Unitarian HQ staff members Simon Bland and Lizzie Kingston-Harrison talk to The Village Halls Podcast about the Warm Space being offered in Framlingham in Suffolk by local groups and spaces, including Framlingham Unitarian Chapel, where Lizzie is a member. Click here to listen to the podcast in full (Episode 22).
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The Unitarians’ Chief Officer Liz Slade spoke recently about “maintaining a spiritual tradition that doesn’t have a rule book” at the Festival of Maintenance 2022, a day of fascinating talks with world-class practitioners, maintaining everything from technology to culture, democracy to the environment. The video of Liz’s talk is now available online to watch for free.
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We are looking for new candidates to stand for election to join our Executive Committee.
Who do you know who might be an asset to our movement in this role? Candidate applications close on 23 January 2023, so now is a great time to have a quiet word of encouragement with potential candidates!
The role of the Executive Committee is to work with the Chief Officer and staff team to lead and serve the Unitarian and Free Christian movement.
As Liz Slade, Chief Officer, wrote in a recent issue of the Inquirer: “This is an exciting time to be part of this leadership group, because of the nature of the challenges we are facing. Covid brought closer to home the fragility of many of our congregations, but also displayed the creativity and care they hold. We know that ‘more of the same’ could lead to chapels closing in the not-too-distant future, and we know in a movement like ours, the path to the future must be found locally, not imposed from the top down. So the work of leadership from Essex Hall is akin to that of gardeners – tending the soil, nurturing the seedlings, supporting the mighty oaks, taking care of the compost, having an eye on the weather, and the keeping the whole ecosystem in view.”
Executive Committee members represent the movement and are democratically elected by members across the country. They bring experience from within our movement and from their professional and voluntary work elsewhere. This may be in management, finance, communications, change management, charity governance, or some other experience that you would like to use in service of our denomination.
We meet around six times a year, usually in person in London, with dinner together the evening before a 9am to 5pm meeting. We also try to get together for a longer two-day meeting, and at times will have videoconferences or make decisions over email.
Who can stand for election?
Candidates should have been part of the Unitarian community for at least three years and have experience as a member of either their congregation’s governing body or similar committee, or have been a trustee of another charity. They will also need to fulfil the Charity Commission’s legal requirements for trustees.
How do I apply?
Applications needs to be received by 23 January 2023, with support from the candidate’s congregation or other Unitarian organisation. You can find all the information you need, including nomination forms, here.
Questions
If you would like to know more about the work of the Executive Committee, or whether you should consider applying, please do get in touch with either me or Marion Baker, our Convenor.
Elizabeth Slade
Chief Officer – Prif Swyddog
General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches
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After another unpredictable and challenging year, our President Rev. Sue Woolley, offers this Christmas message.
There is a very neat meme which does the rounds on Facebook at this time of year, which sums up the true spirit of Christmas for me. It is a Christmas Bucket List, with six items, partly crossed out, and substituted with other words, so I’ll have to paraphrase for it to make sense:
1. Instead of buying presents, be present.
2. Instead of wrapping gifts, wrap someone in a hug.
3. Instead of sending gifts, send love.
4. Instead of shopping for food, donate food.
5. Instead of making cookies, make memories.
6. Instead of seeing the light, be the Light.
And yes, I get it, but in my opinion, it should be both/and, rather than either/or. I have bought presents for the people I love, but welcome the reminder to be present in the moment, day by day, instead of getting lost in the busyness. I will be wrapping the gifts I have bought next weekend, but will also be wrapping a lot of people in hugs, during the next few weeks (and being wrapped in hugs also, I hope!).
I will be sending gifts, but also sending love to all those people who make my life so blessed. Including you. I will be shopping for food, but not going overboard, and have already paid a visit to the Northampton Food Bank, with a donation. This Christmas, sadly, I won’t be making or eating cookies, or mince pies or many other sweet Christmas treats, because most of them contain gluten, but I will surely be making memories, particularly on Boxing Day, when the whole extended Ellis family gets together at my sister’s house. Finally, as well as seeing (and enjoying) all the beautiful, colourful Christmas lights, I will be striving to be the Light for those that I love.
It is a good reminder about the things which really matter at Christmas – not the tangible things one can buy, and consume, but the gifts of love and awareness, which cannot be bought, and always renew themselves. The things we can look back on with fondness, when the food has been eaten, the presents have been opened, the paper recycled, and the decorations taken down.
I also want to acknowledge what I think should be the true spirit of Christmas, “the spirit of good will and peace, … [the] spirit that bids us renew our hopes amid the gathering darkness, that kindles our generosity and our concerns, that attunes our ears to the ever-renewed angelic chorus” as the late Unitarian Universalist minister Max Gaebler put it. Because that is here too, in our minds, and in our hearts.
The Christian message, the message of Jesus – love God, love your neighbour and don’t forget to love yourself – is a crucially important one in this mad world of ours. If Christmas reminds people of this great truth, which is common to all religions, then I’m all for it. If it is just an excuse for over-consumption, a couple of days off work and some good films on the telly, then why bother? But the very fact that we are people of faith, who get together in our chapels, churches and meeting houses to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas, shows that it means more to us than that.
So let us celebrate Christmas as a time when the Christian message of love and peace and goodwill to all people is brought to the front of people’s minds, and our bit of the world grows a little bit more charitable and more kindly. This is the true spirit of Christmas.
I wish you a blessed, peaceful and merry Christmas, and a bright and hopeful New Year.
Rev. Sue Woolley
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We are excited to announce the launch of a new website Worship Words, a collaborative online space sharing resources for worship from across the UK Unitarian community and beyond.
Worship Words hosts a collection of beautiful, inspiring, and meaningful readings for worship, bringing together new work alongside much-loved favourites from the Lindsey Press.
It is fully searchable by keyword, category, or theme making it easy to access high quality readings for use in your services. The site is free, open to all, anyone is welcome to use it and to submit their own resources. We already have our first 120 readings, and the collection is growing all the time.
With huge thanks to the team of volunteers from across the movement who made the site possible and to the ministers and lay leaders who have submitted readings so far.
Click here to visit the new ‘Worship Words’ website.
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The Unitarians have joined others from across the faith and belief spectrum in calling on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to stand by his pledge to govern with integrity.
In a letter signed by 19 different faith and belief groups, signatories highlight how democracy has been weakened by the repeated undermining of integrity, and the failure of existing structures to hold politicians to account. It asks the Prime Minister to strive for a culture of truth and integrity in government and parliament.
The full letter was published in The Times on 18 November 2022. Read the letter in full here.
Find out more about the context here.
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BBC Radio 4’s ‘Sunday’ programme welcomed Rev. Cody Coyne onto the programme this weekend to talk about wayside pulpits – those attention-grabbing posters outside churches. Rev. Cody is minister of Cross Street Unitarian Chapel in Manchester city centre, which was the first church in Britain to have a wayside pulpit back in 1919.
You can listen to the programme (from 8 min 50 secs in) in full here.
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Longtime LGBT+ rights campaigner Ed Fordham has publicly condemned the Church of England’s continued discrimination against LGBT+ people as “fundamentally wrong” and called for it to be disestablished in England, as it is in Wales and Scotland.
Ed Fordham, who is a local Unitarian leader at Great Hucklow Chapel in the Peak District, and a Liberal Democrat councillor in nearby Chesterfield, wrote that: “The C of E is currently exempt from the equality laws that apply to all other institutions and employers in the UK ” adding this meant the church could “ignore the progress being made to enable all couples who love each other to marry. Further, this also empowers the church to bully, sideline and ultimately sack clergy who exercise their legal right to marry.”
“It is time to disestablish the C of E, it is time to reassess the role of the church in the work of CBC and it is time to enable each mayor to choose the location and content of their civic service to reflect their own faith or indeed their secularism. What is not an option is for the council to support and enable the practise of homophobia through these historical partnerships. It is time to end the hatred and the exclusion and separate church from state.”
The Unitarians are proud to be longstanding advocated of LGBT+ equality and were among the small number of faith groups who campaigned for equal marriage in the 2010s. Click here to find out more about Unitarian LGBT+ history.
For more coverage of Ed Fordham’s comments, see The Derbyshire Times and The Derby Telegraph.
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The American Unitarian Universalist podcast ‘Juust Breathe’ interviewed two young British Unitarians recently about how their faith inspires them to work for a better world through Unitarian youth and young adult groups – and how this work has changed and evolved since the covid-19 pandemic.
The hosts were joined by Aly Champion (member of ‘Bad Coffee Club’ youth group) and Zac Baker (member of #Blessed, a youth group at Gellionnen Chapel in Wales), as well as our Youth Officer, Gavin Howell.
You can watch the podcast in full here (video).
You can listen to the podcast in full here (audio).
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Bury St Edmunds Unitarians in Suffolk came up with a novel way to raise money for a disabled access ramp for their meeting house, by hosting their first ever Gin Festival. Over £500 was raised during the evening and the Meeting House’s manager, Amanda Martin, said: “We thought: ‘If CAMRA can have a beer festival at the cathedral, why don’t we open up our beautiful, baroque, 300-year-old building, and have something classy, like a gin festival? A lot of people had never been in the building before the festival, and they were absolutely flabbergasted by how elegant the building was. We’re really keen that the Unitarian Meeting House continues to be a venue for people to hold their meetings at, hold their celebrations at – and, also, to hold wellbeing events at.”
Read the full story in the Suffolk News here.
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Photo credit: Hannah De Boltz / Newsquest
Edmund Kell Unitarian Church in Southampton hosted the city’s first Transgender Pride this month. Southampton Trans Pride featured a parade through the city centre, speeches on a wide range of transgender-related issues, charity and advice stalls, and quiet zones.
Organiser of the event and chairwoman of People’s Pride, Mabel Wellman said that she was “overwhelmed” by all the support for the event. The 20-year-old said: “I’m ecstatic. I never thought we could reach this height. It’s humbling too because of all the people behind this today and behind me. I am so lucky I could do something like this with the support of the city, People’s Pride, and the transgender community. I hope we can create many more events like this in the future. It is so important to represent and to spread information for our community.”
Read the full story in the Southern Daily Echo here.
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Phil Tomlin writes movingly in ‘The Guardian’ about his late father Mike Tomlin, who played a leading role in charities dealing with social deprivation in Teesside. Phil writes that his father “was driven by his Unitarian beliefs to do whatever he could for his community to leave the world a better place.” Mike was a lifelong Unitarian, members of Stockton Unitarians, and served as our national President in the 1990s.
Click here to read Mike Tomlin’s obituary in full in the ‘The Guardian’.
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We are delighted to welcome Ann Howell to the General Assembly staff team, in the role of Social Action Officer.
This is a part time position with the aim of supporting congregations and individuals across the Unitarian and Free Christian movement in making an impact in our social justice work. Ann will be working in partnership with the Penal and Social Affairs Panel, a Unitarian group that has been active in promoting social justice issues for the last thirty years, expanding from its original focus on prison reform to stay abreast of the key issues affecting our society. We are grateful to the Bowland Charitable Trust for their support of this role.
Ann has a strong background in communication and community development. She had a 15-year career in technical communications, working mainly in the printing and software industries, before moving to the UK from Montreal, Canada and shifting gears into the non-profit world.
A long-time Unitarian, her passion for social action in the movement spurred her to become one of the founding members of SimpleGifts: Unitarian Centre for Social Action, a community project at the former Unitarian chapel in Bethnal Green, East London. Since then, she has worked with other community projects near her home in Southeast London, including Lewisham Churches Care and Lewisham Pensioners Forum, as well as strengthened her involvement with her congregation, Lewisham Unity, serving as Chair/Co-chair since 2019.
Ann is very excited to be working formally with the Unitarian HQ and collaborating with the Penal and Social Affairs Panel, shining a light on the work that is already happening at a local level and developing a plan for future social action projects that will benefit Unitarians across the UK. She believes that living our values through work that reaches out to the most vulnerable among us is at the heart of what it means to be a Unitarian.
Find out more about our staff team here.
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Young people have been learning skills to protect and preserve historic buildings as part of the restoration project at Grade II listed Westgate Unitarian Chapel in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
The Wakefield Express reports that: “Westgate Unitarian Chapel needs urgent repairs that is being funded as part of the £3.8m Wakefield’s Upper Westgate Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) project.
Part of the work at the chapel involves working with Yorkshire Lime Company, a specialist building contractor, that is teaching students from the building department at Wakefield College, about traditional methods for restoration.”
Sarah Cobham, Committee member of Westgate Unitarian Chapel, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be offering this opportunity to local people so that they can become upskilled and help restore our chapel at the same time. “Being part of the HAZ project is very important to us and we are proud to be enabling such important skills to be gained.”
Read the full story in The Wakefield Express here.
Photo: Chapel members with local teachers and students, Wakefield Express
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One the largest Unitarian congregations in the UK, New Unity in north-east London have welcomed a new minister, Rev. CJ McGregor, to serve their congregation. Rev McGregor arrived in the country on 1 September from the United States, where he previously served as a Unitarian Universalist minister. A warm welcome to Rev CJ on behalf of British Unitarians!
Rev CJ told the local press that he was particularly excited to join the New Unity community, as he was attracted by “the congregation itself, the work that it’s doing, who it wants to be in London in terms of justice work and definitely its historical nature”, adding: “We’ve considered ourselves dissenters for over 300 years.”
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The National Unitarian Fellowship (NUF) is excited to offer a new ‘Digital Connections Award’ to a Unitarian congregation or group demonstrating innovation and excellence in reaching out to people over the past two years, using technology.
The NUF has a long history of supporting and connecting Unitarians who are not part of a Unitarian congregation or other groups and it has been has been rewarding to see all the new ways of connecting with individuals via technology over the last two years. They want to acknowledge all the creativity and dedication and while the prize for the winner is £200, they hope to showcase all submissions in an (online) event in 2023, as an opportunity for connection and learning from each other. The deadline is 31 October 2022.
You can find more details about this prize, and the four others available on the NUF website.
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On behalf of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, we are deeply saddened by the news of the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II and extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to her family and loved ones. May she rest in peace.
The Reverend Sue Woolley, President of The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, has written to Buckingham Palace on our behalf. You can read her letter in full below:
Dear Sir or Madam,
The Queen’s death marks the end of an era. For more than seventy years, she was the one constant point in British life – an important symbol of stability in a rapidly changing world. Her long and unwavering commitment to her role, right to the end, and her high sense of duty as Queen was always impressive. She stood above the political fray and was respected by leaders and people the world over.
She was also widely loved. This Summer, during her Platinum Jubilee, people all around the country showed how deeply she was held in their affection. She will long be remembered. But we cannot wish her back. She is now at peace, with her beloved Philip.
And so we, the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, in common with the rest of the British people, give thanks for her life and her long years of service. We hold her family and all those who mourn her in our prayers.
We also hold our new King, Charles III, who has stepped into the role of monarch, in our prayers.
Rev. Sue Woolley
President
The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches
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Manchester Unitarians took their place with pride in the Manchester Pride parade on Saturday 27 August. Unitarians have long been at the forefront of the battle for LGBTQ+ equality in the city and today continue to advocate for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people in the city and beyond.
Cross Street Unitarian Chapel in Manchester city centre was the first place of worship in the UK to register for civil partnerships back in 2012, later registering to conduct full same-sex marriage ceremonies once that became legal.
Find out more about Unitarians in the Greater Manchester area here.
Find out more about our ongoing LGBT+ Unitarian Voices project here.
Photo credit: Impact Photography, Cheshire.
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In the Annual Meetings in April, the membership voted to pass the following motion on 2021’s General Assembly rebranding work:
“That this General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches regrets the lack of consultation over the rebranding exercise and requests that the Executive Committee (EC) consults the constituent congregations and fellowships on whether to introduce the new logo or retain the traditional Chalice Design adopted in 2007 in the interests of maintaining a consistent denominational identity.”
In response to this, we are pleased to invite people to some ‘listening circles’ as a chance for the General Assembly (GA) to hear what’s on people’s minds and hearts relating to the design work, and their relationship to the chalice symbol (of any design).
Initially, there will be two opportunities:
1pm, Tuesday 20th September – Zoom Link
7pm, Wednesday 21st September – Zoom Link
We ask that people register in advance if they wish to come (by clicking on the links above). It is possible to join by telephone if you are unable to join by videocall.
These won’t be forums for decision-making or debate, but a chance for people to be heard.
What we learn from these initial listening circles will inform our next steps in consulting with the wider community.
Beyond the specific issue of chalice design, we heard a wish for more communication and engagement more broadly, and we will be considering how we can develop the ways in which the GA communicates with the wider Unitarian movement.
From some of the feedback received so far on the branding work, we recognise there are some elements of the approach that have not come across clearly, and there have been some misunderstandings in the intention and ethos. We hope that the information below will help to clarify some of these.
As ever, we welcome anyone to get in touch by email.
You can read more about our approach here and in the Inquirer via interviews with Liz Slade, and with the design team we worked with, This Ain’t Rock & Roll. You can also read about what they said about working with us, here.
We started the work in spring 2020 and launched the new GA website in February 2021.
In mid-2021 we launched a ‘design programme’ that helps to guide congregations through the process of deciding for themselves how they want to communicate to the world – what words, images, ideas, colours, fonts are right for their individual community. This included a WordPress website template that can be adapted for use, as well as a series of ‘how to’ videos to guide people in setting them up. We have also created new information leaflets which were distributed at the Annual Meetings and can be requested from Essex Hall, so that you can have a pack to give out locally.
The reason for the work is that we know we need to stop being a well-kept secret. We know that we have much that we can offer people, but we have been hiding our light in lots of ways – including behind out-dated looking websites and leaflets.
The steering group recognised the importance of empowering each congregation to express their unique ethos clearly and authentically, seeing the strength in the diversity of what each congregation offers. We are not a ‘top down’ denomination, and it is down to each congregation to communicate with their local community in the way that is appropriate to them and their context. This means that we have moved away from the ‘consistent identity’ approach that was used in the past to encourage all congregations to use the same design for their chalice symbol.
The design programme aims to give congregations a helping hand in reflecting on what they want to communicate, and a toolkit for helping them do that. Congregations have total freedom in what text, images, colours and symbols they use. If they use the design programme, there are elements that can help show visually that they are part of the wider Unitarian and Free Christian family.
We recognise we didn’t make this freedom of choice clear enough, and can understand that people may feel upset if they felt that a new design was being imposed on them without an ability to choose whether or how to adopt it.
We have seen a rich array of congregational websites appear over the last year, using different elements of the design programme in beautiful and creative ways. Some use the ‘old’ chalice, some use the new one, some a different version completely, and some no chalice at all. From the GA’s perspective, all are welcome.
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Ministers are spiritual leaders, who provide care, guidance and inspiration to our communities – and to the world. We believe in the importance of visionary leadership for our communities and offer training for ministers at Unitarian College and Harris Manchester College, Oxford.
Applications for ministry training beginning in 2023 are now open. Apply online here. Click here to download the application guidance and declaration.
To find out more contact Simon Bland, our Ministry & Congregational Support Officer.
Deadline for applications: 4 October 2022.
Photo: ‘Ministry In The Making’ at The Nightingale Centre, 2022
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We are excited to announce a new role on the GA staff team – Social Action Officer. This is a part time position with the aim of supporting congregations and individuals across the Unitarian and Free Christian movement in making an impact in our social justice work. The Social Action Officer will be working in partnership with the Penal and Social Affairs Panel, a Unitarian group that has been active in promoting social justice issues for the last thirty years, expanding from its original focus on prison reform to stay abreast of the key issues affecting our society.
This is an exciting new role at a critical time, that will help Unitarians to make a bigger collective impact in creating a more just society. Please see job description for more information.
If you would like to apply, please submit your CV and a short covering letter outlining why you are interested in this role and what you would hope to bring to it. We are grateful to the Bowland Trust for their support of this role.
Deadline for applications: Monday 22 August 2022
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Rev. Anna Jarvis, minister of Monton Unitarian Church in Greater Manchester, made a bold statement at Salford Pride earlier this month, decked out in full rainbow gear with a large sign saying simple: “Free Mum Hugs”. Anna, who is herself a mother, wanted to offer hugs to Pride attendees to give out a message that “whoever and wherever you are, know that you are a precious, cherished, wonderful human being – and you are loved.”
Lots of people came in for a hug – and Anna and her congregation members staffing the Unitarian stall had a fantastic day. Their stall offered, amongst other things, the opportunity to write a name on a prayer tree. A total of 61 names were added, which were then read out in the church’s special Pride service the following day, where the congregation celebrated “the uniqueness of every human being, and pledged to continue working towards justice for all in the continued battle against discrimination.”
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Earlier this month Shana Parvin Begum, who is training for the ministry at Unitarian College, hosted a campfire discussion on faith, sexuality and gender diversity at the UK’s first wellbeing festival for queer, questioning, curious women and those who are non-binary. The ‘Out & Wild Festival’ took place in Pembrokeshire in June. Shana’s gathering offered the space to talk about religion and LGBTQ experiences and bring two often conflicting topics together in a safe place. Click here to find out more about ‘Out & Wild Festival’.
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We are sorry to announce the death of the Reverend Cen Llwyd earlier this month, at the age of 70. From 1976, Cen served as minister at various times to seven Unitarian chapels in Camarthen, Cribyn, Alltyblaca, Cellan, Ciliau Aeron, Felinfach and Llanwnnen, before retiring in 2020. As well as his work as a minister, Cen was well known in Wales and beyond as a passionate Welsh-language campaigner and pacifist. He was a longtime activist in both Cymdeithas yr Iaith and the campaign for nuclear disarmament.
Elin Jones MS, Llywydd of the Senedd (speaker of the Welsh parliament) said: “He gave his life and soul to the Welsh language and to Wales. And for his community and his belief with tenacity of principle and a wicked sense of humour.” You can read tributes to Cen in the Cambrian News, North Wales Live, and BBC Cymru.
The funeral will be held on Saturday 25 June at 2.30pm at Capel y Fadfa, Talgarreg, Ceredigion. Our condolences go to Cen’s widow Enfys and daughters Gwenllian and Heledd.
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One the largest Unitarian congregations in the UK, New Unity in Islington and Newington Green, London, has been saying farewell to its longtime minister, Rev. Andy Pakula. During his sixteen year ministry, the church grew from one of the smallest Unitarian congregations into a thriving, vibrant and energetic community, describing themselves as a “non-religious church.” New Unity have appointed a new minister, Rev. CJ McGregor, to succeed Andy. You can read more from Rev. Andy and his congregants in this article in the local press. We wish Andy a very happy retirement in Scotland!
Image: Rev. Andy Pakula with Emily Thornberry MP at his farewell party.
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The historic Bank Street Chapel in Bolton, Lancashire, held its final service on Sunday 14 May after 160 years of serving the local community. With an ageing congregation and a large historic building to maintain, members of Bank Street took the decision to close and will attend other local Unitarian chapels.
Mayor of Bolton Cllr. Linda Thomas took part in the service, and said: “I thought it was going to be such a sad occasion. People have been worshipping in that building for 160 years. But it was a celebration… unfortunately, things come to an end and things change and people have to move on, and they’ll find another area to worship and do their good work.”
Read the full story in The Bolton News here.
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The fortified Unitarian church in Nagyajta,Transylvania, Romania, built between 1360-80, has been painstakingly restored thanks to 1.1 million euros of funding from the European Union and 443,000 euros from the Hungarian government.
Follow this link to see beautiful photos of the exterior and interior of the church.
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TV presenter Jay Blades spent time at Newington Green Unitarian Church (New Unity) as part of his recent Channel 5 documentary ‘No Place Like Home’, exploring the Newington Green area of London where Jay grew up.
Best known as the presenter of The Repair Shop, furniture restorer Jay Blades spent time at Newington Green Unitarian Church with historian Katie Donnington, learning about the historical links between the area and the slave trade. The church’s congregation included people who benefitted from slavery, as well as leading radical anti-slavery campaigners like Anna Letitia Barbauld.
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Congratulations to Kieran Bohan and Warren Hartley on the tenth anniversary of their ground-breaking civil partnership ceremony, which took place on 6 May 2012 at Ullet Road Unitarian Church, Liverpool.
Unitarians were pioneers in the campaign for civil partnerships, same-sex marriage, and LGBTQ+ equality – find out more here.
Read the story of Kieran and Warren’s civil partnership in this Liverpool Post article (6 May 2022).
Photo: Simply Perfection Photography / Carl Crozier
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We are delighted to announce that following its launch at the Unitarian Annual Meetings, our new book Why Are We Here? Discerning our Unitarian Mission in an Upturned World is now available to buy. This latest title from the Lindsey Press was commissioned by Dr. Jane Blackall, with contributions from Shana Parvin Begum, Rev. Dr. Rory Castle Jones, Rev. Jo James and Rev. Kate Brady McKenna, and a foreword by our Chief Officer Elizabeth Slade.
The book is a radical exploration of the ways in which the landscape of “doing church” has changed, especially during the Covid pandemic. Five contributors, all of whom are serving or aspiring Unitarian ministers, draw on their own experiences to consider how Unitarian communities can flex and adapt in turbulent times while remaining true to their religious roots. Their chapters are a selection of talks given at the 2021 Summer School at Great Hucklow, addressing a wide range of challenges, from the impacts of climate change on our planet to invisible types of social discrimination, both within and beyond church congregations. Each chapter ends with questions for reflection and discussion. Lindsey Press, 2022, ISBN: 978-0-85319-096-7, Softback, RRP £5.00.
You can buy the book online from all major retailers, including Waterstones, Amazon and others. Or, if you would prefer to make your purchase directly from Unitarian HQ, please ring +44 (020) 7240 2384.
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At the Annual Meetings of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches held on 19-21 April 2022 in Birmingham, delegates voted in favour of a motion calling on the UK and devolved governments to make a renewed commitment to a well-funded NHS and to abandon plans and practices which divert public resources to private healthcare companies.
Chief Officer Liz Slade said: “The NHS is rightly a source of great pride for many people in Britain, and I’m glad that as a movement we are speaking out against the privatisation of our health service. My previous career was in the health sector, working with the NHS and with health systems in many other countries, and I know that while our NHS may not be perfect, the moral principles for which it stands, and the impact it has on the overall health of our society are worth protecting. While we as a movement look to create spiritual health, we know that the NHS’s role in serving people’s physical and mental health needs is essential for everyone’s overall wellbeing.”
The full text of the resolution is as follows:
“That this General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches supports a well-funded NHS, free at the point of use and considers that the increased use of the private sector in delivery of NHS healthcare, benefitting shareholders at the expense of patients, is ethically reprehensible. We therefore call on the UK Government to make a renewed commitment to a well-funded NHS free at the point of use and to abandon plans and practices which further divert public resources to private healthcare companies.”
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At the Annual Meetings of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches held last week in Birmingham a collection was taken for Ukraine, raising over £4,000. These funds will now be donated to the Red Cross Appeal to help the people of Ukraine as they face the horrors of war. You can support the appeal here.
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At the Annual Meetings of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches held on 19-21 April 2022 in Birmingham, delegates voted overwhelmingly in favour of a motion to reaffirm transgender people’s rights and to support the adoption of a self-declaration model for gender recognition.
The motion was debated, with a number of transgender Unitarians speaking passionately in favour, as well as careful and compassionate voices speaking against it, raising concerns about elements of the motion. An overwhelming majority of delegates voted in favour of the motion, which was passed and received with applause and emotion in the hall.
Chief Officer Liz Slade said “Unitarian congregations have long been places that allow and encourage individuals to explore and express their true nature, offering belonging and acceptance. I’m proud that as a movement we have now formally expressed our support of trans people. My hope is that as a society we can move beyond the oppositional and divisive ways in which trans issues are often discussed, and I hope Unitarians can play our own small part in that.”
Unitarians have long been advocates for LGBTQ+ equality, dating back to the 1960s (find out more here). Today, Unitarians are the leading faith group in the UK offering same-sex marriage ceremonies and campaign for equal rights and justice for transgender, bisexual, lesbian, gay, and queer people. There are 160 Unitarian churches, chapels and meeting houses in Britain.
The full text of the resolution is as follows:
The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches:
a) Affirms with joy that each person’s understanding and statement of their own gender identity is a matter of conscience;
b) Affirms that transgender rights are human rights;
c) Joins the British Medical Association, the Trades Union Congress and others in civil society in urging the adoption of a self-declaration model for gender recognition by the UK and devolved governments; and
d) Requests that the Chief Officer lobby for this model in response to UK or devolved government consultations and on any other suitable occasion.
If you would like further information about this story, please get in touch with us.
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The Annual Report of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches for 2021 has now been published, ahead of our Annual Meetings in Birmingham next week. Inside you can find out what we’ve been doing as a movement, with reports from our President, Chief Officer, trustees and much, much more. Click here to read it in full.
“As we look to the future, let us appreciate our current unique opportunity. In our denomination, districts and churches, as we assess the after-effects of lockdown, as we must, we can adopt innovations, introduce improvements, embrace changes – without feeling unduly tied to the past.” – Anne Mills, President
“We see part of our responsibility as leaders for the GA to take some leaps of faith too. We are not in a time societally or as a Movement to rely on tried and trusted playbooks; yes, we must learn from what has gone before, but recognise that today’s circumstances are new.” – Liz Slade, Chief Officer
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It’s hard to make change happen without learning from what hasn’t worked. That’s why our Chief Officer Liz Slade has taken part in the Ratio network’s project around making mistakes and learning from them. The project has resulted in a publication, ‘How To Be Wrong’, which is now available to download here.
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Rev. Jim Corrigall (pictured front row, second from left) represented the Unitarians at an ‘Act of Witness’ in West London on Sunday 3 April, called by British churches in support of Ukraine.
After a vigil outside the Ukrainian embassy, church leaders gathered nearby at the statue of King Volodymyr, who established Christianity in Ukraine 1000 years ago. Those taking part included the Greek Orthodox Archbishop in the UK, the Ukrainian Catholic bishop, Methodists, Welsh non-conformists, and several Anglican bishops.
The event was organised by Christian Aid and supported by Churches Together and other groups. The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches was a founder member of Christian Aid in 1945.
Unitarians have been organising appeals, fundraisers and vigils in support of Ukraine since the Russian invasion on 24 February 2022. You can support Ukraine through the DEC Appeal here.
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Unitarian Chief Officer Liz Slade has written in The Guardian about the need for religion to evolve. You can read her article on The Guardian’s website, or below:
“Robin Dunbar’s article (The big idea: do we still need religion?, 28 March) outlines the scientifically measurable benefits of religion. After two years of the pandemic, when our collective physical health has been prioritised, it is now time to focus on these benefits to our spiritual health.
Though Dunbar states that religion is not going anywhere, most congregations have been shrinking for decades. Most churches in Britain today would be flabbergasted if 150 people turned up on Sundays. In order to offer community that works for most people, churches must evolve.
The benefits of religion that Dunbar explains – community cohesion, greater trust, greater happiness – will be vital as we crawl out of the pandemic, and if we are to navigate the climate crisis.
Evolution is part of the DNA of Unitarian churches, which are open to wisdom from all sources, and practise free inquiry into faith and belief, rather than all conforming to a single doctrine.
Religion is here to stay – but we must adapt it to what is needed and what works for us right now. Unitarians don’t have that finished version yet – but anyone joining us can be part of creating it.”
Liz Slade
Chief officer, General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches
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Photo: Students with Rev. Maria Pap (Mansfield and Ashfield Chad newspaper)
Mansfield Unitarians in Nottinghamshire have organised a large-scale operation to gather supplies for Ukrainian refugees, with local students joining Rev. Maria Pap and her congregation in an operation to gather much-needed items including food, drink, medical supplies and pet food. Like many of our congregations across the country, Mansfield Unitarians felt compelled to do something to help the people of Ukraine in their hour of need.
Thanking students for their efforts, church member Pauline Smith said they had been: “totally overwhelmed by their response and the enthusiasm and willingness they showed.”
Read the full story in the local press here.
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We are delighted to announce the appointment of Rev. Dr. Claire MacDonald as Tutor in Ministerial Studies at Harris Manchester College Oxford, which was founded in the eighteenth-century by Unitarians and today is one of two colleges which train people for the Unitarian ministry in the UK, along with Unitarian College.
Rev. Claire says: “I am thrilled to have been appointed as the new Unitarian ministry tutor at HMCO. It is the college where I trained as a minister and a place whose commitment to inclusion and diversity is matched by its commitment to creativity and innovation. It’s wonderful to feel that I too will be part of shaping its future. It will also be an honour to share new possibilities for ministry education with colleagues at Unitarian College.
Radical collaborative, spiritually rich, approaches to education have been part of our long history as Unitarians and I look forward to being part of developing life-long learning for lay leaders and communities as well as present and future ministers. As we say at Lewisham Unity, it’s where sacred meets social.”
Professor Jane Shaw, Principal of Harris Manchester College, says: “Claire MacDonald’s dynamic vision for ministry is very much in tune with the college’s longstanding commitment to educational innovation and inclusion, and her wide-ranging background and gifts in the arts will be greatly valued by colleagues and students. We all very much look forward to welcoming her to the college and working with her.”
Unitarian Chief Officer Liz Slade says: “Rev. Claire McDonald’s appointment as Tutor marks the start of an exciting new chapter in our movement’s long relationship with Harris Manchester College. In this time of great societal change and uncertainty, the role of ministers in serving the spiritual health of communities is more important than ever, and we know that the future of ministry will look different to its past.
I know that Claire’s thoughtful and creative approach in collaborating with colleagues at Harris Manchester College, and at Unitarian College, as well as partners beyond our Unitarian movement and outside the traditional borders of faith communities will help us to ensure that Unitarian ministers are equipped to serve the congregations of the future.”
Unitarian ministers serve their communities by supporting their spiritual health. They do this by hosting the inspiration and togetherness of services and gatherings, sharing wisdom reflecting their own theology while holding space for learning and reflection from other perspectives; they help build connections between members of a congregation, and with partners in the wider community; they provide pastoral care, as well as encouragement and challenge; they help their congregation to serve their community and the wider world, and work towards making a more just and loving society.
Anyone interested in knowing more about leadership in the Unitarian movement is encouraged to read more on our website, attend a Ministry Inquiry Session, or get in touch with Simon Bland (Ministry & Congregational Support Officer).
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Wakefield Unitarians in West Yorkshire have been running a project to discover and share the stories of the forgotten women of their community, including: Ann Hurst, a newspaper proprietor who campaigned for the abolition of slavery; Clara Clarkson, an early suffragist and Unitarian who rejected social conventions around class and gender; and botanical artist Eliza Gleadall.
Image: Sarah Cobham of the Forgotten Women of Wakefield project (Photographer: John Clifton, Yorkshire Post)
Read more about this project in the Yorkshire Post.
Find out more about the Forgotten Women of Wakefield project by visiting their website.
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Leading Unitarians have signed a joint faith and belief letter to MPs ahead of final votes on the Policing Bill.
The letter asks MPs to support the Lords’ amendments to Part 3 of the bill, including removing the ability to put noise limits on protests.
It urges MPs to speak out against measures that remain unchanged in the bill, particularly those that will disproportionately affect marginalised communities.
Chief Officer Liz Slade and seven Unitarian ministers signed the letter alongside 80 other faith and belief representatives.
Full text of letter and list of signatories
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The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
We condemn the unjustifiable attack on Ukraine and call for an immediate withdrawal of Russian forces and for an immediate ceasefire.
We urge the UK Government and devolved administrations to offer whatever humanitarian aid is possible to prevent catastrophe in the region.
Safe corridors for the passage of civilian refugees are now an urgent priority and we urge the UK Government and devolved administrations to offer safe haven and refuge to those fleeing this war.
Warfare creates terrible suffering, reinforces social inequality and causes incalculable environmental damage. We resolve to prioritise peace and peacemaking in our Unitarian worship and culture.
This statement was issued by the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches on 2 March 2022.
A message from our President, Anne Mills:
“As President of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, I endorse the sentiments of horror, apprehension, and fear aroused by the recent Russian attack on Ukraine. On behalf of us all, I send messages of solidarity, sympathy and support to the people of this war-torn country; we are thinking of them and praying for them, in their need; and we are glad that their neighbouring countries are freely offering them help and care, in their suffering. Many of our chapels are organising vigils, which we may join, either in person or in spirit, and I know that our prayers will bring encouragement and reassurance to Ukraine. Please remember that we may be able to help, tangibly, by donating funds; Unitarians have long supported the Red Cross as a way of providing relief in disasters, raising over £115,000 in the last ten years, and you can donate online to support humanitarian work in Ukraine here. Let us all help, in whatever ways we can; no contribution is too small or insignificant. Thank you for your empathy, your efforts – and your hopes.
With very best wishes,
Anne.”
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Rev. Melda Grantham appeared on BBC Songs of Praise this Sunday for their St. David’s Day special, explaining how the leek became a symbol of Welshness. Melda met up with presenter James Lusted at a leek farm on the Gower peninsula, near Swansea.
Melda is a Unitarian minister in Ceredigion, Wales, and works as the Secretary of Unitarians Wales, as well as our Weddings Lead.
You can watch the programme in full on BBC i-player here (from 14 minutes in)
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Congratulations to Coventry Unitarians, who have successfully registered their Meeting House to be able to conduct same-sex marriage ceremonies. The Unitarian Meeting House is one of only two places of worship in Coventry offering same-sex marriage ceremonies, along with the United Reformed Church. Since the law was changed in 2014 to allow churches to offer same-sex weddings, over two thirds of Unitarian churches, chapels and meeting houses have successfully registered to do so.
Click here to find out more about same-sex weddings in Unitarian places of worship.
Click here to search for your nearest Unitarian congregation registered for same-sex marriage.
Click here to find out more about Unitarian LGBT+ History.
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We are delighted to announce that three candidates have been accepted for Unitarian ministerial training in 2022. Robert Foreman, Hannah Stephenson and Francis Elliot Wright will be studying at Unitarian College for their training.
Rev Sarah Tinker, Chair of the Interview Panel said: “Interview Panel members were glad to once again hold interviews for ministry training at Harris Manchester College in Oxford. We recognise the commitment and hard work that have brought candidates to this stage and wish them all the very best for the years of study ahead of them.”
All three new students recently met with Unitarian College staff for a 24 hour orientation retreat at The Nightingale Centre, Great Hucklow. At this gathering, students were given a training overview and an individualised learning plan was begun.
Training will consist of a blend of Unitarian College residentials, study of academic theology, congregation-based placements, online modules and other courses.
Helen Mason, Director of Unitarian College said: “Unitarian college is delighted to welcome Francis, Hannah and Rob to our student body and we look forward to walking with them as they embark on their ministry journeys.”
Rev Ant Howe, Ministry Tutor of Unitarian College, who will have primary responsibility for coordinating training said: “I am excited to welcome three excellent and talented new students who will – in time – become valued colleagues. I look forward to working with all three over the next few years as Unitarian College helps them prepare for professional Ministry within the Unitarian & Free Christian Churches. It is a particular joy to me that all three of our new Ministry students have previously undertaken lay training courses with Unitarian College and have now chosen to return to us for our Ministry Training programme.”
Unitarian ministers serve their communities by supporting their spiritual health. They do this by hosting the inspiration and togetherness of services and gatherings, sharing wisdom reflecting their own theology while holding space for learning and reflection from other perspectives; they help build connections between members of a congregation, and with partners in the wider community; they provide pastoral care, as well as encouragement and challenge; they help their congregation to serve their community and the wider world, and work towards making a more just and loving society.
Anyone interested in knowing more about leadership in our movement is encouraged to read more on our website, attend a Ministry Inquiry Session, or get in touch with Simon Bland (Ministry & Congregational Support Officer).
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Unitarians are marking LGBT+ History Month with special services and events throughout February. Unitarians have a long history of campaigning for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people’s equality and inclusion and have the largest number of churches offering same-sex marriage of any denomination in the UK. Below you can find a timeline of Unitarian LGBT+ history and useful resources.
Many of our congregations are currently holding special events under the umbrella ‘A Celebration Of Love’ between 25 January and 14 February, the respective days of two patron saints of love, St. Dwynwen and St. Valentine. As part of this, one Welsh Unitarian minister appeared on Welsh television with his husband to talk about LGBT+ inclusion in the church.
Find out more about same-sex marriage ceremonies in Unitarian churches, chapels and meeting houses.
Download an LGBT+ Pride Chalice Logo, created by Rosslyn Hill Chapel Unitarians, Hampstead
Video: Unitarians at London Pride (2016)
‘Where We Stand’ LGBT+ Leaflet (2010)
‘We are proud to be an LGBT+ inclusive church’ social media images for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Some important dates in the story of LGBT+ inclusion in the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches:
If you have more information, photos, memories or resources to share about Unitarian LGBT+ History, please get in touch.
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“Reverend Kate Dean has really fulfilled her mission of creating an inclusive and thriving community spirit offering something for everyone which comes at a most prescient time in our lives. It’s inspiring to meet someone with such a passion for people and helping others. A true local hero.”
Rev. Kate Dean, minister of Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel in Hampstead, London, was interviewed by Russell Bentley for the ‘Hampstead & Highgate Express’ local newspaper. She tells her unique story from a childhood choice between biscuits and Buddhism, through her career as a toy designer, before becoming a Unitarian minister. You can read the full piece here.
Photo credit: Russell Bentley
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Rev. Lena Cockcroft has been celebrating 40 years since being ordained the first female minister in our sister organisation, the Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland (NSPCI). Rev. Cockcroft was ordained in 1982 and has served as minister to Cairncastle & Glenarm (1982-2016), Ballymoney (1982-97), Downpatrick (1999-2003), Dunmurry (2012-14), and Holywood (2019-20). Now retired, she has been enjoying celebrations within the NSPCI to mark the anniversary.
The denomination will be holding a Service of Thanksgiving and Reflection celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the ordination of Rev. Lena Cockcroft, and 40 years of women being ordained into the NSPCI as ministers of religion. This service will be held at The Travel Lodge in the grounds of The Lodge Hotel in Coleraine at 4pm on Sunday 6 March 2022. Click here for more information.
Rev. Cockcroft also spoke to the Belfast Telegraph about her life in ministry. You can read the article (behind a paywall) here.
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Welsh LGBT+ Unitarians Rev. Rory Castle Jones and his husband Rhys talked to Welsh-language TV channel S4C’s ‘Dechrau Canu, Dechrau Canmol’ this Sunday for the programme’s ‘Love’ special, ahead of the St Dwynwen’s Day (the Welsh patron saint of love) on 25 January.
Rory and Rhys spoke to about their own journey of faith, getting married at Gellionnen Unitarian Chapel near Pontardawe (one of the first in Wales to offer same-sex marriage), and Rory becoming a Unitarian minister last year. Rhys spoke about having to leave another denomination because of homophobia and the couple explained to viewers how Unitarians have led the way in LGBT+ inclusion and same-sex marriage.
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Our Chief Officer, Liz Slade, reflects on two recent articles in The Church Times and The Economist in her latest blog post looking at church, change, and culture.
“These pieces help reassure me of what we’ve been exploring at Unitarian HQ – that our central strategy needs first and foremost to be about supporting local leaders; building the capacity that will mean they can be responsive to the needs of their local communities, and tune in to the vision of the congregation for how they want to serve those needs. Rather than a top-down plan, it’s using the resources of the centre to fill the tanks of the local congregations…”
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Image: Festival founder Andrew Webb (Evesham Unitarians) with members of the organising team Siân Evans and Laura Davies (Gellionnen Unitarian Chapel)
Unitarians are taking the lead in the organisation of renowned Malvern Festival of Ideas, a multidisciplinary festival of ideas that takes place in Malvern, Worcestershire. It is a themed weekend of talks, discussion and activities.
The founder and organiser of the festival is Andrew Webb of Evesham Unitarians and Unitarian youth group Malvern Transformers. In 2021, Andrew was put in touch with another Unitarian group, #Blessed at Gellionnen Chapel in south Wales, through our Youth Officer, Gavin Howell. From this initial contact, two members of #Blessed, which is for 16-25 year olds, have joined the organising team of Malvern Festival. Laura Davies and Siân Evans said: “we are having so much fun and learning a lot in helping to organise the festival – and working with Andrew is great. It’s brilliant to have Unitarians collaborating and we’ve developed new friendships and connections between South Wales and Malvern.”
You can watch a video about the festival, featuring Laura and Siân, here.
You can find out more about Malvern Festival of Ideas here.
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York Unitarians are to celebrate their 350th anniversary this year, having served the city since 1672. Celebrations will centre on their Grade II listed chapel in the historic St. Saviourgate street in York city centre. York Unitarian’s minister, Rev. Stephanie Bisby, who was appointed in January 2021, said:
“It’s very exciting – and a little humbling – to be marking such a significant anniversary. Looking back makes us very aware of our place in history, and the legacy of free thinking that we aim to uphold.
Thinking about what the next 350 years might bring encourages us to look at our priorities in a different way as we try to imagine the ways in which the world might change in that time, and how we as a spiritual community might contribute to the changes we’d like to see in the world, such as by participating in social justice campaigns, learning to care better for the environment, and continuing to provide a positive and inspiring place for people to meet and join in worship.”
Read the full story in the York Press here.
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Our new Congregational Connections Lead, Lizzie Kingston-Harrison, talks about her first two months in the role – and what she’s been up to building connections between our congregations and supporting new, innovative projects in the Unitarian movement. You can watch the video here. Lizzie says: “Thank you to everyone who has been in touch sharing ideas, resources, connections and inspiration. If you are interested in finding out more about the projects mentioned here, please email me.”
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Rev. Goronwy Evans, retired minister of Brondeifi Unitarian Chapel in Lampeter, Ceredigion, has launched his tenth book, ‘Procio’r Cof’ – Stoking the Memory. The book was written during lockdown and reflects on his life and ministry in west Wales, including his childhood in rural Ceredigion, fifty years of Unitarian ministry, and extensive charity work with Children In Need and Cancer Research. In the 2021 New Year’s Honours List, Rev. Evans was awarded an MBE for services to charity and to the community in Lampeter. You can read more in the local press here.
Procio’r Cof is published by Y Lolfa, and is available now priced £9.99.
Photo: Rev. Goronwy Evans presenting a copy of his book to the mayor of Lampeter, Cllr. Selwyn Walters.
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Rev. Lynne Readett, retired Unitarian minister, led a ceremony attended by over 100 people to remember the 344 miners who lost their lives in the tragic Pretoria Pit Disaster in Lancashire in December 1910. The moving ceremony was attended by former miners, local people, politicians and civic figures. You can read more about the ceremony and the history of the disaster here.
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In case you missed it, a Welsh Unitarian chapel’s dog nativity video went viral on Christmas Eve, appearing across social media, the press and TV – including on BBC Breakfast.
Speaking to the BBC about the video – which featured Three Wise Whippets and the infant Jesus played by a pug puppy called Margaret – Rev. Rory Castle Jones of Gellionnen Chapel near Pontardawe said: “We wanted to just make people smile, see and hear the Christmas Story again – but in a way they probably hadn’t heard it before.”
You can a BBC News report with clips of the video here.
You can watch the video in full on Gellionnen Chapel’s Facebook page here.
You can read more about this story in articles from BBC News, Wales Online and the Daily Mail.
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Harris Manchester College seeks to appoint a Tutor in Ministerial Studies, for a fixed term of three years, beginning in September 2022. Applications are invited from ministers on the roll of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches. Click here to download the job description and information about how to apply. Deadline 31 January 2022.
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After an unpredictable and challenging year, our President Anne Mills, offers this Christmas message.
At this time, last year, I was preparing a Christmas service for one of my local Unitarian chapels; the weather was extremely cold and wet; daylight-hours were perceptibly shorter; and the number of Covid cases was soaring, despite the first vaccinations being rolled out. It was difficult to keep our spirits high, especially when the promised festive respite was reduced, at the last moment, from five days to just Christmas Day. Christmas 2020 would be different, we said; there would be other years when we could celebrate under more usual circumstances.
With this in mind, my “Christmas with a Twist” Service contained a tribute to a chapel-member who had recently died, and Happy 70th Birthday wishes to another member, for whom we sang the time-honoured tune (into our masks, of course); and, instead of the Bible’s version of the Nativity, I compiled a parallel piece from “The Book of God”, by Walter Wangerin. Surprisingly, everything fitted together well, and enough traditional elements were retained to satisfy the congregation. However, now that “next year” is almost upon us, what awaits us, as we head towards 2022? Covid has not disappeared from our lives, and this seems unlikely to happen, despite the great strides made by medical science to deal with the pandemic-conditions which have, unfortunately, dominated our lives for so long.
Recently, I have been re-reading “A Christmas Carol”, by Charles Dickens; although this moral Victorian tale was written more than 170 years ago, its comments on quality of life remain relevant today. Ebenezer Scrooge, of “Bah, Humbug!” fame, is tight-fisted and materialistic, especially where the festive season, charitableness, and generosity of spirit are concerned; it is made clear that he is despised and scorned for his behaviour, loved by no-one, and avoided by many. Scrooge is visited by three spirits: the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come, and, as a result, begins to realise that happiness and wealth do not necessarily sit comfortably together, and that those who achieve the greatest richness of spirit do so through their ability to appreciate what they have, rather than dwelling on what they have not, and by concentrating their hearts on what brings joy, cheer, and contentment to themselves and others. Scrooge’s transformation is swift and powerful; he remembers happier times in his life, and shrinks from the hard heart he has cultivated; his desire to make amends is almost instantaneous, to the benefit of his nephew’s family, and of Tiny Tim’s, too.
And what can we learn from Scrooge, as we approach Christmas, 2021? It is tempting to judge our own happiness by how much we spend on presents, and on food and drink, especially at this season of the year; maybe we should ask ourselves how satisfied and fulfilled we feel, having dashed round the shops, returning bad-tempered, exhausted and penniless from such expeditions; maybe we should wonder how much others appreciate our actions? A year ago, we bemoaned the fact that we were unable to devote quality-time to our families; now, we have the opportunity to do so, to take pleasure in simply being with them, enjoying their company, rather than spending money on them. There is a great deal for us all to appreciate, including a roof over our heads, our health, our nearest and dearest, our freedom, and the chance to exist in a country at peace.
If we feel that the periods of lockdown and isolation we have recently experienced have altered us, we should consider whether we ought to introduce changes into our personal lives. Could we, like Scrooge, become more compassionate? Could our New Year’s Resolutions centre around changes to the benefit our own well-being, or that of others? We might decide that a house-move – possibly a relocation – would suit us, or that supporting a preferred charity would help those less fortunate than ourselves; we might determine how best to encourage desperately-needed climate-changes, as we try to save this poor planet of ours. Whatever decisions we make, if we abide by the true values of the Christmas tradition, we will surely find our hearts lighter and our lives enriched.
May I take this opportunity to wish you all a Christmas-period filled with love, blessings, joy and peace, and a New Year in which good health will abound, and hope will bring whatever our hearts most desire.
With warmest wishes,
Anne
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Librarians in the Irish city of Cork have uncovered an unusual baptism record of an African woman in the city’s Unitarian Church from 1816. Catherine McDonald was forcibly taken at the age of nine from her homeland of Aboo in Western Africa to Berbice (present-day Guyana) is South America. Aged thirty and by then a free woman, Catherine chose to be baptised at Cork Unitarian Church in 1816.
Sharing the story of ‘An Unusual Cork Baptism’ on the Cork Library Facebook page, they wrote:
“Here we have a unique historical document belonging to Cork’s Unitarian Congregation. Their church dates from 1717 and is the oldest place of continuous worship in the city. It is located on Princes Street in the city centre, recessed a little from the street, and was already long established when this baptism took place there on an October Sunday in 1816. All of 205 years ago. What’s so special about that you may wonder? Another baby, another baptism. Well, this was no baby, baby, this was the baptism of an adult and the full record reads:
“October 27th. Catherine McDonald. A free Negro woman from Berbice in South America, who at the age of nine years had been carried away from her own country, Aboo in Western Africa. Now aged thirty was baptized immediately after Morning Service in the desk of our meeting house by her own particular desire after due instruction”.
Berbice is now encompassed by the modern country of Guyana in the north-west of the South American continent, and Aboo relates to a region incorporated by current day Ghana. What became of Catherine? One wonders.”
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We are delighted to announced that Rev. Melda Grantham has taken up the new role of Weddings Lead at the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches. This new post has been made possible by a generous bequest left to the General Assembly by Rev Jay Deacon, Unitarian Universalist minister.
Rev. Melda Grantham will be supporting Unitarian and Free Christian congregations who wish to conduct more and better weddings, to build sustainable capacity to do so, while also raising the profile of our unique wedding offer at the local and national level. You can find out more about Unitarian weddings here.
With many weddings having been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, and with the Unitarians representing a large proportion of the places of worship where same sex couples can marry in England and Wales, there is a gap that we are well placed to fill. Our ability to offer couples the opportunity to shape their ceremony to reflect their beliefs and commitments means that we can serve the many couples who would not find what they need in other places of worship. Weddings can also bring in revenue for congregations, and there are plenty of opportunities for members of the congregation to get involved in supporting the wedding, thereby building capacity.
Melda, who has conducted thousands of weddings during a 25 year career as a Superintendent Registrar, is very excited about her new role, and can’t wait to start working with other Unitarians who are as passionate about weddings as she is. “Weddings are joyous occasions, and it is always a privilege to be given the opportunity to help couples to make their day a special and memorable one. It’s also a valuable outreach opportunity as people who would not normally visit our chapels are welcomed in.
“I hope that many congregations will consider being part of our very first nationwide ‘Celebration of Love’ which will take place between 25 January and 14 February 2022, and in the meantime I’d like to ask everybody to complete the survey that I sent out so that we can make sure that the support we offer is what people really need. If you have any ideas that you would like to discuss, then please do get in touch with me.”
Find out more about our staff team here.
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The Unitarians took part in a Religions For Peace – Interfaith Youth Network event last Saturday in London, visiting various places of worship including London Buddhist Centre and St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace. We were represented at the event by Gavin Howell, our Youth Officer. Those taking part included Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Zoroastrians, Sikhs, Muslims, and others, as well as representatives from various faith-based charities and social action groups. You can find out more about Religions For Peace – Interfaith Youth Network here.
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“I had been reminded most forcibly, as I always am, at this time of year, of the sacrifices made so that we, today, can live in relative peace, freedom and security.”
On Remembrance Sunday we were represented by our President, Anne Mills, at the Cenotaph in London. Here, Anne reflects on the experience:
“November 14th saw me in London, at The Cenotaph, in Whitehall, to represent the Unitarian denomination – a great honour and a memorable and moving occasion for me.
A new, amalgamated, department organised the event and decided not to offer plus-1 invitations to VIP guests and not to provide refreshments afterwards. I was disappointed by the change, as I had hoped that my husband Roger might have been able to share the experience, in return for all the support he has given me during the past two and a half years.
Travel arrangements to Whitehall caused problems in many quarters; my driver put me down near Admiralty Arch and left me to fend for myself. I was eventually rescued by Bob, to whom I shall remain eternally grateful – I’m sure his senior responsibilities do not include looking after lost old ladies!
Once inside the Foreign and Commonwealth Department building, the faith leaders congregated in a corridor, ready to take their places, when the time came. I found the other leaders very pleasant, and we all chatted easily. Some of the politicians gave us a smile and a greeting, as they passed us. I was interested to see what tall, broad, powerful men John Major, Tony Blair and Lindsay Hoyle are; Rishi Sunak and Sadiq Khan, by contrast, are both short and slight, but no less impressive.
The faith leaders who had attended the Service on other occasions were kind enough to pass on the benefit of their experience (where to look to see the Royals queuing up, and remembering to look up at the cameras, once we stepped outside). We were stewarded into place, according to the numbers chalked on the ground, and, before we knew it, the Service had begun, with a gun-salute before and after the impressive two minutes of absolute silence. The television-broadcast almost certainly gives better coverage in terms of an overview of the event, and, since returning home, I have enjoyed watching what I was unable to see live!
Once we regained the F and CD premises, the faith-leaders prepared to leave – but not before some of us managed a group photograph, outside 10 Downing Street, taken by an on-duty policeman. Later, in the early afternoon, Roger and I went back to the Cenotaph, to view all the wreaths there and to take our official photographs of them, and me. I was approached by, and gave an interview to, a French journalist, who is based in London, but works for the French media; she seemed concerned, mostly, about the Queen’s state of health, which is currently giving cause for concern and speculation.
We rounded off our afternoon by visiting the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey; in the grounds, more than 100,000 poppies and crosses, representing those who had lost their lives, have been planted by volunteers – a moving sight and a fitting close to a day on which I had been reminded most forcibly, as I always am, at this time of year, of the sacrifices made so that we, today, can live in relative peace, freedom and security.
Both before and after the Service, I received many messages of goodwill and support from fellow-Unitarians across the country, all of which I greatly appreciated.”
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On 14 November, to mark the beginning of the annual Interfaith Week, an afternoon workshop was held at Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, in Hampstead.
It featured three speakers from different religions backgrounds:
Hindu Unitarian Indra Sikdar spoke about the diverse origins of the Hindu faith and its pluralistic approach which teaches that there are ‘many ways to God’.
The Muslim musician and academic Julia Ayesha posed questions about what people of faith need to do in order to prepare themselves for the ultimate ideal and aspiration of living in unity.
Daniel Pashaie, of the local Baha’i community, spoke about the independent investigation of truth, which is one of the fundamental teachings of the Baha’i faith. He asked the group: ‘What are some truths that are common to all religions and how can we use them to foster unity among the peoples of the world?’
Rev Kate Dean, minister of Rosslyn Hill Chapel, led the workshop with her colleague Rev Michael Allured of Golders Green Unitarians. Speaking after the event, she said: ‘It was an honour to bring together such a diverse group who were so attentive and took part in very deep and rich discussions on the subject. Interfaith dialogue and mutual understanding are so important and, I believe, can set us on the path to peace. We invite anyone who would like to join us as we continue this work to come along on Sunday 16th January, when our morning service at 11am will be led by myself and Professor Faraneh Vargha-Khadem to mark the Baha’I festival of World Religion Day. Afterwards, there will be one-hour discussion on the themes of the service.
Daniel shared a quotation from the Ruhi Institute, based on Baha’i Writings, which seemed to sum up what we were trying to do with this event: “We must be lovers of light, no matter from what lamp it appears. We must be lovers of the rose no matter in what garden it blooms. We must be seekers of truth, no matter from what source it comes. Attachment to one lamp can prevent us from appreciating the light when it shines in another. In seeking the truth, we must rid ourselves of preconceived notions and give up our prejudices. If our cup is full of self, there is no room in it for the water of life.”’
Photo: (L-R) Julia Ayesha, Indra Sikdar, Daniel Pashaie, taken by Rev. Kate Dean
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On Sunday 3 October, Bridport Unitarians ordained their new minister Rev. Elizabeth Harley at The Chapel In The Garden, Bridport, Dorset. Elizabeth recently completed her ministry training with Unitarian College and has served as Bridport Unitarians’ ‘Lay Person In Charge’ for 8 years. Speaking about her ordination, Rev. Harley said:
“There have been Unitarians in Bridport for over 350 years so it felt like a piece of history to be welcomed as the first Unitarian woman to be Minister at the chapel. Interestingly, there have been Unitarian women Ministers in the UK since 1904 but Bridport somehow missed out.
Ministry training with Unitarian College has been a really wonderful opportunity to deepen my faith and to get to know this congregation even better. Even during Covid we organised Zoom services but it means so much to me to have this service here in the Chapel, with so many of my family, friends and members of the congregation here to share this day with me.”
You can read about the ordination in the local newspaper, Bridport & Lyme Regis News.
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The Unitarians have joined other religious, faith and belief groups in calling on the Government to rethink the controversial Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, set to return to the House of Lords this week.
In a scathing letter, published in The Independent and online, dozens of leaders, ranging from the Muslim Council of Britain and Board of Deputies of British Jews to the Church of England and Network of Sikh Organisations, warn of the ‘chilling effect’ the Bill could have on ‘millions who put their faith or belief into practice’ and declare it ‘unacceptable in a democratic society.’
Part 3 of the Bill gives the police wide ranging powers to restrict the right to protest, including being able set noise limits. Faith leaders fear this could criminalise a range of religious activities including street preaching and chanting. There is also concern the Bill could lead to disproportionate policing on public acts of worship or prayer vigils as was the case with the Sarah Everard vigil earlier this year.
Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain, Zara Mohammed said: “This Bill threatens to impinge greatly upon our rights to freedom of assembly and expression, as well as the public’s ability to hold the Government to account. It will exacerbate pre-existing disparities in policing and the criminal justice system. These inalienable rights are essential components of any functioning democratic society and must be preserved.”
The Bill passed unamended through the House of Commons despite high-profile critics including former police chiefs and former Prime Minister Theresa May who cautioned Priti Patel on the ‘fine line between being popular and being populist.’ In the House of Lords, the Bill received widespread criticism including from Dr David Walker, the Lord Bishop of Manchester, who compared the noise from a pop concert to a campaign for injustice: ‘Both events may cause nuisance, but it is a strange set of priorities that make it less lawful to protest than to party.’
In signing the letter, the Lord Bishop of Manchester added: “Much in this Bill is both unnecessary and disproportionate. Existing laws already provide adequate remedy for when protests get out of hand, or are likely to lead to violence. This proposed legislation would also allow sweeping discretion for government ministers to define and change its interpretation to suit passing political whim. They will exercise their powers at the expense of ordinary citizens’ rights to make their voices heard. Debate will be stifled and progress prevented on some of the most important and contentious issues of the day.”
A flurry of amendments [265 to date] have been proposed for the Bill with many relating to part 4 on encampments. A national shortage of suitable sites and stopping places means Gypsies and Travellers are left with no places where they are permitted to stop. The Bill would for the first time make such activity a criminal offence and could lead to members of the Gypsy and Traveller having their home seized.
Mia Hasenson-Gross, executive director of René Cassin, the Jewish voice for human rights said: “This is a critical moment for communities of faith and belief to stand together and secure our rights to public worship and protest in the face of marginalisation. We must not stay silent as our rights to protest are disregarded, and our Gypsy and Traveller friends, with whom we share a history of persecution in Europe, are criminalised and robbed of their culturally nomadic way of life.”
It is hoped that amendments are proposed and approved before the Bill returns to the House of Commons later this year.
Signatories:
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Local organisations in Leeds came together on Friday 22 October for a vigil and gathering at Mill Hill Unitarian Chapel in the city centre to support refugees and asylum seekers, protesting against the government’s new Nationality and Borders Bill.
Rev. Jo James, minister of Mill Hill Chapel, said: “The Refugees and Asylum Seekers Conversation Club (founded in 2016 at Mill Hill Chapel and working towards safely re-starting after lockdown threw the very popular community resource into disarray) organised an ‘Orange Heart’ event as a symbol of compassion for refugees and to oppose the government’s Nationalities and Borders Bill. Mill Hill regular Ann Callarman worked with Leeds Asylum Seekers networks to invite local officials and we were pleased that the Leader and Deputy Leader of the council and Lord Mayor Asghar Khan showed up as well as 30 plus friends and supporters including many refugees. As Liz Slade (Unitarian Chief Officer) was visiting Yorkshire Unitarians this week, she was delighted to join us too. Events like this serve to demonstrate compassion, support and solidarity as well as strengthen individual links and community resilience.”
Volunteer at Leeds Conversation Club and organiser of Friday’s gathering Dot Reed said: “Volunteers at Conversation Club regularly see the misery caused by the Home Office’s current self-declared ‘hostile environment’. We see people living in limbo, sometimes for years on end, unable to work or contribute to society, living in constant fear of deportation back to their countries, from which they fled in fear of their lives.
This Bill’s aim is to make life even harsher for these unfortunate people, including criminalising them simply for the way they arrive in the UK, when often they have no choice. It is inhumane and goes completely against the values of this country.”
You can read more about the event in the Yorkshire Evening Post here.
You can view more photos from the event here.
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We are delighted to welcome Lizzie Kingston Harrison to the General Assembly staff team, in the role of Congregational Connections Lead.
Lizzie will be connecting with individuals and congregations across our movement to help share knowledge and experience, so that more people can benefit from the good practices and innovations that have been developed locally, building on the work done by the previous Congregational Connections Lead, Rev. Bob Janis-Dillon.
Lizzie loves building authentic and meaningful connections with people and creating spaces where ideas can be shared freely and creatively. She cares deeply about Unitarian principles and left her career in teaching to contribute to this loving and vibrant community. Her role is to find new ways to connect our congregations so that we can share resources, serve our communities, and inspire each other. Lizzie’s doctoral thesis is on the eighteenth-century Unitarian dissenter Joseph Priestley, and she has a deep respect for the radical and liberal values on which the movement is founded. Lizzie grew up in Norwich and now lives in Suffolk with her husband and daughters. The beautiful coastal countryside and the grounded and welcoming community at Framlingham Unitarian Meeting House have helped her to find a spiritual home.
Lizzie said: “I am delighted to be the new Congregational Connections Lead and to serve our loving, free-thinking, and inclusive community. My research on the origins of Unitarianism gave me insight into the principles on which the movement is founded and when I started attending services, I was excited to find that those values live on in a compassionate and vibrant way. In this new role, I am so glad to have the opportunity to build fresh and dynamic connections and create new ways for us to share ideas and inspiration. I am keen to listen and hear your priorities for congregational connection so if you would like to get in touch, please email me.“
Find out more about our staff team here.
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Rev Kate Dean of Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, Hampstead, appeared in the Camden New Journal recently to highlight the lack of options in the borough for same sex couples who wish to have a spiritual or religious marriage ceremony. Just 4 out of 86 non-conformist churches in Camden offer same-sex weddings.
“It is so difficult to find places that will allow same-sex couples who want to express their love for each other in a religious setting… In such a diverse borough, it may be that LGBTQ couples do not realise the opportunities that some churches offer” – Rev. Kate Dean
Read the full article which appeared on 30 September 2021.
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Photo: Rev. Michael Allured, Rev. Alex Bradley (Tutor) & Rev. Robin Hanford
This year, two students have completed their training at Harris Manchester College, Oxford, and been accepted onto the Roll of Ministers. Rev. Michael Allured and Rev. Robin Hanford had their Valediction Service at the College’s chapel in June, with a small congregation of tutors, family and friends present in line with covid-19 guidance. Now, Michael and Robin share some of their feelings about completing their training during the pandemic and their future ministries:
Rev. Michael Allured said:
“I am honoured to become a Unitarian minister and proud to join my husband Feargus on the GA ministerial Roll. Thanks to him and everyone who has encouraged and supported me on a journey that began at Golders Green Unitarians in 1989. To be a minister of religion is a tremendous privilege and I’m deeply conscious of the responsibility that this role carries. I shall do all I can to live up to that honour in the coming years as I walk alongside fellow pilgrims in times of joy and sorrow. May we encourage each other in our continuing explorations and attempts to make sense of life’s ultimate questions and what we are called to do for each other and for this precious and fragile world. It was joyful to share my valedictory service at Harris Manchester College, Oxford with Rev. Robin Hanford. Robin and I spent a year training together and I missed not joining him for his second year. So although I graduated in 2020 the 12 month wait for my valedictory service because of Covid-19 was worth it to celebrate in person with Robin and his family.”
Rev. Robin Hanford said: “The last few years have been something of a whirlwind! I can still remember my interview at Harris Manchester College, and that feeling of euphoria when I was told that I had been accepted to train for ministry in the Unitarian and Free Christian Churches. In fact, it feels like it was only yesterday! That said, a lot of training has been crammed into two years. Training for ministry while living in Harris Manchester College and studying for a University of Oxford Postgraduate Diploma and being President of the college’s Middle Common Room was a very busy but ever such a special and rewarding experience. One of the things I believe to be harder than training for ministry during a pandemic must be training a minister during a global pandemic! I owe huge thanks to all at Harris Manchester College for their support. I am also hugely grateful to the Oxford Unitarian congregation who could not have been more supportive of my student pastorate with them. Sharing a valediction service with Rev. Michael Allured was a very moving experience. Michael has been a huge source of support for me throughout my training. I know that we will continue to support each other as Ministers of Religion as much as we did when we were students.“
Congratulations Michael and Robin and all the best for your future ministries!
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Unitarian Chief Officer Liz Slade has taken part in an online conversation about assisted dying, hosted by Tim Wyatt for Religion Media Centre, with Rabbi Jonathan Romain, founder of Dignity in Dying, Dr Sarah Foot from the Christian Medical Fellowship, and Dr Hina Shahid from the Muslim Doctors Association.
The Unitarian movement voted in 2013 on the issue of assisted dying. In our recognition of the worth and the dignity of all people and their freedom to believe as their consciences dictate, members voted to support the principle that individuals should have the right to seek support for assisted dying in certain circumstances, and that legislation should respect this choice and allow them compassionate assistance without fear of prosecution of anyone involved. Many Unitarians are passionately in favour of a change in the law, while recognising the need to allow a diversity of voices to be considered on this important moral issue. In June 2021, we welcomed the launch of new Religious Alliance for Dignity in Dying.
You can watch the video in full here.
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Ipswich Unitarians held a celebration on Saturday 25 September to mark the reopening of Ipswich Meeting House, one of the oldest non-conformist chapels in the country, after the completion of a huge renovation project supported by English Heritage costing £750,000.
Tessa Forsdike, the secretary of the trustees of the Meeting House, said the restoration work should guarantee the future of the building for at least the next 100 years. She said: “This is a very important day for us. It gives us the chance to show off what has happened here and show what makes this such a special place.”
You can watch a video of the celebratory events here.
You can find out more about the renovation project here.
You can read more about this story in the local press here.
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We are delighted to have reached an important milestone as Hale Chapel in Hale Barns, Cheshire, becomes the 100th Unitarian place of worship to register to conduct same-sex marriage ceremonies. The chapel’s minister Rev. Jeff Gould conducted their first same-sex wedding in August.
Reflecting on the day, Rev. Gould said: “The congregation of Hale Chapel was delighted to host its first same-sex wedding in the middle of this past August. The couple who celebrated their marriage at the chapel had recently moved into a house that adjoins the chapel’s garden and cemetery. Their research revealed that a Unitarian house of worship would be the ideal venue for their inter-faith wedding, as one partner is Christian and the other is Jewish. I was delighted to officiate at a ceremony that involved elements of both religious traditions. The congregation is grateful that their first same-sex wedding couple will have a continuing relationship with the chapel, and look forward to welcoming other couples whose profiles reflect the diversity and richness of the local community.”
Unitarians have long supported lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, and we are proud to provide marriage ceremonies for all couples. In fact, we were one of the the first churches to offer same-sex marriages. Find out more here.
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Cotswolds Unitarians are supporting Active Peace Education in local schools, organised by Malvern Quakers. Rosemary Webb (pictured), who co-leads local Unitarian youth group the Malvern Transformers, is delivering the sessions ‘Rights for Kids’, ‘Six Hours to Change the World’ and ‘All Are Welcome’ in local schools, together with Quaker educators. Click here to find out more here.
Photo: Bosbury Primary School
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| Photo by Quentin Kemmel on Unsplash |
[The school district] continues to plan for safety and security improvements in this changing landscape but we need your help. The best safeguards start with vigilance. We know that social media is a place where warning signs and chatter can take place. It takes all of us to monitor the many channels of social media (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram etc.). Together we have thousands of eyes and ears. Everyone, including our students, should be reminded that if you see something or hear something, please tell a principal, teacher, counselor, myself or another adult.I paused for a moment. We are asked to all be the system that prevents school shootings.
"Two days later, still up too late and unable to sleep. Euphoria having worn off a bit, I'm thinking about what our local LGBTQ community had to go through on Tuesday. Five and a half hours of deliberate misgendering and mockery, name calling like sodomites and perverts, insinuation that they would harm people in restrooms, being told that God would damn them. And then over and over again being told that this wasn't about hatred, but their identity goes against God. I know how awful it was for me to listen to that, and can't imagine how hard it was for our LGBTQ community who came up and talked about fear, about abandonment, about abuse, and about discrimination. I'm so proud of our LGBTQ youth, but so sad the world still holds these hatreds.
"I'm proud of the work we did to win the vote, and happy we have the nondiscrimination ordinance at last, but I'll never forget how some of the people stared right at me as they said that their Christian faith demanded they act this way. For one evening my hetero privilege was stripped away, and it was shocking and scary. There were people trying to intimidate me at several points. As I left the theater, a man started yelling at me and accusing me of things I hadn't done, and I felt threatened and afraid. Fortunately the police were there and hurried him on his way, and also fortunately I had a ride to my car.
"I'm so glad we had our row of clergy to counter that disgusting show of the worst of our community. God loves you, friends. And those people were outnumbered by the ones who know that you are loved for who you are."My biggest regret was that we stacked our clergy people in the front of the deck, trying to set a tone about God's message, and then it was followed by hours of hurtful theology. I wanted a time at the end of the night for us to be able to get up then and say, "You are loved. You are loved by God for being just who you are. God made you queer, trans, bi, lesbian and gay, because that is wonderful."
The most prominent example of ableist language in our movement, however, is our social justice arm: Standing on the Side of Love. And before you say, "It's just a metaphor," I invite you to watch this and read this by UU minister Theresa Soto. The point here is not to convince you that ableist metaphors are a problem. The point is that we often think, even if it is ableist, "Standing on the Side of Love" is a done deal and it would be too hard to change it. I'd like to offer a different possibility. I think we need to change this, and it's possible to change this. The important part of the "Standing on the Side of Love" isn't the "Standing," it's that we're acting "on the Side of Love."
Clearly there is a problem with ableism in our public presentation. Public statements, music, stories and metaphors that perpetuate ableism have been hurtful to colleagues. As with any oppression, this ableism likely runs deeper than our public presentation. I remain grateful to all those who are willing to call it to our attention, and I am deeply sorry that such calling is still necessary. (The full response is here.)
Ingram said some rapists started out as Peeping Toms, or fed their clothes fetishes, stealing undergarments from clotheslines or homes before targeting victims. Others were simply opportunists.
''They were looking for open windows, unlocked doors, people moving around alone,'' he said. ''They were just looking for the opportunity to prey on someone.''
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| http://awakeandwitness.net/2015/08/27/blessing-of-the-backpacks-a-mini-primer/ |
"They have something to say to every minister of the gospel who has remained silent behind the safe security of stained-glass windows. They have something to say to every politician who has fed his constituents with the stale bread of hatred and the spoiled meat of racism. They have something to say to a federal government that has compromised with the undemocratic practices of southern Dixiecrats and the blatant hypocrisy of right-wing northern Republicans. They have something to say to every Negro who has passively accepted the evil system of segregation and who has stood on the sidelines in a mighty struggle for justice. They say to each of us, black and white alike, that we must substitute courage for caution. They say to us that we must be concerned not merely about who murdered them, but about the system, the way of life, the philosophy which produced the murderers. Their death says to us that we must work passionately and unrelentingly for the realization of the American dream."They are words he would share again in his eulogy for the Unitarian Universalist minister James Reeb.
"Some districts, including many affluent suburban ones, reported little or no truancy. The Forest Hills schools outside Grand Rapids reported five truant students among 10,147 enrolled, and Bloomfield Hills in suburban Detroit just 32 out of 12,306. But Kentwood, another metropolitan Grand Rapids district, had 590 truant cases, representing 6.8 percent of its students, according to the data."
, which he kindly mentioned in the comments of the last post, says, "all of us are smarter than any one of us." This is why theme-based preaching is so helpful. 
WWUUD stream 