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.

You can watch the programme, broadcast on Channel 5 earlier this month, online here (from 24 minutes in to 33 minutes).

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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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Watch this video on YouTube.  Subscribe to my channel and hit the 🔔 bell icon to be notified of new videos and live streams. 

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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The following is the replay from my March 24, 2022, live strategy session discussing the following question:

 "Changes in US society and culture seem to have made organized religion less relevant to our population. How can churches change how they "do church" to make them more relevant?"

What should congregations do in response to the decline of organized religion?  My short answer: Change HOW you organize!

 Join me this Thursday for a LIVE STREAM tackling the question:

 "Changes in US society and culture seem to have made organized religion less relevant to our population. How can churches change how they "do church" to make them more relevant?"

Watch live here March 24 at 1:00PM Eastern: 

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.

UNITARIAN LGBT+ RESOURCES

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.

UNITARIAN LGBT+ TIMELINE

Some important dates in the story of LGBT+ inclusion in the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches:

• 1963 – The General Assembly passed a resolution urging a more liberal approach to homosexuality.
• 1964 – The booklet “Man, Woman and Child” by the Social Service Department of the General Assembly called for implementation of the Wolfenden Report‘s recommendations on homosexual law reform (which did not happen until 1967 in England and Wales).
• 1970 – One of the first grassroots church initiatives in the UK supporting LGBT+ people ‘Integroup’, led by Dudley Cave, was set up at Lewisham Unitarian Church by Rev. Dr. Tony Cross, and also at Golders Green Unitarian Church by Rev. Keith Gilley, who began conducting “gay union” ceremonies in the 1970s. Carol Steele has recently written that Rev Keith Gilley was the first clergyman to accept her as a woman in “Trans Britain: Our Journey from the Shadows”. From ‘Integroup’ emerged the Lesbian and Gay Switchboard and the Lesbian and Gay Bereavement Project.
• 1972 – The Unitarian Young People’s League held an autumn convention at Great Hucklow focussing on homosexuality and agreed to raise the subject at the next General Assembly.
• 1973 – The General Assembly passed a resolution on ‘Homosexuality’ after considerable discussion, setting up a ‘study group’ to examine the question. Guest speakers were Anthony Grey (Trustee of the Albany Trust and Chairman of the National Federation of Homophile Organisations) and Stephen Etherington (Campaign for Homosexual Equality and the Gay Liberation Front). The same year, Rev G.L. Pruce, in a lecture at Manchester College, Oxford, on “Love, Marriage and the Family”, convened by the General Assembly’s Department of Social Responsibity, called for homosexual relationships to be given legal and social sanction, like heterosexual marriage. 
• 1974 – The General Assembly was presented with a Report on Homosexuality.
• 1975 – Gay Sweatshop performed the play Mister X in Golders Green Unitarian Church.
• 1977 – The General Assembly passed a resolution on ‘Open Ministry – Gay Rights’ which confirmed Unitarian ministry was open to all regardless of sex, race, colour or sexual orientation. The same year, a second resolution on ‘Homosexuality’ declared: “abhorrence of discrimination solely on the basis of sexual orientation” and pledged to “to bring liberalising pressures to bear on those public bodies where discrimination against the homosexual still persists”.

• 1984 – The General Assembly passed a resolution on ‘Homosexuality’ in favour of the age of consent being the same for homosexuals and heterosexuals.
• 1993 – “Celebrating Life: a book of special services in the Unitarian and Free Christian tradition” included a section on the blessing of a same-sex partnership. It was recognised with an Institute of Social Inventions Award.

• 2000 – The General Assembly passed a resolution on ‘Sexual Equality’ against discrimination on the grounds of sexuality, and called on the government to outlaw such discrimination, and a second resolution calling for repeal of the infamous Section 28 legislation that prohibited the “promotion of homosexuality” by local authorities.

• 2008 – The General Assembly passed a resolution calling for same-sex civil partnerships in church.

• 2012 – Cross Street Unitarian Church (Manchester) became the first place of worship in the UK to register for civil partnerships and Ullet Road Unitarian Church (Liverpool) conducted the first religious same-sex civil partnership in the UK.

• 2012 – The General Assembly passed a resolution calling for same-sex marriage in church and campaigned for a change in the law, along with allies including Liberal Judaism, Reform Judaism, and the Quakers.

• 2013 – The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill was passed, allowing for same-sex marriages in churches and other places of worship. The change in the law was celebrated by the Unitarians any Unitarian churches immediately began the process of registering to offer same-sex marriage ceremonies.
• 2016 – Rev. Stephen Lingwood, as bisexual queer man, wrote on “Navigating relationships and sexuality” in the Lindsey Press publication “Living with Integrity: Unitarian Values and Beliefs in Practice”.

• 2021 – A report by York and Leeds universities showed that Unitarians were leading the way in offering same-sex marriage ceremonies in church.

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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How do you design messages for online services that are engaging for children, families, and people of all ages? This question comes from a colleague in a congregational setting.

In the video below,  I share how I approach designing messages focused on sharing a specific teaching, insight, or life lesson. 

This draws on my experience working with preschoolers through elders, working as a producer and educator on nationally syndicated children's television shows, and coaching leaders on video & digital strategy.

This is ROUND 1 in response to my colleague's question.  Do you have follow-up questions?

I'm collecting follow-up questions in the video comments and via my online questions box form. After I collect questions, I'll do a follow-up video. 

If video won't play, watch it on YouTube here.  I'm having trouble with Firefox for some reason. Thx! Peter (1/27/22) 

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.

You can watch the programme on BBC i-player (with English subtitles available) here (from 16 minutes in).

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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…”

Read the blog in full here.

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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.”

The post Making Congregational Connections appeared first on The Unitarians.

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.

The post Pretoria Pit Disaster remembered appeared first on The Unitarians.

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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Happy 2022!  To my colleagues, family, friends, and all new to my community, here's an overview of my vision and plans for this year.  This is an overview of where my heart and attention are focused.

In addition to my existing training and coaching work with community leaders, I'm expanding my community-building efforts in these new and exciting ways:

1) Video Strategy for COMMUNITY Leaders

This year I'm expanding SOCIAL VIDEO strategy and skill training for community leaders so you can engage with and LEAD YOUR COMMUNITY in today's video-dominated world!

2) COMMUNITY for all via Small Group Lab open source models

To help crush our loneliness epidemic, engage people with the justice issues of our time, and ensure all people have meaningful connections, this year I'm sharing the core small group models I've used successfully for decades through my Small Group Lab project. Think "open source" resources you may use, adapt, and build upon. Free.

Decentralized. Autonomous. Non-hierarchical.

These resources are being optimized for supporting a decentralized autonomous small group network.

I believe that to meet our community needs as humans we need to re-connect in ways that aren't dependent on institutions, though nonprofits, congregations, schools, businesses, and other organizations can and should supersize their connecting efforts. I can help.

Free resources for individuals including guides, templates, and group sessions as they roll out in 2022, as well as updates on related training opportunities. Sign up for Small Group Lab updates at http://www.smallgrouplab.com 

Existing organizations, contact me for custom training, program design & implementation support.

Fans of DAO's  -- decentralized autonomous organizations: This is not a vision for a DAO.  I'm envisioning a decentralized network of independent small groups of friends, peers, colleagues, etc... who gather using a common format.  Gatherings may be online, physical, or a combination.  Groups are independent of any organization, though may be resourced by organizations choosing to create session content for the network.  There are emergent properties and benefits from using a common group format so we can move more readily between groups and share group session plans.)

3) My version of COMMUNITY groups! 

I've been participating in local offline communities my entire life. Over the last two years, like most people, things have changed. Now, I'm starting my own community groups where I can connect with others interested in the themes and topics I love exploring. These groups will serve as the engine for developing the content, such as group session plans, to be shared with others.

That's the overview!   I'll be sharing related resources on a rolling basis as we move into 2022.

Connect with me via social media here.

After nearly 20 years, I'm officially retiring from my work with children's television production!     

For the last two decades, while growing my training and coaching practice, I worked as a producer and educator on multiple nationally syndicated PBS Kids shows and web series produced by GBH in Boston.  

Here are the shows I had the pleasure of producing live-action activity segments for: 

• The Curious George Show
• Peep and the Big Wide World
• Pinkalicious and Peterrific
• Fetch with Ruff Ruffman
• Plum Landing
• Matha Speaks
• Design Squad
• Arthur 

So, why retire from such amazing work?  Two primary reasons. 

1. My work as a trainer and coach has grown to the point where I don't need the work.  Hooray for me!  
   
   
2. Specializing in community-building and using media to educate & inspire,  I want to use my skills to strengthen the social fabric of society and engage people with the justice issues of our time.          

Conversation and community can serve as a catalyst for building trust, deepening understanding, and inspiring action on the issues we care about.  

That's it!   I'll share more on what's next --- new projects coming!!! --- after the New Year.

Video Examples

Below are some of the many video segments we've produced over the years.  For all of these, I'm just off-camera working with the participating children, running the activity, tracking our educational objectives, and more! 

  

Video  

  Watch even more of our videos in this playlist.

Hi friends!

The New Year is upon us and I have an exciting way I'm kicking it off -- and you're invited! 

Recently a friend of mine, life coach Tara Sage, published the best-selling book The Brules of Life:15 Bullsh*t Rules to Break for a No-Vacation-Needed Life.

It's about identifying the unofficial rules that hold us back so we can intentionally break them and move forward. 

As I was reading The Brules of Life I had two thoughts:

1)  My face is smushed up against a BRULE BARRIER.  Yes, there are brules I've internalized that are holding me back. Time to name them and break them!  Not laws, mind you, but assumptions about what is allowed, who has permission to act, etc...

2) Talking BRULES with TARA would make for an amazing New Year live stream event! 

I reached out to Tara with that idea and she loved it.  So we are joining forces to host a New Year BRULE BREAK-A-THON!

UPDATE:  Here's the replay!

• Subscribe to Peter's YouTube channel

• Subscribe to Tara's YouTube channel

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.

The post Harris Manchester College Oxford seeks new ministry tutor appeared first on The Unitarians.

Friday Hot Topics 🔥 Ministry Strategy Session
Many congregations are starting to look at hybrid ministry approaches seeking to integrate gathering online and offline. In this session, I share some considerations based on my MOST RECENT conversations with congregational leaders. This is an ongoing conversation.

About this week's sessions
This week, February 8 through February 12, I'm going live daily to discuss digital ministry, hybrid church models, and other HOT TOPICS based on your interest.

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

The post A Christmas Message from our President appeared first on The Unitarians.

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.” 

The post President Anne Mills reflects on Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph appeared first on The Unitarians.

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 16^th 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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For congregations to thrive in today's digitally oriented world, it is important to understand how DIGITAL MINISTRY differs from SOCIAL MEDIA and MARKETING.

The digital ministry shift is a move from using social media solely to promote ministry opportunities to actually doing ministry on social media. 

Yes, we need to promote and market events. That's true.  But to harness the power of social media we need to go further!   

In this episode, I share a concrete example related to educating and orienting newcomers.  That's right...  How to move your welcoming and membership ministry online using social! 

Watch or listen below. 

🎧 Listen to this episode via my podcast:
You may play it below or click the icons (left to right) to subscribe, download, embed, or share this episode.

Episode Notes

Social Media

Think about all the different social media platforms we have. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.  Video posting platforms, audio hosting platforms. Generally, they allow us to share some kind of content -- photo, video, audio, and text.

We are able to put out some kind of content, some kind of message, and we have the ability to comment, reply, and interact around that message.  So there's sharing content and there's interaction. 

Social media gives us this amazing power!   What we do with it is up to us.   Think of it as raw capacity.

Marketing

With marketing, which can be done via social media, we are generally communicating in an effort to raise interest, awareness, curiosity, or some emotion related to something we want people to do, attend, or engage with.

Very often, when it comes to congregations, it's sharing announcements.  Here's a picture, here's a meme, here's a graphic related to some event or opportunity.  We're trying to get people to go to an event, such as attend a worship service or do something.

That's the majority of content congregations in the United States are generating on social media -- marketing-focused announcements. 

Digital Ministry

Now, what about digital ministry?  This is when we move from trying to promote events or opportunities via social media and start using social media platforms, or other digital tools, to actually DO ministry online.

Here's an example that I use in my Digital Ministry Academy and Video Ministry Academy trainings for religious professionals, staff, and volunteer leaders. 

Interested in training for your professional group, conference, or denomination? Contact me for live online trainings, seminars, and keynotes.

Congregations often hold events for newcomers designed to educate and orient them.   Think about how you are presently accomplishing this task.  

We can design an event to welcome and orient newcomers that is held offline in a building or online via a Zoom meeting. In either case, it is a discrete event that we want to get people to go to.

We could use the power of social media -- that raw capacity to share and interact -- to post announcements and other content promoting this event.  Our goal? To get newcomers to attend!  That's marketing.

To use social media to actually DO ministry in this example, we can shift where the orienting is happening.  Instead of some other event, we can answer questions directly on social media.

This could take the form of posting a photo of your connections team and a prompt for people to share questions they have.

We could go a step further and have a member of the team share a video where they share a welcome, some basic information, and ask people if they have questions.

Want to go next level?   Schedule a live Q&A session online with your team.  Invite people to share questions and join you live at the scheduled time!  Answer the questions shared in advance, questions shared live, and help people get welcomed, oriented, and connected right there on social media. 

What about the value of the event NOT on social media?  Well, if you can get people there, it is great!   But more and more people want that intro level content to be available when they are doing their research BEFORE they are ready to engage with your congregation.    

Live Stream Q&A

I use Stream Yard (referral link) to live stream to multiple social media platforms at once.  For example, I'll do live ministry strategy sessions with the live broadcast going to my YouTube channel, Facebook page, Twitter account, and one or more Facebook groups.  I love having the power to be on multiple platforms live all at once!

You could schedule a live Q&A session with your team using Zoom and broadcast the video to a scheduled YouTube live video (read how to via Zoom blog).  That video player could be shared in advance across your social media channels, email, and embedded on the newcomer page of your website!

Zoom is Digital, I know...

Okay, you may be thinking "Peter, Zoom is online and it is digital so a newcomer event held on Zoom is digital ministry." You are right!   For simplicity, I didn't bring that up in the video. Moving offline newcomer events online via Zoom is a great step.  For events that are geared for people who are curious and looking for more info but not ready to attend an event, the live stream option is great.   

These times call for collaboration and rapid innovation!  I think a monthly crowdsourcing session would be good.  Not just on multi-platform worship, but a wide range of issues.  

Is your congregation considering new tech staffing?  This is for you!  Please share this with any congregation you know who is in discernment on this issue. 

Here's the question I keep getting, often when the process is far along and jobs are being threatened....

Question:

Peter, should we downsize our existing program staff and invest in a full-time tech person?

Quick Answer:  No! In my professional opinion that's a horrible idea for most congregations.  Better to invest in your existing staff & volunteers, cultivate new volunteers, see how far you can go and grow together, adding tech & media skills and associated tasks to portfolios of your staff and volunteers.  If there are tech tasks that you must have covered, start with temporary contracts to supplement your existing team.

Watch this for my long answer:

All congregations need to be working to develop their media and tech capacity. But this shouldn't be implemented as knee-jerk actions throwing money at staffing. I know it is easy to want to fix the problem by hiring a new staff person. 

Some day you may need to, but if you are in an emergency "Ah!!!! We need to go hybrid / multi-platform, and I can't do one more thing lets hire a new staff position" state, that isn't fair to your team, your congregation, and isn't a responsible use of funds.     

I hear staff saying that there are no volunteers so they have to hire staff ASAP!  

Well, congregations that haven't been talking about vision, mission, their calling, the future, and the role of social media, technology, and other aspects of digital life won't have tech and media volunteers hanging around. They haven't been needed or appreciated.

Hiring tech and communications staff, especially if budgets are tight, should follow a process that highlights the importance of media and technology and the building of an associated volunteer & ministry capacity.

What, there are no volunteers in this area? If you have never done a THING before, of course, you have no associated THING volunteers around. But if you start talking about why that THING is so important, all of a sudden the people who are good at that THING and LOVE your congregation are like to show up.

It is also important to recognize that we are being called to integrate our ministry and technology. For most congregations, this means not thinking of technology as a separate role from other staffing, volunteer, and ministry roles but an integral part of them — a part we need to carefully and intentionally cultivate.

At the heart of any viable hybrid future are staff and volunteers (with appropriate skill & strategy training) who are actively BUILDING relationships, FACILITATING conversations, and ENGAGING with members, friends, and newcomers in digital and physical spaces.

Instead of rushing to hire a new staff person to handle all the tech, keep in mind that you can't outsource ministry. Yes, you can hire AV people to run cameras, and hire Zoom worship associates to do the logistics, but at the heart of our ministry is relationship.

We can teach existing staff and volunteers new skills and strategies! 

• How to engage with newcomers in digital spaces! 

• How to run amazing Zoom-based connecting events that out-perform anything you've done offline for newcomers to date!!!

• How to use social media video to tell the story of your congregation.

• How to use multi-platform streaming tools like StreamYard allowing you to reach more people, more spaces, and do it all LIVE like a digital rock star! 

• How to use small groups to make your ministry more relational, meaningful and transformative while being able to move between online and physical gatherings with ease!

• And more.... 

But it is much HARDER to get a turn a tech staffer into a minister, a membership coordinator, a pastoral care associate, a passionate member, and a new-found friend.

⁠⁠I know many of you feel the urge to GO BIG with tech staff because you need the help making whatever is going to come next happen. 

I understand. I get it. 

But rushing in this direction while cutting other positions and failing to do the visioning, leadership, and volunteer development work is not the way forward.

Instead of new tech staffing, invest in your existing staff & volunteers, cultivate new volunteers, see how far you can go and grow together, adding tech & media skills and associated tasks to their portfolios.  If there are tech tasks that you must have covered, start with temporary contracts to supplement your existing team.

Hope this helps!

I'm talking with leaders about regathering their congregations this Fall.  One of my recommendations? Think about it like we are RELAUNCHING our congregations.   That's the kind of spirit and energy I think we need to bring to our regathering efforts. 

Not just gathering again, but a full relaunch.  New energy, new models, new opportunities -- new and exciting!!!  

I know that's a lot.   But I think that's what we need to bring people back and to welcome new members in.

This is serious business, especially with the pandemic accelerating declining attendance trends. Enough to make me put on my serious face... 

But it is also incredibly exciting!

Our challenge?

To reconnect our communities -- including outreach to newcomers -- we need more effective communication, leaders using social media and video in ways that build relationships and deploy intentional strategies to help people take their next steps in congregational life.

That's a lot to figure out.

So my recommendation is to NOT try and figure it out all on your own. Let me help you. I've been working on this for years.   

Unitarian Universalist congregations (my home denomination) are invited to join my new UU Digital Ministry Academy program!

Our first live training is coming up Saturday.  For those who can't make it, there will be other repeat sessions plus on-demand video content available.

Members of the program get access to all program live trainings, strategy sessions, implementation events, and replays and other content on-demand.

To learn more and join us visit: http://www.digitalministryacademy.com

PS -- Short on time?  Below is a 90-second explanation of UU Digital Ministry Academy. 

Friends,  here's a quick update on what's coming this Summer 🌞

This is just a preview.  Training topics include digital ministry, social media, small groups, and membership development.  That and lots of time to talk strategy and issues related to re-gathering and re-launching this Fall. 

I'll share the full details, dates, and open registration after  July 4th.

I know some of you are taking a break, others are leading Summer services and programming, and others working hard on preparing for the Fall.  My goal is to be there to support you whenever you are ready! 

 

PS -- Watch to the end for my sea monster impression. 🐉

🚀 SUBSCRIBE HERE for free content, online training event invitations, and more for Unitarian Universalist religious professionals, staff & volunteers!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Based on your survey feedback and resulting conversations, I'm launching a 100% redesigned Unitarian Universalist Digital Ministry program.

Here are some features of the new program:

• Open to all UU congregations
• Offers ongoing digital ministry strategy, skill training, and support
• For teams: volunteers, staff, and religious professionals
• On-demand content
• Live strategy sessions via Zoom
• Additional live stream Q&A sessions in response to your questions
• Monthly subscription affordable for congregations of all sizes and budgets

Do you like the idea of our doing Unitarian Universalist DIGITAL MINISTRY together? I can't wait! I'll be sharing much more shortly.

This is just a quick "I listened! Change of direction..." update.

What about the other program?  I'm following up with those who expressed interest in that program.

Thanks to all who completed the survey. I greatly appreciate your sharing your ideas, insight, and support needs with me.

Questions, comments, ideas?
I'm working hard at adapting to the needs of our congregations as conditions shift season by season. If you have ideas or special requests, I'd love to hear from you.  Contact me.

Update: Based on your feedback I'm 100% redesigning my training programs!  Make sure you sign up to get training updates. Details are coming out the week of June 23, 2021.

Friends, here's an overview of my new Digital Ministry Accelerator program, DMAX for short.  It is a 12-week program for Unitarian Universalist parish ministers (this round) and their congregations.  Interested ministers, I'd love your feedback! 

Please complete this brief program survey: SURVEY COMPLETED

Your responses will help me finalize the program design and the day and time we'll hold our weekly strategy sessions.    Thank you!

Friends, recently I had the opportunity to be a guest on the new Unitarian Universalist podcast "The Flame" by Roddy Biggs!

Grateful for the chance to reflect on a range of issues related to UU life, ministry, media, and the pandemic through this conversation.  Thanks, Roddy!  

If you'd like to have future episodes delivered to your device, subscribe to The Flame podcast.

About the podcast

The Flame is a Unitarian Universalist faith-centered podcast offering voices and stories of hope, love, resilience, and community. Witness real conversations, ones that sometimes tackle challenging topics but safely and bravely. Whether you are a lifelong Unitarian Universalist, new to the faith, or this is the first time you are hearing of the Unitarian Universalist faith, I welcome you just as you are.

As we enter year two of the pandemic, uncertainty is a core aspect of our ministry context.  How can we lead when so much is unknown? 

Leaders and their congregations must have great clarity of mission and the vision they want to work toward.  To work toward a clear mission-driven vision,  facing the unknown as a community together is the path. 

We can't have productive conversations about models, approaches, and staffing if we don't have clarity on our mission in 2021 and a powerful vision specific to our present ministry context.

YouTube video chapters
(0:00​) Welcome
(3:19​) Covid19 Year One. 
(7:28​) Covid19 Year Two?
(9:16​) Leadership, Clarity, and Uncertainty

In this interview with the Rev. Christana Wille McKnight, minister of First Parish in Taunton, MA , we discuss the principles and strategies that helped this Unitarian Universalist congregation move from being at risk of closing to becoming a thriving small congregation playing a major role in Taunton’s revitalization efforts.  

Get the "Playbook"
Rev. Christana Wille McKnight has kindly shared a Google Doc on the 11 points we discussed in this interview.  To get the playbook, click here to open the Google Doc and then hit the add to drive icon to save a link to it in your drive.

WATCH

VIDEO  CHAPTERS
(0:00​) Countdown
(0:43​) Welcome
(2:00​) Overview of Transformation
(6:00​) Rev. Christana Wille McKnight's "playbook"'
(6:25​) 1. Live Invitational Culture
(9:29​) 2. Use Accessible Language
(12:05​) 3. Put Your Words into Action
(17:15​) 4. Create Intentionally Welcoming Community
(19:20​) 5. Reflect Your Community and Context.
(20:48​) 6. Understand that Every Person Who Comes to Your Church Will Change It
(25:18​) 7. Know Your Community’s History, Culture, Demographics and Needs Deeply
(32:25​) 8. Create the Infrastructure to Help the Church You Want to Become Thrive
(37:35​) 9. Create a Multicultural Worship Experience
(39:45​) 10. Talk About Racism, Classism and the Injustices in the World in Meaningful Ways and Work to End These Unjust Constructs
(45:10​) 11. Understand That Unitarian Universalism is a Theology, Not Culture.
(53:45​) Wrapping up!

•  Due to internet issues we had to use a cell phone for an internet connection. We decided to go forward as is instead of rescheduling.  There some resulting audio pops. Sorry for the glitch.   

• You may watch here as well as on my Unitarian Universalist Youtube Channel and Facebook Page.   

LISTEN

Listen to this interview via my podcast below. You may subscribe here and have new episodes automatically delivered to your device.  

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.

The post Bridport Unitarians ordain new minister, Rev. Elizabeth Harley appeared first on The Unitarians.

• Letter signed by Board of Deputies of British Jews, Muslim Council of Britain, the Church of England and others, urges government to ‘think again.’
• Concerns the Bill will have a ‘chilling effect’ on aspects of practicing faith.
• The Bill is declared ‘unacceptable in a democratic society.’

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:

• David Walker, Bishop of Manchester, Church of England
• Marie van der Zyl, President, Board of Deputies of British Jews
• Lord Singh of Wimbledon CBE, Director, Network of Sikh Organisations UK
• Zara Mohammed, Secretary-General, The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB)
• Jamie Cresswell, Director, Centre for Applied Buddhism
• Rabbi Leah Jordan, Kehillah North London
• The Right Reverend Andrew John, Bishop of Bangor and Senior Bishop of the Church in Wales, The Church in Wales
• Paul Parker, Recording Clerk, Quakers in Britain
• Mia Hasenson-Gross, Executive Director, René Cassin, the Jewish voice for human rights
• Paul Rochester, General Secretary, Free Churches Group
• Revd Clare Downing, Moderator of General Assembly, United Reformed Church
• Elizabeth Slade, Chief Officer, General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches
• Revd Sonia Hicks, President of the Methodist Conference, Methodist Church of Britain
• Barbara Easton Vice-President of the Methodist Conference, The Methodist Church
• Revd Lynn Green, General Secretary, Baptist Union of Great Britain
• Neil Thorns, Director of Advocacy and Communications, CAFOD
• Revd Martin Burrell, Chair, Churches Network for Gypsies, Travellers and Roma (CNGTR)
• Olivia Fuchs, Chair, Eco Dharma Network
• Elizabeth Arif-Fear, Founder and Director, Voice of Salam
• Sue Claydon , Chair, Anglican Pacifist Fellowship
• Shanon Shah, Director, Faith for the Climate
• Isobel Ingham-Barrow, Head of Policy, Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND)
• Naomi Green, Staff, Belfast Islamic Centre
• Raheel Mohammed, Director, Maslaha
• Revd Dr Darrell Hannah, Chair, Operation Noah
• Scot Bower, CEO, CSW
• Jonathan Herbert, Reverend Canon, Church of England
• Dr. Narapa Stephen Johnson, Buddhist Chaplain, Buddhist Healthcare Chaplaincy Trust
• Joseph Mishan, Member of Organising group, Extinction Rebellion Buddhists
• Graeme Hodge, CEO, All We Can & Y Care International

The post Faith leaders unite to rebuke Policing Bill appeared first on The Unitarians.

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.

The post Leeds Unitarians hold refugee vigil to protest ‘Nationality and Borders Bill’ appeared first on The Unitarians.

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.

The post Welcoming our new Congregational Connections Lead, Lizzie Kingston Harrison appeared first on The Unitarians.

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.

The post Hampstead Unitarian minister calls for more same-sex religious weddings appeared first on The Unitarians.

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!

The post Two new ministers from Oxford appeared first on The Unitarians.

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.

Make your voice heard during the Second Reading of the Assisted Dying Bill by joining this demonstration outside the Houses of Parliament.

The post Chief Officer discusses assisted dying with medical and faith leaders appeared first on The Unitarians.

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.

The post Ipswich Unitarians celebrate reopening of historic Meeting House appeared first on The Unitarians.

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.

The post Hale Chapel becomes 100th Unitarian church to register for same-sex weddings appeared first on The Unitarians.

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

The post Cotswolds Unitarians help deliver peace education to local schoolchildren appeared first on The Unitarians.

What is a blog?

What do people like about some of these blogs?

• Snappy title
• A title that is understood and if not, an accessible explanation for the title
• Visually attractive, not too busy, no strong image under the writing, not to detract from the writing. If images attached to posts they should be attractive - copyright-free from  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page and http://creativecommons.org/ 
• Style - not too much jargon and complex language, accessible style. An open and honest approach, not being too dogmatic.
• Short pieces like poems which invite the reader to think.

What people don’t like

• To many visuals, too busy, image beneath the text
• Posts are too long
• Too many bees in their bonnets
• Too much political and religious ranting
• Overly complex language, jargon and abbreviations that are not common (OK to use common abbreviations like OK and BBC)
• Too long - not the place for sermons - consider setting up a personal website

Issues

• Confidentiality, writing about other people
• Archiving blogs which are not being added to 

For own blog

• Who is the audience?
• What do they want to know/what do you want to tell them? Information? Advice? Personal stories?
• How do they want this - words, pictures, podcasts, video?
• How often will you blog? Once a week? Once a month?
• How long will each post be?
• Will you allow comments and will you respond to these?

Blog and blogposts

• Your blog will have a title
• Each post will have a title - titles should offer a benefit, promise news or arouse curiosity.
• Do not have long, dense paragraphs
• Perhaps have sub-headings?
• Bulleted lists
• Can use contractions like don’t and can’t - this is not an English exam
• Have an easy style
• Use the word ‘you’ rather than ‘we’
• Explore different blog hosting services

Setting up a blog 

• Google account. To get to your blog sign into your Google account, search fro blogger and your sites will become visible.
• Privacy setting
• Lay-out, including gadgets
• Design
• Adding content - need to save it but until it is published it will not be viewed
• Copyright issues
• Links - use a gadget
• Polls - use a gadget
• Email new post alert - gadget
• Time zone - language and formatting under Settings
• Can write a post and set the time and date when it will be published 
• Labels for pages - determine which labels you want and list them under post settings 

Promoting your blog

• Linking to other sites e.g. UCCN, local congregation, districts
• Asking sites to link to your blog - as above
• Facebook and Twitter - can link via Blogger

• ‎The Unitarian Life: Voices from the Past and Present by Stephen Lingwood - a collection of pieces written by various Unitarians through the centuries; gives a good overview of Unitarian thought on many different topics. 
• The Larger View by Vernon Marshall - the history of how Unitarianism became open to other faiths.    
• Unitarian - What's That? by Cliff Reed - another overview, in the form of a Q & A 
• The Unitarians: A Short History by Leonard Smith - gives history of development of Unitarianism (but omits the Earth Spirit strand and most of Transcendentalism)
• Being Together: Unitarians Celebrate Congregational Life - edited by Matthew F. Smith 
• Unitarian Perspectives on Contemporary Social Issues - edited by George Chryssides 
• Unitarian Perspective on Contemporary Religious Thought - edited by George Chryssides
• Elements of Unitarianism by George Chryssides - overview plus potted history. 
• A Chosen Faith: An Introduction to Unitarian Universalism by John A Buehrens and Forrest Church. 
• Love and Death: My Journey through The Valley of the Shadow by Forrest Church 
• The Cathedral of the World: A Universalist Theology by Forrest Church 

• David Doel, The Man they called the Christ 
• David Doel, That Glorious Liberty 

• Unitarianism and Druidry by Alastair Bate
• Pagan and pantheist tendencies in Unitarianism by Yvonne Aburrow

• Coverage in The Scotsman   
• There was a good photograph of Rev Maud Robinson and Rabbi Mark Solomon of Liberal Judaism at the press conference 
• A Press Association article released before the event was carried on several websites  
• And from BBC Scotland   
• Derek McAuley's response

1. Find or create a square image - usually your logo. 
2. Reduce it in size to 16 by 16 pixels.

Media Links

• Oldham Advertiser: Church launches bid to stop asylum seekers from being deported
• Oldham Chronicle

'I want to beg you, as much as I can . . . to be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves. . . . Do not seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.' -- Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

The deadline for responses to the Government's consultation paper on civil partnerships on religious premises is 23rd June 2011 and I would urge any congregation or individual wishing to respond to do so by this date.

It is important, even at this stage in the legislative process, for our views to be heard. I shall be submitting a response on behalf of the General Assembly based on our agreed position and general principles of freedom and equality but others will be most welcome.

I had the opportunity to meet with the civil servant conducting the consultation and we talked about the need to ensure that any proposals are practical and can be easily implemented. I indicated that I thought the cost of registration of £1500 for three years was excessive and that the comparison with secular commercial venues was invidious. We do not have the option of recouping the fee from sales of food and alcohol! Indicating the reality of finance for congregations may be useful in this debate.

I have recently also spoken to Stonewall, the organisation who worked closely with Lord Alli to secure the amendment to the Equality Bill to permit religious premises to be registered for civil partnerships. The support that we, with the Quakers and Liberal Jews, gave to the amendment proved very persuasive to parliamentarians in the free votes on this measure. Hopefully my views will influence their response.

We must ensure that this measure is implemented in a way that is effective and practical for our congregations. It is hoped that registrations can begin later this year.

Respond to the consultation paper

Derek McAuley, Chief Officer 

• Bridport
• Gloucester
• Ross-on-Wye
• Scarborough
• Cheltenham
• Stalybridge
• Cardiff
• Chorley

• Opposite-sex church weddings (couple legally married and registered)
• Same-sex civil partnerships in a register office / registered premises for weddings
• Opposite-sex marriages in a register office / registered premises for weddings

• Religious civil partnerships (civil partnership ceremonies in a religious building)

• same-sex blessings in a church / synagogue
• same-sex marriages in a church / synagogue where the marriage is recognised by the church / synagogue  but not by the state
• Pagan handfastings (weddings) in England & Wales - both same and opposite sex
• Pagan same-sex handfastings in Scotland
• Blessings of polyamorous relationships

• Same-sex church weddings (couple legally married and registered)
• Opposite-sex civil partnerships in a register office / registered premises for weddings
• Same-sex marriages in a register office / registered premises for weddings
• Marrying more than one person

• Pagan opposite-sex handfastings where the celebrant says the required form of words (the same as for all other legal weddings)

The Chapter Endorses the Charter for Compassion and Karen Armstrong's book, Twelve Steps to Compassion with the recommendation that there be an additional paragraph on "Compassion for Nature."
The story is told that after God gave Moses Ten Commandments, God realized the need for the 11th Commandment. “Listen.” In like manner, the Charter for Compassion is not complete without compassion for the interdependent web of which we are a part. The Charter for Compassion is largely drawn from the Abrahamic Traditions. The “Reverence for Nature” of the great Eastern Traditions is the great background to all human compassion. In those mystical moments when we are one with the All, we find again the “basic trust” which is the heart of compassion.

Unitarian heritage in London

Unitarian churches in Wales

Unitarian churches in England

• Billingshurst Unitarian Chapel, 1754, West Sussex
• Brighton Unitarian Church, 1820, built by Amon Henry Wilds
• Chowbent Chapel, in Atherton, Greater Manchester
• Cross Street Chapel, Manchester
• Dean Row Chapel, Wilmslow, Cheshire
• Essex Church, the first Unitarian church in England, moved in 1880s from central London to Kensington
• Fulwood Old Chapel, in Sheffield
• Newington Green Unitarian Church, North London
• Octagon Chapel, Norwich
• Rivington Unitarian Chapel, in Lancashire
• Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, Hampstead, North London; one of the biggest congregations nationally
• Todmorden Unitarian Church, in West Yorkshire
• Toxteth Unitarian Chapel, in Liverpool
• Unitarian Chapel, Liverpool
• Upper Chapel, Sheffield
• York Unitarian Chapel

Humanism's links with Unitarianism

See also...

• Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888)
• Béla Bartók (1881-1945)
• e. e. cummings (1894-1962)
• Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
• Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-1865)
• Edith Holden (1871-1920)
• Sylvia Plath (1932-1963)
• Beatrix Potter (1866-1943)
• Kurt Vonnegut