Issue 8058

THE

INQUIRER £1 | Issue 8058 | 29 April 2023

Inside this issue…

Reports from GA 2023 LGBT+ exhibit debuts EC looks at sustaining members

www.inquirer.org.uk

The voice of British and Irish Unitarians and Free Christians

New GA President Vince McCully He calls office ‘greatest honour’ of his life

THE

INQUIRER The Unitarian and Free Christian Paper Established in 1842, The Inquirer is the oldest nonconformist religious newspaper.

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www.unitarian.org.uk Page 2 | Issue 8058 – 29 April 2023

Shown above: GA delegates vote. GA photo by Aaron Scott Richards

The world needs us

If there were an underlying theme to this year’s Unitarian General Assembly meetings, it was that there is great work to be done in the world and we Unitarians should get to it.

The Rev Winnie Gordon, in her Anniversary Service address reminded us, ‘Our service to humanity has always burst out through our doors.’

There were presentations on social action, repairing the justice system and participating in climate protests. And, an emergency motion was proposed and passed.

I’m writing this on a day a story was published saying the Government plans to ignore rulings from the European Court of Human Rights in order to harden the Illegal Migration Bill.

A third reading of the bill was scheduled in the Commons for 25 April and, perhaps, has already happened. But, nonetheless, it is important to report that the Unitarian General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution decrying the inhumane bill.

It reads: ‘The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches: a. is concerned that the provisions of the Illegal Immigration Bill will remove rights to protection in the UK for vulnerable adults and children seeking safe haven; b. asks our Chief Officer to join with other Church Leaders in publicly opposing the Bill as it stands; c. calls on Unitarian congregations and individuals to raise these concerns with their MPs before the 3rd Reading of the Bill on 25 April 2023; d. calls on the British Government to establish safe and accessible routes for all those seeking asylum.’

One of the really wonderful things about being at the General Assembly is the feeling you get when we all lift our voices together in worship. In a way, this emergency motion and the outreach work done in congregations across the country are another way of lifting our voices, participating, continuing the Unitarian tradition of bursting through our chapel doors.

The world needs us. And, the further we reach out, the closer we become.

MC Burns

Vince McCully accepts office, pays tribute to Sue Woolley

Vince McCully begins presidency I first encountered the Unitarian faith in 1996 after we had moved house to a completely new area, and I was looking for a church to worship in. That was how I walked into ‘Rivington Unitarian and Free Christian Chapel’ where Judith Crompton was preaching that day.

To say I was immediately hooked is an understatement. I kept attending, and was not disappointed. What was this? A church service where interesting things happened: Such as free and open references to all religions.

There were poems as prayers, serthere. I have always found our chamons that engaged with the congrepels to be havens of warmth and gation, stories for children, hymns friendliness, “To be appointed sung with enthusiasm and feeling, places where ideas can be explored genuine engagement with nature and thoughts of kindness and president of the and the environment and the disadhumanity are actively nurtured.

General Assembly, is vantaged in society.

Havens where the urge to think, to To me, church worship had been speak and to do good are activea great honour, the made relevant. Interestingly at ly encouraged and not cynically greatest I have ever or that time I was still a practising brushed off or treated with irony or Roman Catholic, and over the as uncomfortable episodes. will ever likely receive.” coming months my children and I As Unitarians, here in the UK we would attend vigil mass on the Satare not a huge establishment like urday and the Unitarian service on some churches and denominations, the Sunday. That was until, after a but we do have spirit, enthusiasm while, I realised I was going to the former because I felt and purpose in our activities – our many activities. we had to and the latter because I wanted to.

This is, I believe, largely because each one of us is valued, I still don’t fully know why I was approached to fill this role whatever and wherever our input is, and in our congregaas president. But I can say that I am eager and willing to tions, where if one of us or one of our loved ones passes, share the freedom and fulfilment the Unitarian faith has we all feel the sadness. When one of us excels in a projgiven to me. I am eager to share our inclusive approach ect or venture we are as happy as they. If there is a good to worship and piety. I am willing to help to provide a welcause or charity that could do with ‘a hand’ we assist in come to anyone who is seeking meaning and value in their any way we are able. life. At the same time, I am humbled by the staggering What society could learn from us, we have to give them, efforts our fellow Unitarians go to so that others can have maybe not in a proselytising way, but as a groundswell of what they have, what we all have. good words, good actions and good thoughts and intenThat is to simply be able to find a place where their aptions. proach to their God in whatsoever form it takes is absoTo be appointed president of the General Assembly, is a lutely acceptable and unhindered. great honour, the greatest I have ever or will ever likely Since wandering unsuspectingly into Rivington Chapel receive. back in 1996 I never doubted the value of my worship I thank those who have put their trust and faith in me to Continued on page 4 > www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 3

For the Unitarian movement to thrive and prosper, we must all play our part – in Vince’s words – “everybody matters, everybody counts, every smile is important, and every act, no matter how small, is of value. Each soul is equal in the eyes of The Creator.”

– Laura Dobson Shown above: GA President Vince McCully places the vice president’s chain office on Geoff Levermore, a member of Norcliffe Chapel, Styal. Photo by John Hewerdine

Laura Dobson seconded Vince McCully’s nomination as president of the Unitarian General Assembly. She said:

Prior to becoming involved in Unitarianism, Vince McCully grew up in the Roman Catholic church, became an altar boy at 10 and a seminarian from 11 to 18, after which he elected to leave seminary and study for a degree in Comparative Religion and Politics at the University of Manchester, and trained as a crisis counsellor for Niteline, the student Samaritan-type service.

Vince has been committed to local community work and activism all his life, being a cub scout leader, karate teacher, children’s football team manager, bereavement councillor and Rivington Parish councillor.

When he first started attending Rivington Unitarian Chapel, Vince was still a practising Catholic, but his heart lay in Unitarianism, and he began to become more involved in the life of Rivington chapel, serving as chair of the congregational committee from 2000 to 2016.

In 2001 he began leading worship, conducted his first wedding in 2007, and in 2013 he became Lay Person in Charge, a position he still holds.

Also in 2000 Vince began helping to organise the Unitarian Pilgrimage to Religious and Civil Freedom, a triennial event held in Rivington, begun in 1961 by the Rev Eric Shirvell-Price, and still going strong. In 2005 he began attending Manchester District Association (MDA) council meetings, later becoming a member of the executive committee. Since 2019 Vince has served as MDA Treasurer and on the board of the Manchester Domestic Mission, which gives small grants to local charities involved in social justice work.

In 2007 Vince completed the Worship Studies Foundation course, and has completed several courses in leading worship and rites of passage since then. He leads worship at Unitarian chapels all over the north west, as well as regular worship and rites of passage at Rivington.

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All this and he also finds time to run his own business too!

Vince has served the Unitarian movement tirelessly for many years – in pulpits, meeting rooms, and in the wider community. On a personal note, he encourages me in my work, and he is one of the most warm-hearted and thoughtful people I know.

Vince says that in the Unitarian movement he has found freedom and empowerment for his own spiritual development, and he is eager to share those gifts with others. Vince sees it as of prime importance that we nurture and cherish our people, welcoming and accepting everyone as they are, engaging with their ideas, and saying thank you.

The Rev Laura Dobson is minister with Chorlton Unitarians, King Edward Street Unitarian Chapel, Macclesfield, and the Unitarian Transformers project.

The greatest honour Continued from page 3 >

be GA President this year from the very core of my being.

God willing, and with the help and assistance of an amazing, talented and kind team, I hope to represent you all in the best way I possibly can.

Thank you to our outgoing president Sue Woolley. She has done a wonderful job throughout the year, not an easy task, as we all emerged from Covid strictures.

Sue has been unstinting in devotion to the task of GA president as evidenced by having been the length and breadth of the land, fulfilling the numerous demands requested of her.

I have a note to myself that if I can do half as good a job as Sue has done, then I can ask for no more.

Thank you Sue Woolley for being our exemplary president this year.

Torry Glinwell writes of the launch of a celebration of Unitarian LGBT+ Voices

New exhibit debuts

Shown above: Speakers and GA staff members with the pop-up LGBT+ voices exhibit. GA photo by Aaron Scott Richards

The annual meetings saw the launch of the LGBT+ Voices project, a brilliant multimedia undertaking including interviews, the collation of archival materials and a new exhibition, which focuses on our heritage and participation in key events for the LGBT+ community as well as how pioneering we often were and continue to be in this sphere.

The session was run by two staff members Lizzie KingstonHarrison, congregational connections lead, and the Rev Rory Castle Jones, communications officer, who have been working on the project since last year.

Rory and Lizzie briefly introduced the project, and explained what they have done, before inviting two of the people who had been involved in the audio interview process, Derek McAuley and Ann Peart, to explain a little of the LGBT+ related work that they had done as members of the movement.

Ann spoke about her participation in Integroup which facilitated conversions between straight and gay people on an equal footing, as well as the vital work which came out of that early action such as the Gay Bereavement project during the height of the AIDS crisis, providing support for the partners of many who had lost their lives to AIDS when the families did not allow them to attend funerals or memorials; and The Lesbian and Gay Switchboard which provided helpline support to so many.

Derek spoke about how honoured he had been to be part of the coalition of liberal religions who had campaigned to make sure the Same Sex marriage act included religious weddings.

Rory split the group in two and encouraged one half to check out the in-person exhibition boards, as well as using QR codes (special codes which the camera on your mobile phone can read) to access the website which hosts the interviews and articles supporting the exhibition (see: https://tinyurl.com/LGBTvoices); and the other

half to chat amongst ourselves about some reflective questions: the same ones asked of the people interviewed by the project to encourage us to share our own LGBT+ unitarian related experiences, and maybe even think about contributing to the project. He also gave us Swizzels Love Heart sweets for that bit which certainly helped the conversation!

Then we switched groups to do the opposite activities, before coming back together to hear from Zac Baker, a young man from the Swansea congregation and a member of the #Blessed young adults’ group who had got up to speak for the motion on trans rights at last year’s meeting. He spoke to us eloquently about how important the motion had been for him and that he was happy that the Unitarian movement had carried on it’s important commitment to LGBT+ people in making it clear we support trans people, but also gave us a call to action that we must work hard against culture war against trans people and the possible rollback of our rights as a whole LGBT+ community and that projects where we are visible like the LGBT+ Voices project are an important part of that.

If your congregation or other Unitarian group would like to host the pop-up LGBT+ Voices exhibit, contact the Rev Rory Castle Jones: rcastlejones@unitarian.org.uk Torry Glinwell is a member of the Octagon Chapel, Norwich. www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 5

Sabrina Edwards felt seen and heard at the GA

Ethnic minority event welcomed When I saw the workshop titled ‘ethnic minorities heritage space’ I was both excited at the prospect of being in a room with other black and brown Unitarians, as well as balking a little at the title itself. For reasons that the word count of this article won’t allow, it is not a term I feel comfortable with. However, title notwithstanding, I was excited to have a space set aside where we could get together and discuss issues that were close to our hearts, where we wouldn’t have to ‘code switch’ or prioritise the comfort of any people racialised as white.

The Unitarian community in tions to be more welcoming, and to England is not ethnically reprebe truly inclusive and some shared sentative of the population; GA examples of racial aggressions they “In Unitarian churches, attendance was no different. In the had faced in their churches, as well 2021 census, England was shown highlighting the intersectional nait can feel especially to be 9.6% Asian or Asian British, ture of some of the ‘isms’ they had difficult as we are not 4.2% Black, Black British, Caribexperienced. Without this designatbean or African, 3.0% Mixed or ed space, this rich dialogue may not always entering spaces Multiple ethnic groups, 2.2% Other have been as forthcoming and honwhere we can see ethnic groups. I counted around est. I came away from this session 10 people in our group out of more feeling pleased that I had attended, ourselves.” than 200 people who attended but ultimately still frustrated. As the GA in total. Being a member I walked down the corridor with of a minoritised and marginalised another attendee, we discussed the group in the UK isn’t easy. And, in elephant in the room that I did not Unitarian churches, it can feel especially difficult as we have time to bring up: to truly be committed to social are not always entering spaces where we can see ourselves justice, as our faith claims to be, it is the domination of or, for many of us, feel as if we can bring our whole, true, whiteness as the centre of all that is good, right and ‘norauthentic selves to the table. After the Rev Julio Torres’s mal’ that has to be dismantled. Without that, true equity enthusiastic greeting to us all, and each of us sharing will never be achieved and our efforts will be wasted. I look something about ourselves to the group, we had a few dis- forward to the next event, whether it is organised online cussions which I know would have been nice to continue or in person, and hope that every national Unitarian event if we had had more time! We discussed the possibility of in the future has a timetabled slot for our group to meet. becoming an affiliated society, in much the same way as Having groups such as these for minoritised and marginDiverse & Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multiculalised Unitarians is vital for our mental, emotional and tural Ministries (DRUUM, see: https://www.druumm. spiritual health. It means we are seen. We are important. org) has done in the United States. We shared our stories, We are worthy. journeys, hopes, and experiences of being a ‘person of colour’ (again, not a favourite term of mine!) in a Unitarian Sabrina Edwards is a member of Rosslyn Hill Chapel, community. We talked about how we need our congregaHampsted.

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Fixing a broken justice system

By Bruce Chilton We can all see the criminal justice system in the UK, once praised as the world’s finest, is in trouble after decades of misuse and neglect by politicians. Current strikes by lawyers, court officers, prosecutors and defenders highlight the problems.

Chris Daw KC told the delegates he had spent nearly 30 years as a defending barrister, learning very quickly of the major social problems of almost all defendants. Between 1991 and 2021 the UK prison population grew from 40,000 to 85,000. As he progressed from conducting daily trials to major trials and inquiries lasting many months, such as the Hillsborough Inquiry, he had been looking for reasons for the UK’s increase in prison numbers. He visited the US with 2.5 million people in its prisons and Norway with just 3000 in his search for what works in criminal justice.

Chris Daw found the UK justice system now has three major problems.

Firstly, contrary to the soundbite, prison in the UK does not work. All the evidence shows it increases crime. Even the current ‘safety of the public’ argument is no more than populism – pursuit of political votes by appeal for emotional responses centred on revenge. Both Tory and Labour politicians have used the technique since the 1990s. What works to reduce crime is, in fact, closing prisons, ‘the universities of crime’.

Secondly, the number of drug offenders contributing to

prison numbers. US President Nixon’s ‘war on drugs’ spread to the UK in the Misuse of Drugs Acts. What had been 1000 drug addicts in the UK in 1971 now exceeds 40,000, making endless thefts to finance their addictions. Yet Switzerland demonstrates that addiction need not contribute to crime and major ill-health. Switzerland opened clinics licenced to supply heroin and treatment to its addicts at an average cost of £8 per day. Today, it has no drug crime and its ageing drug users have general good health. Most importantly, its young people have no attraction to drugs.

Thirdly, recidivism, or returning to crime after leaving prison, is about 50% for adults but 100% for child offenders as they leave the UK’s Youth Offenders Institute. The legal age for criminal responsibility is as low as 10 in the UK. By increasing that legal age to 18 (as it is in Luxembourg) our children could be rescued from the risk of an adulthood in crime.

Chris Daw urged Unitarians toward social action as a body and as individuals. He felt the Government’s current attack on the right to protest should and could be defeated by letters to MPs. His address was approved with noisy, prolonged applause. He ended the Presentation offering, in return for their efforts in writing to their MPs to sign each copy of his book Justice on Trial (Bloomsbury, £10.99) provided by the PSAP to most of the interested delegates. There was an excited rush forward.

Bruce Chilton is a member of the Unitarian General Assembly Penal and Social Affairs Panel.

#Blessed’s success and challenges

By Nicola Temple #Blessed have once again been privileged to attend the GA meetings where we enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere and learning more about various amazing congregations, committees, and affiliated groups that come together to form the UK Unitarian community. For #Blessed, the GA provides a fantastic opportunity to have fun together as a group, and to share a little of who we are with the wider Unitarian community.

In our GA session we gave an update on some of our projects of the last 12 months. The main highlights of our year have included: • Working with Trebanos school for our Sally the Snake project.

• Working with local charity STOPP (Swansea Takes On Period Poverty).

• Our continued anti-fly-tipping campaign and work with volunteer group My Green Valley and Swansea Council to restore the local environment.

• Being presented with a High Sherriff’s award in recognition of our projects and achievements so far.

We also remain eager to get involved with wider Unitarian-related events such as joining Swansea Pride, supporting the Malvern Festival of Ideas and taking our annual youth

service at Gellionnen Chapel.

The year has also presented some challenges. Time marches on and for some of our members the last year has brought the pressure of exams and moving from school to college, university and the world beyond. Meanwhile, others have seen their careers progress and have started exciting new jobs. Our individual successes have been a cause for much celebration, but the increasingly remote nature of the group has sometimes been a hindrance. We have learnt to be more flexible in what activities we organise and how our members can participate in them, to ensure that we keep the group accessible to everyone. Fortunately, every member is still keen to contribute however they can, and we continue to thrive.

Over the last few years, we have found the key to successful projects is in listening and observing within our individual respective groups and communities to identify areas of need and support. Using this method, our efforts make a direct local impact, sustain the environments we co-habit, and nurture future developments. Between us, we have masses of goals, ambitions, plans, ideas, and enthusiasm.

With continued communication and support, the future of #Blessed is bright.

Nicola Temple is a member of #Blessed. www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 7

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GA Photos by by Aaron Scott Richards

From apology to action

By Rob Oulton The Climate Justice meeting at this year’s GA began with an apology. The Rev Laura Dobson read Cliff Reed’s Sorry from A-Z of the creatures humanity has wilfully extinguished in our insatiability for ever more of the finite resources of our beautiful planet.

We held our breath as she worked through each letter of the alphabet, and then heard how some Unitarians are responding. The candles we light may be small, but we refuse to submit to despair at the peril our world faces, nor be intimidated by the worldly powers opposed to a future of justice and sustainability for everyone.

Jenny Jacobs talked about her efforts to make ancient York Chapel more energy efficient, including the possibility of solar tiles. Much work has already been done by the Church of England on energy efficiency which we could draw on.

Jenny showed us how change often begins on our own doorstep.

York member, Laura Cox, talked about Extinction Rebellion’s (XR) success in foregrounding the climate emergency. She spoke powerfully about the egalitarian ethos of XR where ‘everyone is crew’; their commitment to a ‘regenerative culture’ where the ecological crisis is addressed, and the healing of our communities is at the very heart of human society.

Rob Oulton from Godalming talked about the planned big climate demonstrations in London. A Unitarian presence was planned. Action like this does work. Each time truth is

fearlessly shouted in the marketplace, the deniers find the mendacious ground on which they stand grows smaller and harder to defend.

The Revs Mark Hutchinson and Laura Dobson told us of their hope the new Transformers sessions will highlight the growing concerns of our community about ecological issues. Their fourth session of each month will be themed to green topics. Before the healing can begin, we need to be exploring how deep the ecological damage we have inflicted on the natural world has wounded our own spiritual lives.

Ministry student Shana Begum showed how that healing could begin in our worship. With images from Rosslyn Hill chapel, she explained how the ‘Earth Circle’, she creates, provide a space where people can celebrate our deep religious connection to the earth as well as sharing our grief and need for reconciliation with all life. To the elemental sounds of Shana’s harmonium, we shared a gentle chant of the sacred ‘Om’, following which, we explored some of these themes in smaller groups.

Later, in the Rev Winnie Gordon’s powerful anniversary service themed around social justice, the sense of engagement that arose in this session found its perfect amplification. (See Winnie’s sermon in the 15 April Inquirer.)

An electronic word cloud allowed Anniversary Service attenders to list their most important social concern. What did it show was the most salient? Climate Justice.

Rob Oulton is a member of Extinction Rebellion and of Godalming Unitarians.

“We must take care that an anti-attitude to alcohol our tradition, our and pubs in Wales. Eric, as inheritance should be ever, gave us his dry humour used wisely in what is – he recalled a sign outside a a very different church, ‘If you’re tired of sin, world.” come in.’, to which someone had written below, ‘If not, then phone….’

He recalled the Presbyterian College Carmarthen, mainly training erstwhile Unitarian ministers; there were nine other colleges then in the town, now there are just two.

He took a lead, with Robert Davis, in opening the centre at Cwmwrdu, a former Unitarian chapel in rural Wales, that was long used as a centre for young people in the UYPL and the Foy Society.

Then there was the President’s Award Scheme, which he helped run in Wales for 25 years. Some things have changed out of recognition, like the first same-sex blessing that he conducted in 1995. In the past a singing festival could attract 1000 people. Not possible now but we must not over concentrate on numbers, but take care that our tradition, our inheritance should be used wisely in what is a very different world.

Alan Ruston is a Unitarian writer and historian.

60 years of Unitarianism in Wales

By Alan Ruston The annual business meeting of the Unitarian Historical Society always held at each GA is known for the speed of its completion, so the speaker to follow has as much time as possible to deliver their address. Derek McAuley, its current president, broke the record. He announced the arrival of a new website (see: https://unitarianhistory.org.uk), a much-revised constitution, and that the speaker next year is to be Professor Grayson Ditchfield on the 250th anniversary of the foundation of Essex Church in London, the first avowed Unitarian congregation in Britain. All done and dusted with a financial report in 11 minutes!

A well-attended gathering then heard the Rev Eric Jones speak on his experience of 60 years of Unitarianism in Wales. Eric has personified our cause in Wales during that time, reflected in his long ministry in Aberdare. He recalled the first GA meetings to be held in Wales, in 1964 at Swansea. He was in charge of a technical aspect needed at these gatherings which all went totally wrong and was a disaster, so he has every reason to recall it. The Welsh Language Society was formed about then as well as the 62 group, aimed at changing how we do things. Eric recalled a time when we had about 120 ministers, mostly badly paid, and there was Page 10 | Issue 8058 – 29 April 2023

Laura Autumn Cox learns at the Executive Committee session that it’s time to ‘do or die’

Sustaining membership

Shown above: Participants discuss ways to sustain growth. GA photo by Aaron Scott Richards

At this year’s GA meetings, the Executive Committee (EC) hosted an interactive workshop on ‘membership sustainability’. The session encouraged delegates to think practically about how to protect existing congregations while meeting the spiritual requirements of a new generation.

Dwindling membership is the biggest challenge facing our movement. Half of UK congregations have fewer than 20 members, with the majority dominated by those of a certain age.

Capturing the hearts and minds of the next generation while meeting existing members’ needs is critical. But how do we do this? How do we move from dying to thriving?

It was exactly this question that the Executive Committee sought to answer in its ‘Membership Sustainability’ workshop, held at this year’s GA. The session invited delegates to explore how it feels to see membership decline, what makes attraction and retention so hard, and what feels hopeful for the future. Delegates tackled these questions in breakout groups, each guided by an EC member and some additional helpers.

With challenge comes opportunity Unitarianism sits at the nexus of spirituality and community. While delegates recognised this opportunity, they expressed frustration at the slow pace of change, and expressed concern and sadness at declining membership.

They reflected on challenges including the ongoing impact of COVID-19, limited collaboration between congregations, and finding people to take on day-to-day management tasks. They also discussed the expectation for instant gratification in an on-demand world – ‘Just Eat, Just Spirituality’, as one delegate poignantly put it.

‘I feel exasperated,’ commented Kate Whyman, Minister at Plymouth Unitarians. ‘How long can we keep having the conversation without changing what we offer? We know people want spirituality. They’re not really wanting to go to church, but we keep offering it.’

Conversations turned to letting go of entrenched language, tradition, and things we don’t need – including physical buildings. But what happens when we change our language, relinquish tradition, and become churches without walls?

The importance of place and space When discussing what feels hopeful or exciting, two golden threads emerged – place and space.

First, place – how do we build social capital? What does community engagement look like? What can we offer to our ‘place’? What groups can we share resources with?

Second, space – how can we optimise the potential of our buildings? Can we meet in spaces that are more welcoming for new members and less effort-intensive for volunteers? What space can we offer beyond Sunday services?

How can we create shared, safe spaces?

‘Maybe it’s time we thought beyond our own chapel walls.

Rather than trying to bring people in, we need to be going out into our communities,’ said Jenny Jacobs, EC member. ‘Even if we’re not out there preaching, we should be out there badged as Unitarians. Someone else said church shouldn’t be for just one hour on Sunday – and for most of us, it isn’t – but from the outside, I think this tends to be what it looks like.’

From ‘growing’ to ‘strengthening’ Membership is dropping, and we need to reverse the trend. But bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better, and the interests of long-standing and new members aren’t mutually exclusive. Across the country, congregations are already attracting the new while protecting the old through weekend retreats, alternative wedding fairs, and quite literally planting seeds of positivity.

We may have had these conversations before, but we’ve never had them in this way. Not only do we know where we want to be – we’re ready to make the changes to get there. It won’t be comfortable, but it will be worth it.

Laura Autumn Cox is a member of York Unitarians. www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 11

Maud Robinson writes of a GA session on Rooted Ministry

Where gladness and hunger meet

Shown above: The Rev Oscar Sinclair.

GA photo by Aaron Scott Richards

‘How do we draw on the strengths and needs of the town or city we are in to strengthen our congregations and better serve the wider community?’ This is the question that Rev Oscar Sinclair set out to explore in his session ‘Rooted Ministry: Community Mapping for Congregations’.

Oscar is Senior Minister at the Unitarian Church of Lincoln, Nebraska in the US. He is in the UK on sabbatical for several months during 2023, finishing his PhD, and being hosted by the Sevenoaks congregation in Kent.

Oscar started our time together Oscar went on to differentiate bereminding us that Unitarian congretween adaptive challenges and tech“The answers to our gations exist in the context of their nical problems. A technical problem surrounding communities. He sugis solvable with resources and experchallenges may not exist gested that if we spend time examtise, whereas an adaptive challenge in our congregations ining the communities surrounding is harder to articulate, and the variour church/chapels we will be better ables may be unknown. A technical now, we may need to prepared to know what tools and problem, such as a leaking roof, can connect with resources approaches will be most effective be difficult and take endless discusin strengthening our congregations sion, but with the right resources it’s in the surrounding and better serving the wider comfairly straightforward to fix it. A gap community.” munity. in leadership or lack of volunteers is Oscar referred us to the book more of an adaptive challenge. One Canoeing the Mountains: Christian of the worse things you can do is Leadership in Uncharted Territory by mistake one for the other; you can’t Tod Bolsinger. The book’s title come from an arresting fix lack of volunteers in the same way as fixing a roof. analogy with the Lewis and Clarke expedition of 1803.

As we move swiftly into the 21st century the whole model US President, Thomas Jefferson instigated this expedifor how we ‘do’ church is broken. We’re pretty good at tion with the aim of finding the most direct and pracdoing the things we’ve always done. This has got us to ticable water communication across the continent, for ‘the base of the Rockies’; but facing into a much less fathe purposes of commerce. Lewis and Clark’s expedition miliar future, what do we do? Put down the canoe!! Look was made in canoes, and first took them up the Missouri around, find out where we are and what we need to know.

River. They presumed that they could easily carry their Ask ourselves: what tools do we need to climb mountains? boats from the Missouri’s headwaters to the next westwhat’s around us? who knows more about the mountains ward-flowing river. From the Missouri headwaters they than we do? This can be a long process, and we probably climbed over a rise, expecting to find a river flowing down have to start into it without any clear idea of what the the other side, instead they were faced with the great outcome will be. expanse of the Rocky Mountains. They realised they were The answers to our challenges may not exist in our congoing to have to adapt their planned method for the expe- gregations now, we may need to connect with resources in dition, and were going to need different tools for the job. the surrounding community. The context of each commuIn the same way, the tools that have served congregations nity will determine the adaptive response, and there will and ministers well in any particular setting 50, or even 20, be radically different answers for each congregation. There years ago are probably not the same tools that will best are no simple answers. How we can best act, depends on serve in 2023. the context in which we find ourselves.

Page 12 | Issue 8058 – 29 April 2023

Continued on page 13 >

Youth, families and faith

By Siân Evans In the Youth session hosted by Gavin Howell, GA safeguarder and lead youth coordinator, we observed a conversation between several voices on the ever-evolving UK Unitarian youth and family ministry.

Representing the Unitarian Ministerial Fellowship were the Revs Robin Hanford and Duncan Voice. Representing the Western Union was the Rev John Harley and representing Exploring Parental Life Together (a group for Unitarian parents) was Dr Julie Page.

It began by exploring an example of a recent Unitarian collaboration between two groups from different nations and generations. A member of Evesham Unitarians and co-leaders of #Blessed, Gellionnen Chapel’s Youth Group cooperated to organise the Malvern Festival of Ideas. A very different project historically for Unitarians in a new world emerging from covid. Over a thousand visitors attended the weekend event, 400 of whom were children.

They discussed “Why does it matter to focus on youth and family ministry? Why, and what has emerged?”.

Robin and Duncan shared an issue noticed after attending some conferences. There was a distinct need to increase engagement with ministers and how they could be supported. An idea arose to support minister’s children which sparked a youth debate. Advice was provided, funding was acquired, and support was given. A space was

facilitated where young people were given, as a respected community, the freedom to choose what they would like to do. Participants aged 13-17 were given conditional restraints and found it a highly rewarding experience.

John spoke of the Western Union, a vast district of four counties where young people are dispersed and geographically limited. A realisation was made that some families were interested in making friendships and connections and as a result, a unique event is forming. The space emerged organically with a clear need for face-toface interaction. Participants and parents, aged 11+ are all keen for new experiences. John suggested to replicate an emerging collaborative opportunity like this, look at what you’ve got and start a conversation.

Julie sought a group for parents which led to a growing space of what ministry for parents looks like. She emphasised that when we bring people together, it’s key to think of continued connection. The virtual room is a safe space harnessing true friendship resulting in natural support, important conversations, and acceptance.

There are countless opportunities for family and youth ministry within our faith, creating something relevant that meets the needs of all ages and investing in sustainable futures. The session was a beautiful realisation of what can be achieved when people collaborate.

Siân Evans is a member of #Blessed Youth Group

Where gladness and hunger meet Continued from page 12 >

Oscar invited us to spend some time looking closely at our congregation’s context, by answering the following questions about our own church or chapel.

What does your neighbourhood look like?

Who lives nearby?

What facilities are nearby, and what’s missing?

What is the congregation’s relationship to the community that surrounds it?

Frederick Buechner, American preacher and theologian wrote, ‘The place where God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.’ With this quotation in mind, we were asked to consider how to find out where our congregation’s deep gladness and the wider community’s deep hunger meet.

Maybe, one of our future tools will be to open up our space to the wider community, not with the aim of getting bums on pews or recruiting new committee members, but simply to get new groups of people interacting with each other, in order to find what the future might be, and how human beings can continue to flourish into the 21st century and beyond.

Oscar left us with big questions to ponder, and in the few minutes that remained of a short session, some additional good questions were thrown into the mix by attenders. It was suggested that this process might need to be taken back one step further, and that the first question to ask might be where the points of alignment are between the ‘deep gladness’ of the congregation members and the minister or lay leader. It was also pointed out that maybe our context is not a geographical context, in this brave new world of group ministries and scattered communities, who may be connecting more and more via technology.

There are no easy answers, but this engaging and useful workshop gave pointers to some good questions to start off with.

Oscar Sinclair will be giving another version of this talk on Zoom on 11 May. To attend, contact him on osinclair6458@ students.wesleyseminary.edu or contact: administrator@ ldpaunitarians.org The Rev Maud Robinson is minister with Underbank Unitarians, Sheffield. www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 13

Articleplans Titleconference IARF

NUF Articleforms Title partnership

By Derek McAuley ‘Faith in Reconciliation’ is the theme of the 36th World Congress of the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF) which will take place in Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania, Romania from 4-6 September.

The aim is to explore the role of religion in fostering healing, reconciliation, and just peace around the globe. Discussions will cover topics such as the role of religious leaders in reconciliation, the place of religious narratives in modern societies, and the lessons interfaith dialogue can offer to the broader social and political realm. The Congress will be a hybrid event, and all are welcome to attend (see below for details).

By Tony McNeile The Universe is expanding, or is it contracting, or is it staying constant? The GA is a gathering of the ‘Movers and Shakers’.

“The need for reconciliation must also be accompanied by justice.”

The workshop, attended by over 40, was arranged by the British chapter of IARF as an opportunity to reflect on the theme and to learn more about the work of the chapter. The chapter has been participating in the newly formed UK Freedom of Religion and Belief (FORB), which also embraces non-religious views.

It was highlighted that Romania is close to the war in Ukraine and that this should not be ignored at the congress. Romania has also experienced an influx of refugees fleeing the conflict. It was asked how reconciliation can take place when it requires the participation of both sides and when one is an aggressor? The need for reconciliation must also be accompanied by justice. It was understood that the congress organisers are aware of the importance and sensitivity surrounding the war situation but that it will not dominate the congress.

The personal element of an IARF Congress was stressed. It is not solely a quasi-religio-political event but was important for forming one to one contacts across faiths and countries and in developing new friendships which can last a lifetime.

An appeal was made for consideration to be given to how congregations might be engaged in preparing for the congress and on the wider issue of religious freedom. Supporting the work of Amnesty International for prisoners of conscience was highlighted. Congregations were also encouraged to explore interfaith dialogue locally by actively seeking out other faith groups and learning of their experience and showing solidarity. Bridges should be built to enable reconciliation.

Derek McAuley is chair of the IARF British Chapter.

For further information see: https://tinyurl.com/ IARFcongress Page 14 | Issue 8058 – 29 April 2023

There is energy. There are people with ideas and drive. This is the expanding Unitarian Universe.

This is where we wanted to share our National Unitarian Fellowship vision. To survive and grow, the NUF must become part of it.

There has been a feeling in recent years that the NUF is somewhere between static and declining. We are still here. Our membership holds up, but over the recent years it has been difficult to draw anyone into a leadership role. Where once we had a bi-monthly newsletter which ran with a bi-monthly ‘Viewpoint’ magazine, they are now combined into a ‘News & Views’ which is published four times a year.

The management committee of the NUF decided there should be two priorities for development.

First there is the traditional service of providing a magazine and a means of connection between the members and with the wider Unitarian Movement.

Secondly, we should be able to offer membership to anyone who finds our presence on the internet but is not connected to an established Unitarian organisation. We think of them as the surfers with a spiritual need for a home, a place where they can explore the questions of religions and belief.

We had already decided that the NUF website needed to be updated and have appointed a company to manage it. When no one came forward to be a treasurer we appointed a bookkeeping company for our accounts.

At the GA workshop we introduced the partnership agreed with the ‘Unitarian Transformers’ led by the Revs Mark Hutchinson and Laura Dobson. Their vision coincides with the NUF vision. The Transformers will also be a hub for small congregations wishing to be in the expanding Unitarian universe.

The NUF have funded Transformers to produce and lead a regular monthly Zoom meeting of the NUF to be called ‘Unitarian Connections’. From 7-8pm on the second Wednesday of each month, they will introduce speakers and discussion on social and welfare issues.

In addition to the ‘Unitarian Connections’, they will also develop a dedicated NUF YouTube channel to introduce these discussions to a wider audience. We hope you will follow our progress and share in the expanding Unitarian universe.

Tony McNeile is chaplain of the NUF.

Say your ‘peace’: Social action for a peaceful world

By Ann Howell The aim of the sessions was to discuss our role as Unitarians in creating a peaceful society, meaning one where everyone’s basic needs are met and no one is marginalised or separated from the mainstream because of intrinsic factors, including race, sexual identity, gender identity, cultural background, family status, financial need, etc. We considered the questions: How do we advocate for the most vulnerable and lift them up so that everyone has a place at the table? What can we as a liberal faith community do to promote a more equitable future?

After a short introduction we talked about issues and causes that the movement has supported in the past, including most notably LGBTQ+ rights, same-sex unions, Send a Child to Hucklow, SimpleGifts, and the Red Cross. Then the floor was opened up for people to talk about what was happening in their home congregations regarding social action and social justice issues. We heard about community fridges, refugee support groups, and ‘warm welcome’ initiatives to give people a place to gather during the cold winter months.

Then we put the audience to work, breaking them up into teams, giving them a set of parameters (i.e., small congregation, historic chapel, seaside location, connections to local LGBT groups) and then asked to think of one or two po-

tential projects. Each group was given a different goal (raise awareness about an issue, raise funds, increase attendance on Sundays) and they were asked to consider the main potential impediments.

We spent the last few minutes talking about the kind of potential barriers the groups imagined could make success difficult for their projects. Most of the issues were around capacity, not having enough people, or enough people with time and energy, to manage a sustainable project. Not having appropriate space and the lack of relevant connections in the community also came up as issues.

While there is no magic bullet, investing time in strengthening local connections with like-minded groups is certainly part of the solution towards sustainable capacity building.

Being open and transparent about projects and reporting back to the congregation on a regular basis are also requirements to nurturing the most support and organic growth.

These are lessons that we can implement in our local congregations and groups, as well as within the movement as a whole.

Ann Howell is the Unitarian General Assembly Social Action Officer.

Ringing the wedding changes

By Jackie Grace For the second year running, the GA featured a workshop devoted to weddings. Led again by the enthusiastic and knowledgeable Rev Melda Grantham, a former superintendent registrar and now GA Weddings Project Lead, the workshop focused on the need for all of us involved in weddings to be up to speed on existing and proposed legislation. Melda began the workshop by apologising for the ‘boring’ subject matter, but it wasn’t at all boring. Melda had prepared a quiz, featuring such gems as the questions ‘At what point are a couple legally married?’ and ‘Can a couple’s sons, aged 9 and 11, be their witnesses?’ Answers: a couple are legally married as soon as they have completed their vows, and no, witnesses to a marriage have to be 18 or over. There were some even trickier ones which had us all stumped. Fortunately, Melda has offered to help with all our queries; she will be getting a lengthy email from me once she’s had a chance to recover from the GA. Melda also told us about a Law Commission report which has proposed significant changes in the conduct of weddings.

The biggie is that under these proposals wedding celebrants, rather than premises, would be licensed to perform weddings.

Those of us who are currently Authorised Persons could apply to become Registered Officiants, in the terminology of the Law Commission Report. Weddings could, in theory, take place anywhere at all, but as a Registered Officiant you would need to be satisfied as to the ‘safety and dignity’ of the wed-

ding venue. So probably no underwater weddings, then. This change would bring England and Wales into line with Scotland, where my good friend the Rev Joy Croft once performed a wedding on a boat in the middle of a loch. (I hope she’d done a risk assessment.)

What this would mean for the future of weddings in our chapels remains to be seen. It is not yet clear whether this government will adopt, in full or in part, the recommendations of the LC report. There are some slightly worrying aspects to these recommendations, which appear to be weighted towards more secularisation of weddings. It is proposed, for example, that civil-wedding officiants will no longer have to stick strictly to a wholly secular content, and may be able to introduce some ‘spiritual’ elements. But church weddings, including those at Unitarian chapels, will be expected to have ‘religious content’ and not be wholly humanistic. I can see that this might affect the number of couples who consider a Unitarian wedding. At present, we can genuinely welcome people of ‘all faiths and none’, and tailor our wedding ceremonies to reflect the personal values of the couple concerned. It would be a great shame to lose that freedom. I hope that a Great British Compromise will eventually be reached. In the meantime, we are doing brisk post-pandemic business and enjoying the process of promoting our wonderful buildings as wedding venues.

Jackie Grace is an Authorised Person for weddings at the Octagon Chapel, Norwich. www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 15

Stephanie Bisby on an innovative social action survey at the Anniversary Service

Climate tops concerns

Shown above: Anniversary Service participants. GA photo by Aaron Scott Richards

As far as we know, this year was the first time of attempting to use technology – in this case, a website called slido.com – to conduct a survey of the congregation of the Anniversary Service. As a former market researcher, I’m only too aware of the many limitations of such a survey. When you ask a question of the congregation at the Anniversary Service, the responses are limited to those present at the service, who choose to, and are able to, engage with both the question and the method of response.

Participants, at that moment, weren’t acting as delegates. They were just answering the question: ‘Which social justice issue is closest to your heart.’

Because not everyone loves playing with new technology, we offered two options to engage. One was to use their phone or other device. The other was to write on an index card and pass their answer to a team of helpers (thanks, helpers!) to be typed in for them. Consequently, although the technology tells us that 302 responses were entered by 98 people, we don’t really know how many people answered, because some of those 98 people were entering multiple responses on others’ behalf, and some people entered more than one response of their own.

There were also some amusing anomalies due to the mode of data entry. At first glance, the top responses were: • Homelessness (22 votes) • Climate justice (21 votes) • Inequality (16 votes) • Poverty (15 votes) • Refugees (14 votes).

However, once you combine the 15 people who entered ‘Poverty’ with the 6 who hit ‘Piverty’ on their mobile phone keyboards, financial justice jumps up to equal second with climate justice. If you then add to climate justice’s 21 votes, the 6 people who listed ‘climate change’ as their highest priority, then climate edges up ahead of homelessness, giving a revised top priority list of: • Climate justice (27 votes) • Homelessness (22 votes) • Poverty (21 votes) • Inequality (16 votes) • Refugees (14 votes) A small but significant addition was another 6 votes for antiracism, which alongside refugees and inequality suggests that we still have work to do in the area of racial justice, and an

appetite to do that work. Further responses given by a smaller number of people included, ‘universal basic income’ (another strand of financial justice) as well as ‘men’s rights’, ‘women’s rights’ and ‘trans rights’, suggesting another cluster relating to gender justice.

Winnie Gordon, preacher for this year’s anniversary service and minister with Birmingham Unitarians, commented, ‘the diversity of issues displayed the relevance today of Martin Luther King’s words, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere...” The identity, economic status, gender, age, class, etc, the intersectionality of it all, means that none of these justice issues stands alone nor will be solved alone. We need a multiplicity, an interconnective approach to tackle injustices.’

Our very brief and unscientific survey does at least provide a hint of a useful starting point for our work as individuals, as congregations and as a national movement. Unitarian General Assembly Social Action Officer, Ann Howell, remarks, ‘The conversations in both of the social action workshops that I did showed that there is a real appetite for doing something meaningful and that most individuals are already engaged in issues that are important to them, if not actually within their congregations. We just need to connect those dots and get more congregations involved and linked up.’

The survey also supports what the Rev Kate Dean, minister at Rosslyn Hill and joint worship leader for the Anniversary Service, says about this year’s Annual Meetings: ‘For me, the message throughout the Annual Meetings rang clear, Unitarians are passionate people who care about our world and want to dismantle barriers to equality. There are so many different ways to be an activist. How we choose to show up for justice is how we as Unitarians will be remembered.’

The Rev Stephanie Bisby is minister with Unitarian congregations in York and Bradford. www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 16