Our community
How can we be religious in today's world?
We are a gathering of people who want to find a way of being religious in today's world that honours the totality of our human experience.
Sources of inspiration
We are open to multiple sources of wisdom and inspiration including:
- » the world's religions,
- » nature and earth-centred spiritualities,
- » art, music, stories and poetry,
- » contemporary spiritual writing,
- » humanism,
- » science,
- » philosophy, psychology and mythology,
- » our personal experience.
Freedom and tolerance
As Unitarians, we believe in religious freedom and tolerance. We think that you should be guided by your own heart and conscience and understanding in shaping your beliefs. We do not offer you a creed.
In this community, you are encouraged to freely explore religion and spirituality, to ask your own questions and to find answers that really make sense to you . . . or to have the courage to live with the uncertainty of not knowing.
Companions along the way
We seek to support one another and be good friends and companions on our spiritual journeys. We do our best to care for each other through life's joys and sorrows. We also take time to play and laugh together.
Inclusive
We aim to be inclusive and welcome anyone who wishes to join with us in a spirit of love and tolerance. We seek to respect and celebrate our differences whether of age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, understanding of spirituality, personality, ability, talents or interests. We hope to learn from and be open to engaging with one another and thus grow in understanding and appreciation of both our differences and our shared humanity.
Caring
In our worship services and activities, we join together in a spirit of love and in gratitude for the gift of life. We try to create a healing, nurturing space where we can learn to care more deeply for ourselves and one another and thus gradually learn to live kinder, more loving lives and become a greater force for healing and transformation in our world.
A spiritual home
Some people come to this church from a background of other religious traditions, seeking a more liberal, open approach. Others may have no formal religious background or have long since broken any ties they once had but want to find an open spiritual community they can call home.
An open community
We seek to be an open community with fluid boundaries. We recognise that there are many ways to belong to a community. We welcome and value your connection to us at whatever level of involvement is right for you at any time. This might be:
- » by becoming a member
- » by attending services regularly or occasionally
- » by joining one of the workshops in the Religious Explorations programme
- » by coming to a Poetry for the Soul evening
- » by coming to the Stitches and Stories group
- » by having your wedding or other ceremony here
- » by hiring the hall for a children's party or other event
- » or simply via this website.
A community of imperfect people
We recognise that we are all imperfect. We are all broken. There is much we do not know or understand. We often fail to live up to our vision of beloved community. We recognise that church life needs a lot of patience, a lot of picking ourselves up and starting over and a kind attitude towards each other.
We keep hope alive and try again . . . and again.
Come and check us out
If you think you might feel at home here, or if you are just curious and would like to check us out, then you are welcome to come to a service or event. If you prefer, you can speak to our minister, Rev Linda Hart.
Our approach to spirituality
In this community you will find many approaches to spirituality. Part of the richness and variety of Unitarianism is that we try to make space for many different understandings and ways of expressing spirituality.
Our roots
The Unitarian movement started within the nonconformist Christian tradition. It grew out of the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century.
The earliest organised movement was in Poland and Transylvania (part of present day Romania).
In Britain, there were some early radical reformers expressing Unitarian beliefs in the 16th and 17th centuries e.g. John Biddle (1615-62). However, the first Unitarian congregation came together later in 1774. It was founded by Theophilus Lindsey, a former Church of England minister.
You can read more about Unitarian history in the publication A Faith Worth Thinking About.
Unitarians Worldwide
There are nearly 200 congregations in mainland Britain and around 6 000 members.
In the USA and Canada, there are about 225,000 Unitarian Universalists and about 1,000 congregations.
In Romania, The Unitarian Church of Transylvania has about 80 000 members. In Hungary, The Unitarian Church in Hungary has around 25 000 members.
The Khasi Unitarian Union in India has around 9 000 members in the Khasi Hills area in Northeast India. The Unitarian Christian Church of Madras has around 225 members.
There are Unitarian Churches and Fellowships in Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Spain and Sri Lanka.
There are also emerging groups in Congo, Cuba, France, Italy and Mexico.
The numbers in this section have been gleaned from the website of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists which has lots more information and links about Unitarians around the world.
