In case you missed it, a Welsh Unitarian chapel’s dog nativity video went viral on Christmas Eve, appearing across social media, the press and TV – including on BBC Breakfast.

Speaking to the BBC about the video – which featured Three Wise Whippets and the infant Jesus played by a pug puppy called Margaret – Rev. Rory Castle Jones of Gellionnen Chapel near Pontardawe said: “We wanted to just make people smile, see and hear the Christmas Story again – but in a way they probably hadn’t heard it before.”

You can a BBC News report with clips of the video here.

You can watch the video in full on Gellionnen Chapel’s Facebook page here.

You can read more about this story in articles from BBC News, Wales Online and the Daily Mail.

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Harris Manchester College seeks to appoint a Tutor in Ministerial Studies, for a fixed term of three years, beginning in September 2022. Applications are invited from ministers on the roll of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches. Click here to download the job description and information about how to apply. Deadline 31 January 2022.

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After an unpredictable and challenging year, our President Anne Mills, offers this Christmas message.

At this time, last year, I was preparing a Christmas service for one of my local Unitarian chapels; the weather was extremely cold and wet; daylight-hours were perceptibly shorter; and the number of Covid cases was soaring, despite the first vaccinations being rolled out. It was difficult to keep our spirits high, especially when the promised festive respite was reduced, at the last moment, from five days to just  Christmas Day. Christmas 2020 would be different, we said; there would be other years when we could celebrate under more usual circumstances.

With this in mind, my “Christmas with a Twist” Service contained a tribute to a chapel-member who had recently died, and Happy 70th Birthday wishes to another member, for whom we sang the time-honoured tune (into our masks, of course); and, instead of the Bible’s version of the Nativity, I compiled a parallel piece from “The Book of God”, by Walter Wangerin. Surprisingly, everything fitted together well, and enough traditional elements were retained to satisfy the congregation. However, now that “next year” is almost upon us, what awaits us, as we head towards 2022? Covid has not disappeared from our lives, and this seems unlikely to happen, despite the great strides made by medical science to deal with the pandemic-conditions which have, unfortunately, dominated our lives for so long. 

Recently, I have been re-reading “A Christmas Carol”, by Charles Dickens; although this moral Victorian tale was written more than 170 years ago, its comments on quality of life remain relevant today. Ebenezer Scrooge, of “Bah, Humbug!” fame, is tight-fisted and materialistic, especially where the festive season, charitableness, and generosity of spirit are concerned; it is made clear that he is despised and scorned for his behaviour, loved by no-one, and avoided by many. Scrooge is visited by three spirits: the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come, and, as a result, begins to realise that happiness and wealth do not necessarily sit comfortably together, and that those who achieve the greatest richness of spirit do so through their ability to appreciate what they have, rather than dwelling on what they have not, and by concentrating their hearts on what brings joy, cheer, and contentment to themselves and others. Scrooge’s transformation is swift and powerful; he remembers happier times in his life, and shrinks from the hard heart he has cultivated; his desire to make amends is almost instantaneous, to the benefit of his nephew’s family, and of Tiny Tim’s, too.

And what can we learn from Scrooge, as we approach Christmas, 2021? It is tempting to judge our own happiness by how much we spend on presents, and on food and drink, especially at this season of the year; maybe we should ask ourselves how satisfied and fulfilled we feel, having dashed round the shops, returning bad-tempered, exhausted and penniless from such expeditions; maybe we should wonder how much others appreciate our actions? A year ago, we bemoaned the fact that we were unable to devote quality-time to our families; now, we have the opportunity to do so, to take pleasure in simply being with them, enjoying their company, rather than spending money on them. There is a great deal for us all to appreciate, including a roof over our heads, our health, our nearest and dearest, our freedom, and the chance to exist in a country at peace. 

If we feel that the periods of lockdown and isolation we have recently experienced have altered us, we should consider whether we ought to introduce changes into our personal lives. Could we, like Scrooge, become more compassionate? Could our New Year’s Resolutions centre around changes to the benefit our own well-being, or that of others? We might decide that a house-move – possibly a relocation – would suit us, or that supporting a preferred charity would help those less fortunate than ourselves; we might determine how best to encourage desperately-needed climate-changes, as we try to save this poor planet of ours. Whatever decisions we make, if we abide by the true values of the Christmas tradition, we will surely find our hearts lighter and our lives enriched.

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a Christmas-period filled with love, blessings, joy and peace, and a New Year in which good health will abound, and hope will bring whatever our hearts most desire.

With warmest wishes,

Anne

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RT @UKUnitarians: NEWS: Cork Library uncovers story of African-Irish Unitarian woman 200 years ago @corkunitarians Read the full story here: https://www.unitarian.org.uk/2021/12/03/cork-african-irish-unitarian/ #RadicalSpirituality #TheUnitarians #CorkUnitarians #Cork




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Librarians in the Irish city of Cork have uncovered an unusual baptism record of an African woman in the city’s Unitarian Church from 1816. Catherine McDonald was forcibly taken at the age of nine from her homeland of Aboo in Western Africa to Berbice (present-day Guyana) is South America. Aged thirty and by then a free woman, Catherine chose to be baptised at Cork Unitarian Church in 1816.

Sharing the story of ‘An Unusual Cork Baptism’ on the Cork Library Facebook page, they wrote:

“Here we have a unique historical document belonging to Cork’s Unitarian Congregation. Their church dates from 1717 and is the oldest place of continuous worship in the city. It is located on Princes Street in the city centre, recessed a little from the street, and was already long established when this baptism took place there on an October Sunday in 1816. All of 205 years ago. What’s so special about that you may wonder? Another baby, another baptism. Well, this was no baby, baby, this was the baptism of an adult and the full record reads:

“October 27th. Catherine McDonald. A free Negro woman from Berbice in South America, who at the age of nine years had been carried away from her own country, Aboo in Western Africa. Now aged thirty was baptized immediately after Morning Service in the desk of our meeting house by her own particular desire after due instruction”.

Berbice is now encompassed by the modern country of Guyana in the north-west of the South American continent, and Aboo relates to a region incorporated by current day Ghana. What became of Catherine? One wonders.”

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We are delighted to announced that Rev. Melda Grantham has taken up the new role of Weddings Lead at the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches. This new post has been made possible by a generous bequest left to the General Assembly by Rev Jay Deacon, Unitarian Universalist minister.

Rev. Melda Grantham will be supporting Unitarian and Free Christian congregations who wish to conduct more and better weddings, to build sustainable capacity to do so, while also raising the profile of our unique wedding offer at the local and national level. You can find out more about Unitarian weddings here.

With many weddings having been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, and with the Unitarians representing a large proportion of the places of worship where same sex couples can marry in England and Wales, there is a gap that we are well placed to fill. Our ability to offer couples the opportunity to shape their ceremony to reflect their beliefs and commitments means that we can serve the many couples who would not find what they need in other places of worship. Weddings can also bring in revenue for congregations, and there are plenty of opportunities for members of the congregation to get involved in supporting the wedding, thereby building capacity.

Melda, who has conducted thousands of weddings during a 25 year career as a Superintendent Registrar, is very excited about her new role, and can’t wait to start working with other Unitarians who are as passionate about weddings as she is. “Weddings are joyous occasions, and it is always a privilege to be given the opportunity to help couples to make their day a special and memorable one. It’s also a valuable outreach opportunity as people who would not normally visit our chapels are welcomed in.

“I hope that many congregations will consider being part of our very first nationwide ‘Celebration of Love’ which will take place between 25 January and 14 February 2022, and in the meantime I’d like to ask everybody to complete the survey that I sent out so that we can make sure that the support we offer is what people really need. If you have any ideas that you would like to discuss, then please do get in touch with me.”

Find out more about our staff team here.

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The Unitarians took part in a Religions For Peace – Interfaith Youth Network event last Saturday in London, visiting various places of worship including London Buddhist Centre and St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace. We were represented at the event by Gavin Howell, our Youth Officer. Those taking part included Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Zoroastrians, Sikhs, Muslims, and others, as well as representatives from various faith-based charities and social action groups. You can find out more about Religions For Peace – Interfaith Youth Network here.

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“I had been reminded most forcibly, as I always am, at this time of year, of the sacrifices made so that we, today, can live in relative peace, freedom and security.”

On Remembrance Sunday we were represented by our President, Anne Mills, at the Cenotaph in London. Here, Anne reflects on the experience:

“November 14th saw me in London, at The Cenotaph, in Whitehall, to represent the Unitarian denomination – a great honour and a memorable and moving occasion for me.

A new, amalgamated, department organised the event and decided not to offer plus-1 invitations to VIP guests and not to provide refreshments afterwards. I was disappointed by the change, as I had hoped that my husband Roger might have been able to share the experience, in return for all the support he has given me during the past two and a half years.

Travel arrangements to Whitehall caused problems in many quarters; my driver put me down near Admiralty Arch and left me to fend for myself. I was eventually rescued by Bob, to whom I shall remain eternally grateful – I’m sure his senior responsibilities do not include looking after lost old ladies!

Once inside the Foreign and Commonwealth Department building, the faith leaders congregated in a corridor, ready to take their places, when the time came. I found the other leaders very pleasant, and we all chatted easily. Some of the politicians gave us a smile and a greeting, as they passed us. I was interested to see what tall, broad, powerful men John Major, Tony Blair and Lindsay Hoyle are; Rishi Sunak and Sadiq Khan, by contrast, are both short and slight, but no less impressive.

The faith leaders who had attended the Service on other occasions were kind enough to pass on the benefit of their experience (where to look to see the Royals queuing up, and remembering to look up at the cameras, once we stepped outside). We were stewarded into place, according to the numbers chalked on the ground, and, before we knew it, the Service had begun, with a gun-salute before and after the impressive two minutes of absolute silence. The television-broadcast almost certainly gives better coverage in terms of an overview of the event, and, since returning home, I have enjoyed watching what I was unable to see live!

Once we regained the F and CD premises, the faith-leaders prepared to leave – but not before some of us managed a group photograph, outside 10 Downing Street, taken by an on-duty policeman. Later, in the early afternoon, Roger and I went back to the Cenotaph, to view all the wreaths there and to take our official photographs of them, and me. I was approached by, and gave an interview to, a French journalist, who is based in London, but works for the French media; she seemed concerned, mostly, about the Queen’s state of health, which is currently giving cause for concern and speculation.

We rounded off our afternoon by visiting the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey; in the grounds, more than 100,000 poppies and crosses, representing those who had lost their lives, have been planted by volunteers – a moving sight and a fitting close to a day on which I had been reminded most forcibly, as I always am, at this time of year, of the sacrifices made so that we, today, can live in relative peace, freedom and security.

Both before and after the Service, I received many messages of goodwill and support from fellow-Unitarians across the country, all of which I greatly appreciated.” 

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On 14 November, to mark the beginning of the annual Interfaith Week, an afternoon workshop was held at Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, in Hampstead.

It featured three speakers from different religions backgrounds:

Hindu Unitarian Indra Sikdar spoke about the diverse origins of the Hindu faith and its pluralistic approach which teaches that there are ‘many ways to God’.

The Muslim musician and academic Julia Ayesha posed questions about what people of faith need to do in order to prepare themselves for the ultimate ideal and aspiration of living in unity.

Daniel Pashaie, of the local Baha’i community, spoke about the independent investigation of truth, which is one of the fundamental teachings of the Baha’i faith. He asked the group: ‘What are some truths that are common to all religions and how can we use them to foster unity among the peoples of the world?’

Rev Kate Dean, minister of Rosslyn Hill Chapel, led the workshop with her colleague Rev Michael Allured of Golders Green Unitarians. Speaking after the event, she said: ‘It was an honour to bring together such a diverse group who were so attentive and took part in very deep and rich discussions on the subject. Interfaith dialogue and mutual understanding are so important and, I believe, can set us on the path to peace. We invite anyone who would like to join us as we continue this work to come along on Sunday 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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On Sunday 3 October, Bridport Unitarians ordained their new minister Rev. Elizabeth Harley at The Chapel In The Garden, Bridport, Dorset. Elizabeth recently completed her ministry training with Unitarian College and has served as Bridport Unitarians’ ‘Lay Person In Charge’ for 8 years. Speaking about her ordination, Rev. Harley said:

“There have been Unitarians in Bridport for over 350 years so it felt like a piece of history to be welcomed as the first Unitarian woman to be Minister at the chapel. Interestingly, there have been Unitarian women Ministers in the UK since 1904 but Bridport somehow missed out.

Ministry training with Unitarian College has been a really wonderful opportunity to deepen my faith and to get to know this congregation even better. Even during Covid we organised Zoom services but it means so much to me to have this service here in the Chapel, with so many of my family, friends and members of the congregation here to share this day with me.”

You can read about the ordination in the local newspaper, Bridport & Lyme Regis News.

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• 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

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Local organisations in Leeds came together on Friday 22 October for a vigil and gathering at Mill Hill Unitarian Chapel in the city centre to support refugees and asylum seekers, protesting against the government’s new Nationality and Borders Bill.

Rev. Jo James, minister of Mill Hill Chapel, said: “The Refugees and Asylum Seekers Conversation Club (founded in 2016 at Mill Hill Chapel and working towards safely re-starting after lockdown threw the very popular community resource into disarray) organised an ‘Orange Heart’ event as a symbol of compassion for refugees and to oppose the government’s Nationalities and Borders Bill. Mill Hill regular Ann Callarman worked with Leeds Asylum Seekers networks to invite local officials and we were pleased that the Leader and Deputy Leader of the council and Lord Mayor Asghar Khan showed up as well as 30 plus friends and supporters including many refugees. As Liz Slade (Unitarian Chief Officer) was visiting Yorkshire Unitarians this week, she was delighted to join us too. Events like this serve to demonstrate compassion, support and solidarity as well as strengthen individual links and community resilience.”

Volunteer at Leeds Conversation Club and organiser of Friday’s gathering Dot Reed said: “Volunteers at Conversation Club regularly see the misery caused by the Home Office’s current self-declared ‘hostile environment’. We see people living in limbo, sometimes for years on end, unable to work or contribute to society, living in constant fear of deportation back to their countries, from which they fled in fear of their lives.

This Bill’s aim is to make life even harsher for these unfortunate people, including criminalising them simply for the way they arrive in the UK, when often they have no choice. It is inhumane and goes completely against the values of this country.”

You can read more about the event in the Yorkshire Evening Post here.

You can view more photos from the event here.

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We are delighted to welcome Lizzie Kingston Harrison to the General Assembly staff team, in the role of Congregational Connections Lead.

Lizzie will be connecting with individuals and congregations across our movement to help share knowledge and experience, so that more people can benefit from the good practices and innovations that have been developed locally, building on the work done by the previous Congregational Connections Lead, Rev. Bob Janis-Dillon.

Lizzie loves building authentic and meaningful connections with people and creating spaces where ideas can be shared freely and creatively. She cares deeply about Unitarian principles and left her career in teaching to contribute to this loving and vibrant community. Her role is to find new ways to connect our congregations so that we can share resources, serve our communities, and inspire each other. Lizzie’s doctoral thesis is on the eighteenth-century Unitarian dissenter Joseph Priestley, and she has a deep respect for the radical and liberal values on which the movement is founded. Lizzie grew up in Norwich and now lives in Suffolk with her husband and daughters. The beautiful coastal countryside and the grounded and welcoming community at Framlingham Unitarian Meeting House have helped her to find a spiritual home.

Lizzie said: “I am delighted to be the new Congregational Connections Lead and to serve our loving, free-thinking, and inclusive community. My research on the origins of Unitarianism gave me insight into the principles on which the movement is founded and when I started attending services, I was excited to find that those values live on in a compassionate and vibrant way. In this new role, I am so glad to have the opportunity to build fresh and dynamic connections and create new ways for us to share ideas and inspiration.  I am keen to listen and hear your priorities for congregational connection so if you would like to get in touch, please email me.“

Find out more about our staff team here.

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Rev Kate Dean of Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, Hampstead, appeared in the Camden New Journal recently to highlight the lack of options in the borough for same sex couples who wish to have a spiritual or religious marriage ceremony. Just 4 out of 86 non-conformist churches in Camden offer same-sex weddings.

“It is so difficult to find places that will allow same-sex couples who want to express their love for each other in a religious setting… In such a diverse borough, it may be that LGBTQ couples do not realise the opportunities that some churches offer” – Rev. Kate Dean

Read the full article which appeared on 30 September 2021.

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Photo: Rev. Michael Allured, Rev. Alex Bradley (Tutor) & Rev. Robin Hanford

This year, two students have completed their training at Harris Manchester College, Oxford, and been accepted onto the Roll of Ministers. Rev. Michael Allured and Rev. Robin Hanford had their Valediction Service at the College’s chapel in June, with a small congregation of tutors, family and friends present in line with covid-19 guidance. Now, Michael and Robin share some of their feelings about completing their training during the pandemic and their future ministries:

Rev. Michael Allured said:

“I am honoured to become a Unitarian minister and proud to join my husband Feargus on the GA ministerial Roll. Thanks to him and everyone who has encouraged and supported me on a journey that began at Golders Green Unitarians in 1989. To be a minister of religion is a tremendous privilege and I’m deeply conscious of the responsibility that this role carries. I shall do all I can to live up to that honour in the coming years as I walk alongside fellow pilgrims in times of joy and sorrow. May we encourage each other in our continuing explorations and attempts to make sense of life’s ultimate questions and what we are called to do for each other and for this precious and fragile world. It was joyful to share my valedictory service at Harris Manchester College, Oxford  with Rev. Robin Hanford. Robin and I spent a year training together and I missed not joining him for his second year. So although I graduated in 2020 the 12 month wait for my valedictory service because of Covid-19  was worth it to celebrate in person with Robin and his family.”

Rev. Robin Hanford said: “The last few years have been something of a whirlwind! I can still remember my interview at Harris Manchester College, and that feeling of euphoria when I was told that I had been accepted to train for ministry in the Unitarian and Free Christian Churches. In fact, it feels like it was only yesterday! That said, a lot of training has been crammed into two years. Training for ministry while living in Harris Manchester College and studying for a University of Oxford Postgraduate Diploma and being President of the college’s Middle Common Room was a very busy but ever such a special and rewarding experience. One of the things I believe to be harder than training for ministry during a pandemic must be training a minister during a global pandemic! I owe huge thanks to all at Harris Manchester College for their support. I am also hugely grateful to the Oxford Unitarian congregation who could not have been more supportive of my student pastorate with them. Sharing a valediction service with Rev. Michael Allured was a very moving experience. Michael has been a huge source of support for me throughout my training. I know that we will continue to support each other as Ministers of Religion as much as we did when we were students.“
Congratulations Michael and Robin and all the best for your future ministries!

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Unitarian Chief Officer Liz Slade has taken part in an online conversation about assisted dying, hosted by Tim Wyatt for Religion Media Centre, with Rabbi Jonathan Romain, founder of Dignity in Dying, Dr Sarah Foot from the Christian Medical Fellowship, and Dr Hina Shahid from the Muslim Doctors Association.

The Unitarian movement voted in 2013 on the issue of assisted dying. In our recognition of the worth and the dignity of all people and their freedom to believe as their consciences dictate, members voted to support the principle that individuals should have the right to seek support for assisted dying in certain circumstances, and that legislation should respect this choice and allow them compassionate assistance without fear of prosecution of anyone involved. Many Unitarians are passionately in favour of a change in the law, while recognising the need to allow a diversity of voices to be considered on this important moral issue. In June 2021, we welcomed the launch of new Religious Alliance for Dignity in Dying.

You can watch the video in full here.

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

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Ipswich Unitarians held a celebration on Saturday 25 September to mark the reopening of Ipswich Meeting House, one of the oldest non-conformist chapels in the country, after the completion of a huge renovation project supported by English Heritage costing £750,000.

Tessa Forsdike, the secretary of the trustees of the Meeting House, said the restoration work should guarantee the future of the building for at least the next 100 years. She said: “This is a very important day for us. It gives us the chance to show off what has happened here and show what makes this such a special place.”

You can watch a video of the celebratory events here.

You can find out more about the renovation project here.

You can read more about this story in the local press here.

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We are delighted to have reached an important milestone as Hale Chapel in Hale Barns, Cheshire, becomes the 100th Unitarian place of worship to register to conduct same-sex marriage ceremonies. The chapel’s minister Rev. Jeff Gould conducted their first same-sex wedding in August.

Reflecting on the day, Rev. Gould said: “The congregation of Hale Chapel was delighted to host its first same-sex wedding in the middle of this past August. The couple who celebrated their marriage at the chapel had recently moved into a house that adjoins the chapel’s garden and cemetery.  Their research revealed that a Unitarian house of worship would be the ideal venue for their inter-faith wedding, as one partner is Christian and the other is Jewish. I was delighted to officiate at a ceremony that involved elements of both religious traditions. The congregation is grateful that their first same-sex wedding couple will have a continuing relationship with the chapel, and look forward to welcoming other couples whose profiles reflect the diversity and richness of the local community.”

Unitarians have long supported lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, and we are proud to provide marriage ceremonies for all couples. In fact, we were one of the the first churches to offer same-sex marriages. Find out more here.

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Cotswolds Unitarians are supporting Active Peace Education in local schools, organised by Malvern Quakers. Rosemary Webb (pictured), who co-leads local Unitarian youth group the Malvern Transformers, is delivering the sessions ‘Rights for Kids’, ‘Six Hours to Change the World’ and ‘All Are Welcome’ in local schools, together with Quaker educators. Click here to find out more here.

Photo: Bosbury Primary School

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