony learned Tai Chi from Master Ong himself, and was selected to teach the new students Tai Chi as an introduction to the Katas and meditation. It was at that time that revtony entered into his years as a Buddhist under the tutelage of a Shaolin priest. Rev. Tony continue teaching Tai Chi, and did so in all of the health, spas and fitness centers he managed operated and owned. From there, Rev. Tony entered into the study of general metaphysics. He studied and participated in the metaphysical traditions of Unity, Religious Science, and Christian Science among others. All of this to get a deeper understanding of the Universal Truth.

He realized that some level of understanding of that Truth came from traditional Christianity, but it didn't nearly answer all of his questions. Hinduism and Buddhism answered many of those questions, but it wasn't until 1983 that he found a teaching that answered all of his questions, and raised many more. His brother, Ted, introduced him to a book, called Love is Letting go of Fear by Gerald G. Jampolsky. The book is based upon the teachings of the book A Course In Miracles. When Rev. Tony asked Ted about A Course In Miracles, he said he had heard about the book but was not familiar with it. Rev. Tony was so captivated by what he read in Love is Letting go of Fear that he thought he should look into A Course In Miracles.  He went to the Unity church he was attending in Greenville, South Carolina at the time and heard this announcement: "There are three or or four people who would like to start a study group on the book A Course In Miracles, if anyone is interested." Rev. Tony turned his gaze skyward and said, "I hear you." He has been studying A Course In Miracles daily ever since.

A Course In Miracles inspired and intensified his journey from that point on. It inspired him to go back to school and get a degree in metaphysics from the University of Metaphysics, which came with an ordination. It was soon after that Rev.Tony realized the theme that would color every message, workshop, and weekend training he did from that point on... "Who Are You Really?" It was the theme of the 2012 N. East A Course In Miracles conference which Rev. Tony initiated and organized.

While facilitating a rather large Course study group, 40 people plus per week, Rev. Tony was approached by the pastor of the church Rev. Tony was asked by the pastor of the Unity Church he holding his ACIM study groups in on Tuesday nights, if he would consider becoming the Associate Pastor there. Rev. Tony, wrote a proposal for the church board, which was the procedure, and proposed that he would take the position under the condition that he would not receive a paycheck until the church was in the black by X$s. It was an offer they couldn't refuse. The added cash flow, and the reception of his teachings, made it an easy entry. During that time, Tony was privileged to perform the wedding ceremony for the pastor and his bride, who happened to be the Dean of a Unity Seminary.  Having heard many of Rev. Tony's messages and having Rev. Tony conduct and Out of the MATRIX weekend for the Seminary staff and bored, she asked him if he would write a thesis, and receive an ordination from Unity. Of course, he did, and received his second ordination.

One year later, the pastor decided to retire, and Tony easily stepped into the position of Spiritual Director and maintained that position for over 11 years until he "retired" in 2017. Of course, Rev. Tony didn't really retired, as you can tell, because you are reading this document or listening to one of his podcasts.

As you can see, Rev. Tony has not had a traditional life. As others have heard him say: My life, like yours, has simply brought me to where I am. And where ever I'm going, I have to start from here.