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General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches

August 31, 2023

The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches (GAUFCC or colloquially British Unitarians) is the umbrella organisation for Unitarian, Free Christians, and other liberal religious congregations in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was formed in 1928, with denominational roots going back to the Great Ejection of 1662. Its headquarters is Essex Hall in central London, on the site of the first avowedly Unitarian chapel in England, set up in 1774.

General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches
The official logo of the GAUFCC, based upon the flaming chalice motif
AbbreviationGAUFCC
ClassificationNontrinitarian, Protestant
OrientationUnitarianism, Free Christian, Liberal religion
AssociationsInternational Council of Unitarians and Universalists, European Liberal Protestant Network
RegionUnited Kingdom
HeadquartersEssex Hall in central London, United Kingdom
Origin1928
Congregations170
Official websitewww.unitarian.org.uk

The GAUFCC brought together various strands and traditions besides Unitarianism, including English Presbyterianism, General Baptist, Methodism, Liberal Christianity, Christian Universalism, Religious Humanism, and Unitarian Universalism. Unitarians are now an open-faith community celebrating diverse beliefs; some of its members would describe themselves as Buddhists, Pagans, or Jewish, while many others are humanists, agnostics, or atheists.

History Edit

Main article: History of Unitarianism

Early Modern Britain Edit

Christopher Hill states that ideas such as anti-Trinitarianism, which scholars trace back to ancient times, were an integral part of "the lower-class heretical culture which burst into the open in the 16th century". The cornerstones of this culture were anti-clericalism (opposition to the power of the Church) and a strong emphasis on biblical study, but there were specific heretical doctrines that had "an uncanny persistence". In addition to anti-Trinitarianism, there was a rejection of predestination and an embrace of millenarianism, mortalism, and hermeticism. Such ideas became "commonplace to 17th century Baptists, Levellers, Diggers, Seekers, … early Quakers and other radical groupings which took part in the free-for-all discussions of the English Revolution".[1]

After the restoration of the Stuart monarchy and the resulting Act of Uniformity 1662, about 2,000 ministers left the established Church of England (the Great Ejection). Following the Act of Toleration 1689, many of these ministers preached in non-conforming congregations. The modern Unitarian denomination's origins lay within this group of Protestants, the English Presbyterians, who were reluctant to become Dissenters. However, by the late 18th century, the influx of General Baptist congregations to the denomination established a direct lineage to this radical milieu—although by now, much of the heretical culture stigma no longer existed.

19th century Edit

Until the passing of the Unitarian Relief Act in 1813, it was a criminal offence to deny the doctrine of the Trinity. By 1825 a new body, the British and Foreign Unitarian Association, itself an amalgamation of three previous societies, was set up to co-ordinate denominational activities. However, there was a setback in 1837 when "the Presbyterian / Unitarian members were forced to withdraw from the General Body of Protestant Ministers which, for over a century, had represented the joint interests of the old established nonconformist groups in and around London".[2]

Around this time Presbyterian / Unitarian opinion was once again divided about how far the denomination should be associated with the label 'Unitarian'. James Martineau, a Presbyterian minister formerly based in Liverpool, pleaded for a 'warmer' religion than the 'critical, cold and untrusting' Unitarianism of his day. In 1881 he helped to found the National Conference of Unitarian, Liberal Christian, Free Christian, Presbyterian and other Non-Subscribing or Kindred Congregations—"a triumph, one might say, of Victorian verbosity. But the length of the name reflected the breadth of Martineau's vision".[3]

Thus, from 1881 to the establishment of the GAUFCC, the denomination consisted of "two overlapping circles, one labelled 'Unitarian' and eager for organisation and propaganda, the other rejecting labels and treasuring comprehensiveness. Each side had its own college, its own newspaper and its own hymn book".[3]

Present day Edit

By 1928 these two "overlapping circles" had been reconciled in the same organisation: the GAUFCC. Over time the organisation has come to embrace a wider theological and philosophical diversity. "At one extreme are the 'Free Christians' who wish to remain part of the Church Universal; at the other are those who wish to move beyond Christianity.[4]

The congregations of GAUFCC contain members who hold diverse opinions. Indeed, Unitarians are able to embrace and gain insights from the great world religions, philosophies, arts and modern sciences.[5] The Unitarian Church does not follow one particular set of rules; owing to this, most Protestant denominations and Catholic dioceses do not recognise the baptisms or marriages it performs.

The official name is used on formal occasions, but in general use the organisation refers to itself and its members simply as Unitarian; the website URL is unitarian.org.uk,[6] and the BBC religion page reflects this.[7] The denomination supports same sex marriage.[8]

Member churches Edit

Many churches are architecturally significant and are listed buildings, often in the style known as Dissenting Gothic. Other churches have made a mark on public life, with historically significant members of the congregation or ministers. Either of these types may have a Wikipedia article.

Current churches Edit

The General Assembly counts about 182 churches as members,[citation needed] including:

Previous churches Edit

Some Unitarian church buildings are now used for other purposes:

Other church buildings have gone, but their congregations moved or merged with neighbours:

Those mentioned in articles Edit

The following place articles mention the presence of their Unitarian churches:

Affiliations Edit

The British Unitarians are a member of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists and of the European Liberal Protestant Network. The Non-subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland maintains an Accord with the GAUFCC.

In addition to the approximately 170 congregations that are affiliated with the General Assembly, there are also groups within it. Some of these represent interests (history, music, international development, etc.), while others are of religious beliefs, most notably the Unitarian Christian Association and the Unitarian Earth Spirit Network.

Officers Edit

The national structure of British Unitarians is headed by an elected president, who holds office for one year. This officer is the figurehead leader of the organisation. Day-to-day administration is in the hands of an Executive Committee, which is led by a Convenor, assisted by an Honorary Treasurer, a General Secretary (sometimes called Chief Officer), and other Executive Committee members.

At the regional level, British Unitarianism is grouped into Districts. There are currently 13 Districts in England, two in Wales, and one in Scotland. Each District has a similar structure to that at national level, with a President and a District Executive Committee. Some Districts appoint a District Minister.

Local congregations vary in size, structure, and practice, but there is a requirement for each congregation to have some form of established and formal leadership. In most cases this will include a local Council and usually also a Unitarian minister.

Notable British Unitarians Edit

Main page: Category:British Unitarians

See also Edit

References Edit

  1. ^ Hill, Christopher (1977), Milton and the English Revolution, Faber & Faber, London, pp. 71–76
  2. ^ Goring, J & R (1984), The Unitarians, p. 23
  3. ^ a b Goring, J & R (1984), The Unitarians, p. 24
  4. ^ Goring, J & R (1984), The Unitarians, p. 59
  5. ^ "Unitarian theology and spirituality" page on the GAUFCC website. Accessed 25 January 2011 14 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine "Unitarianism has its roots in the Jewish and Christian traditions but is open to insights from world faiths, science, the arts, the natural world and everyday living."
  6. ^ "Unitarians". www.unitarian.org.uk.
  7. ^ "Unitarianism at a glance". BBC Religions. BBC. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  8. ^ https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmpublic/marriage/memo/m26.htm[bare URL]
  9. ^ "Church website".
  10. ^ "Croydon Unitarians". Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  11. ^ "Leicester Unitarians". Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  12. ^ "Chapel wiki". Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  13. ^ Mary on the Green: About Mary 8 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine

Further reading Edit

  • Ditchfield, Grayson M. "Anti-trinitarianism and Toleration in Late Eighteenth Century British Politics: the Unitarian Petition of 1792". Journal of Ecclesiastical History 42.1 (1991): 39–67.
  • Haakonssen, Knud, ed. Enlightenment and religion: rational dissent in eighteenth-century Britain (Cambridge University Press, 1996).
  • Rowell, Geoffrey. "The origins and history of Universalist societies in Britain, 1750–1850". Journal of Ecclesiastical History 22.1 (1971): 35–56.
  • Ruston, Alan. "British Unitarianism in the Twentieth Century–A Survey". Transactions of the Unitarian Historical Society (2012): 76–89. online
  • Smith, Leonard. The Unitarians: A Short History. (2nd ed. 2008)
  • Stange, Douglas C. British Unitarians Against American Slavery, 1833–65 (Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1984).
  • Watts, Ruth. Gender, Power and the Unitarians in England, 1760–1860 (1998)
  • Watts, Ruth. "Harriet Martineau and the Unitarian tradition in education". Oxford Review of Education 37.5 (2011): 637–651.

External links Edit

  • Official website

August 31, 2023
general, assembly, unitarian, free, christian, churches, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newsp. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches news newspapers books scholar JSTOR October 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches GAUFCC or colloquially British Unitarians is the umbrella organisation for Unitarian Free Christians and other liberal religious congregations in the United Kingdom and Ireland It was formed in 1928 with denominational roots going back to the Great Ejection of 1662 Its headquarters is Essex Hall in central London on the site of the first avowedly Unitarian chapel in England set up in 1774 General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian ChurchesThe official logo of the GAUFCC based upon the flaming chalice motifAbbreviationGAUFCCClassificationNontrinitarian ProtestantOrientationUnitarianism Free Christian Liberal religionAssociationsInternational Council of Unitarians and Universalists European Liberal Protestant NetworkRegionUnited KingdomHeadquartersEssex Hall in central London United KingdomOrigin1928Congregations170Official websitewww wbr unitarian wbr org wbr ukThe GAUFCC brought together various strands and traditions besides Unitarianism including English Presbyterianism General Baptist Methodism Liberal Christianity Christian Universalism Religious Humanism and Unitarian Universalism Unitarians are now an open faith community celebrating diverse beliefs some of its members would describe themselves as Buddhists Pagans or Jewish while many others are humanists agnostics or atheists Contents 1 History 1 1 Early Modern Britain 1 2 19th century 2 Present day 3 Member churches 3 1 Current churches 3 2 Previous churches 3 3 Those mentioned in articles 4 Affiliations 5 Officers 6 Notable British Unitarians 7 See also 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External linksHistory EditMain article History of Unitarianism Early Modern Britain Edit Christopher Hill states that ideas such as anti Trinitarianism which scholars trace back to ancient times were an integral part of the lower class heretical culture which burst into the open in the 16th century The cornerstones of this culture were anti clericalism opposition to the power of the Church and a strong emphasis on biblical study but there were specific heretical doctrines that had an uncanny persistence In addition to anti Trinitarianism there was a rejection of predestination and an embrace of millenarianism mortalism and hermeticism Such ideas became commonplace to 17th century Baptists Levellers Diggers Seekers early Quakers and other radical groupings which took part in the free for all discussions of the English Revolution 1 After the restoration of the Stuart monarchy and the resulting Act of Uniformity 1662 about 2 000 ministers left the established Church of England the Great Ejection Following the Act of Toleration 1689 many of these ministers preached in non conforming congregations The modern Unitarian denomination s origins lay within this group of Protestants the English Presbyterians who were reluctant to become Dissenters However by the late 18th century the influx of General Baptist congregations to the denomination established a direct lineage to this radical milieu although by now much of the heretical culture stigma no longer existed 19th century Edit Until the passing of the Unitarian Relief Act in 1813 it was a criminal offence to deny the doctrine of the Trinity By 1825 a new body the British and Foreign Unitarian Association itself an amalgamation of three previous societies was set up to co ordinate denominational activities However there was a setback in 1837 when the Presbyterian Unitarian members were forced to withdraw from the General Body of Protestant Ministers which for over a century had represented the joint interests of the old established nonconformist groups in and around London 2 Around this time Presbyterian Unitarian opinion was once again divided about how far the denomination should be associated with the label Unitarian James Martineau a Presbyterian minister formerly based in Liverpool pleaded for a warmer religion than the critical cold and untrusting Unitarianism of his day In 1881 he helped to found the National Conference of Unitarian Liberal Christian Free Christian Presbyterian and other Non Subscribing or Kindred Congregations a triumph one might say of Victorian verbosity But the length of the name reflected the breadth of Martineau s vision 3 Thus from 1881 to the establishment of the GAUFCC the denomination consisted of two overlapping circles one labelled Unitarian and eager for organisation and propaganda the other rejecting labels and treasuring comprehensiveness Each side had its own college its own newspaper and its own hymn book 3 Present day EditBy 1928 these two overlapping circles had been reconciled in the same organisation the GAUFCC Over time the organisation has come to embrace a wider theological and philosophical diversity At one extreme are the Free Christians who wish to remain part of the Church Universal at the other are those who wish to move beyond Christianity 4 The congregations of GAUFCC contain members who hold diverse opinions Indeed Unitarians are able to embrace and gain insights from the great world religions philosophies arts and modern sciences 5 The Unitarian Church does not follow one particular set of rules owing to this most Protestant denominations and Catholic dioceses do not recognise the baptisms or marriages it performs The official name is used on formal occasions but in general use the organisation refers to itself and its members simply as Unitarian the website URL is unitarian org uk 6 and the BBC religion page reflects this 7 The denomination supports same sex marriage 8 Member churches EditMany churches are architecturally significant and are listed buildings often in the style known as Dissenting Gothic Other churches have made a mark on public life with historically significant members of the congregation or ministers Either of these types may have a Wikipedia article Current churches Edit The General Assembly counts about 182 churches as members citation needed including Billingshurst Unitarian Chapel 1754 West Sussex Brighton Unitarian Church 1820 built by Amon Henry Wilds Brook Street Chapel Knutsford Cheshire Brookfield Unitarian Church Gorton Manchester Bury Unitarian Church in Bury Lancashire Chowbent Chapel in Atherton Greater Manchester Cross Street Chapel Manchester Cambridge Unitarian Church Memorial Church Cambridgeshire 9 Croydon Unitarian Church 10 Dean Row Chapel Wilmslow Cheshire Essex Church the first Unitarian church in England moved in 1880s from central London to Kensington Frenchay Chapel Frenchay Common Frenchay Bristol Fulwood Old Chapel in Sheffield Gellionnen Chapel near Swansea Great Meeting Unitarian Chapel Leicester 11 Hastings Unitarian Church Horsham Unitarian Church Kendal Unitarian Chapel Cumbria 12 King Edward Street Chapel Macclesfield Cheshire Meadrow Unitarian Chapel Godalming Mill Hill Chapel on Leeds City Square New Chapel Denton Unitarian Meeting House Newcastle under Lyme Staffordshire Newington Green Unitarian Church North London Norcliffe Chapel Styal Cheshire Nottage General Baptist amp Unitarian Church near Porthcawl Octagon Chapel Norwich Richmond and Putney Unitarian Church Rivington Unitarian Chapel in Lancashire Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel Hampstead North London one of the biggest congregations nationally Shrewsbury Unitarian Church Taunton Unitarian Chapel Todmorden Unitarian Church in West Yorkshire Toxteth Unitarian Chapel in Liverpool UMB Unitarian Meeting Bristol Brunswick Square Cabot Circus Bristol City Centre Bristol Underbank Chapel Sheffield Ullet Road Unitarian Church Liverpool Unitarian Meeting House Ipswich Upper Chapel Sheffield York Unitarian ChapelPrevious churches Edit Some Unitarian church buildings are now used for other purposes Wallasey Memorial Unitarian Church on the Wirral Peninsula now under the care of the Historic Chapels Trust Upper Brook Street Chapel Manchester as of 2017 student accommodation Lewin s Mead Unitarian meeting house in Bristol converted to offices in 1987 New Meeting House Moor Street Birmingham rebuilt after the Priestley Riots burned down the old one since 1862 St Michael s Catholic Church High Pavement Chapel Nottingham now a pub Platt Chapel in Fallowfield ManchesterOther church buildings have gone but their congregations moved or merged with neighbours Church of the Saviour Birmingham which launched the political career of Joseph Chamberlain Church of the Messiah Birmingham built over a canal Hope Street Unitarian Chapel halfway between the Anglican and Catholic Cathedrals of Liverpool demolished 1962 Octagon Chapel Liverpool Renshaw Street Unitarian Chapel LiverpoolThose mentioned in articles Edit The following place articles mention the presence of their Unitarian churches Belper Derbyshire 1788 Bessels Green in Sevenoaks Kent Crewkerne in Somerset Gateacre Liverpool 1700 Little Horton in Bradford Monton Unitarian Church in Eccles Greater Manchester Grade II listed buildings in Greater Manchester lists Brookfield Monton and Chowbent Stalybridge near Manchester Trim Street Bath 1795 Westgate Chapel in Lewes East SussexAffiliations EditThe British Unitarians are a member of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists and of the European Liberal Protestant Network The Non subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland maintains an Accord with the GAUFCC In addition to the approximately 170 congregations that are affiliated with the General Assembly there are also groups within it Some of these represent interests history music international development etc while others are of religious beliefs most notably the Unitarian Christian Association and the Unitarian Earth Spirit Network Officers EditThe national structure of British Unitarians is headed by an elected president who holds office for one year This officer is the figurehead leader of the organisation Day to day administration is in the hands of an Executive Committee which is led by a Convenor assisted by an Honorary Treasurer a General Secretary sometimes called Chief Officer and other Executive Committee members At the regional level British Unitarianism is grouped into Districts There are currently 13 Districts in England two in Wales and one in Scotland Each District has a similar structure to that at national level with a President and a District Executive Committee Some Districts appoint a District Minister Local congregations vary in size structure and practice but there is a requirement for each congregation to have some form of established and formal leadership In most cases this will include a local Council and usually also a Unitarian minister Notable British Unitarians EditMain page Category British Unitarians Sir Tim Berners Lee inventor of the World Wide Web Sir John Brunner businessman ICI politician and great grandfather of the Duchess of Kent Austen Chamberlain Nobel peace prize winner Joseph Chamberlain businessman GKN politician and statesman Neville Chamberlain prime minister Sir Philip Colfox politician James Chuter Ede politician Home Secretary Elizabeth Gaskell novelist the Lupton family of Leeds prosperous merchants and civic leaders John Sutton Nettlefold industrialist Sir Isaac Newton physicist Joseph Priestley chemist and Unitarian clergyman Andrew Pritchard microscope maker Cyril Smith member of parliament and alleged serial sex offender Mary Wollstonecraft 13 feministSee also Edit nbsp Religion portalReligion in the United Kingdom List of Unitarian Universalist and Unitarian Universalist churches Bartholomew Legate the inspiration behind the Seekers Edward Wightman early General Baptist Rev Joseph Cooke the inspiration behind Methodist UnitarianismReferences Edit Hill Christopher 1977 Milton and the English Revolution Faber amp Faber London pp 71 76 Goring J amp R 1984 The Unitarians p 23 a b Goring J amp R 1984 The Unitarians p 24 Goring J amp R 1984 The Unitarians p 59 Unitarian theology and spirituality page on the GAUFCC website Accessed 25 January 2011 Archived 14 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine Unitarianism has its roots in the Jewish and Christian traditions but is open to insights from world faiths science the arts the natural world and everyday living Unitarians www unitarian org uk Unitarianism at a glance BBC Religions BBC Retrieved 29 November 2015 https publications parliament uk pa cm201213 cmpublic marriage memo m26 htm bare URL Church website Croydon Unitarians Retrieved 21 July 2019 Leicester Unitarians Retrieved 27 October 2019 Chapel wiki Retrieved 16 September 2014 Mary on the Green About Mary Archived 8 August 2014 at the Wayback MachineFurther reading EditDitchfield Grayson M Anti trinitarianism and Toleration in Late Eighteenth Century British Politics the Unitarian Petition of 1792 Journal of Ecclesiastical History 42 1 1991 39 67 Haakonssen Knud ed Enlightenment and religion rational dissent in eighteenth century Britain Cambridge University Press 1996 Rowell Geoffrey The origins and history of Universalist societies in Britain 1750 1850 Journal of Ecclesiastical History 22 1 1971 35 56 Ruston Alan British Unitarianism in the Twentieth Century A Survey Transactions of the Unitarian Historical Society 2012 76 89 online Smith Leonard The Unitarians A Short History 2nd ed 2008 Stange Douglas C British Unitarians Against American Slavery 1833 65 Fairleigh Dickinson University Press 1984 Watts Ruth Gender Power and the Unitarians in England 1760 1860 1998 Watts Ruth Harriet Martineau and the Unitarian tradition in education Oxford Review of Education 37 5 2011 637 651 External links EditOfficial website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches amp oldid 1164813730, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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