The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches (GAUFCC or colloquially British Unitarians) is the

umbrella organisation An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-specific) institutions who work together formally to coordinate activities and/or pool resources. In business, political, and other environments, it provides resources and ofte ...

for Unitarian, Free Christians, and other liberal religious congregations in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. It was formed in 1928, with denominational roots going back to the

Great Ejection The Great Ejection followed the Act of Uniformity 1662 in England. Several thousand Puritan ministers were forced out of their positions in the Church of England, following The Restoration of Charles II. It was a consequence (not necessarily ...

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. The GAUFCC brought together various strands and traditions besides

Unitarianism Unitarianism (from Latin ''unitas'' "unity, oneness", from ''unus'' "one") is a nontrinitarian branch of Christian theology. Most other branches of Christianity and the major Churches accept the doctrine of the Trinity which states that there i ...

, including

English Presbyterianism Presbyterianism in England is practised by followers of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism who practise the Presbyterian form of church government. Dating in England as a movement from 1588, it is distinct from Continental and Scottish ...

General Baptist General Baptists are Baptists who hold the ''general'' or unlimited atonement view, the belief that Jesus Christ died for the entire world and not just for the chosen elect. General Baptists are theologically Arminian, which distinguishes them from ...

Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's br ...

, Liberal Christianity,

Christian Universalism Christian universalism is a school of Christian theology focused around the doctrine of universal reconciliation – the view that all human beings will ultimately be saved and restored to a right relationship with God. "Christian universalis ...

, Religious Humanism, and

Unitarian Universalism Unitarian Universalism (UU) is a liberal religion characterized by a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning". Unitarian Universalists assert no creed, but instead are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth, guided by ...

. 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

Early Modern Britain

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 Predestination, in theology, is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God, usually with reference to the eventual fate of the individual soul. Explanations of predestination often seek to address the paradox of free will, whereby G ...

and an embrace of millenarianism, mortalism, and

hermeticism Hermeticism, or Hermetism, is a philosophical system that is primarily based on the purported teachings of Hermes Trismegistus (a legendary Hellenistic combination of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth). These teachings are containe ...

. Such ideas became "commonplace to 17th century Baptists,

Levellers The Levellers were a political movement active during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms who were committed to popular sovereignty, extended suffrage, equality before the law and religious tolerance. The hallmark of Leveller thought was its populis ...

Diggers The Diggers were a group of religious and political dissidents in England, associated with agrarian socialism. Gerrard Winstanley and William Everard, amongst many others, were known as True Levellers in 1649, in reference to their split from ...

, Seekers, … early

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

and other radical groupings which took part in the free-for-all discussions of the English Revolution". 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 Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

(the

). Following the

Act of Toleration 1689 The Toleration Act 1688 (1 Will & Mary c 18), also referred to as the Act of Toleration, was an Act of the Parliament of England. Passed in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution, it received royal assent on 24 May 1689. The Act allowed for ...

, 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 A dissenter (from the Latin ''dissentire'', "to disagree") is one who dissents (disagrees) in matters of opinion, belief, etc. Usage in Christianity Dissent from the Anglican church In the social and religious history of England and Wales, an ...

. However, by the late 18th century, the influx of

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

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". Around this time Presbyterian / Unitarian opinion was once again divided about how far the denomination should be associated with the label 'Unitarian'.

James Martineau James Martineau (; 21 April 1805 – 11 January 1900) was a British religious philosopher influential in the history of Unitarianism. For 45 years he was Professor of Mental and Moral Philosophy and Political Economy in Manchester New College ( ...

, a Presbyterian minister formerly based in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

, 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".Goring, J & R (1984), ''The Unitarians'', p. 24 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".

Present day

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''. 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. 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, and the BBC religion page reflects this. The denomination supports same sex marriage.

Member churches

Many churches are architecturally significant and are

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

s, 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

The General Assembly counts about 182 churches as members, including: * Bank Street Unitarian Chapel, Bolton, Greater Manchester * Billingshurst Unitarian Chapel, 1754, West Sussex * Brighton Unitarian Church, 1820, built by

Amon Henry Wilds Amon Henry Wilds (1784 or 1790 – 13 July 1857) was an English architect. He was part of a team of three architects and builders who—working together or independently at different times—were almost solely responsible for a surge in resid ...

* Brook Street Chapel, Knutsford, Cheshire * Brookfield Unitarian Church, Gorton, Manchester * Bury Unitarian Church, in Bury, Lancashire * Chowbent Chapel, in

Atherton, Greater Manchester Atherton () is a town in Greater Manchester, England and historically a part of Lancashire. The town, including Hindsford, Howe Bridge and Hag Fold, is south of Bolton, east of Wigan, and northwest of Manchester. From the 17th century, f ...

Cross Street Chapel Cross Street Chapel is a Unitarian church in central Manchester, England. It is a member of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, the umbrella organisation for British Unitarians. Its present minister is Cody Coyne. His ...

, Manchester * Cambridge Unitarian Church (Memorial Church), Cambridgeshire *

Croydon Unitarian Church Croydon is a large town in South London, south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a Districts of England, local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts i ...

* 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 Fulwood Old Chapel is a Unitarian place of worship in the Fulwood district of western Sheffield, South Yorkshire. It is a member of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, the umbrella organisation for British Unitarians ...

, in Sheffield * Gellionnen Chapel, near Swansea * Great Meeting Unitarian Chapel, Leicester * Hastings Unitarian Church * Horsham Unitarian Church * Kendal Unitarian Chapel, Cumbria * King Edward Street Chapel, Macclesfield, Cheshire * Meadrow Unitarian Chapel, Godalming *

Mill Hill Chapel Mill Hill Chapel is a Unitarian church in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is a member of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, the umbrella organisation for British Unitarians. The building, which stands in the centr ...

, on

Leeds City Square City Square is a paved area north of Leeds railway station at the junction of Park Row to the east and Wellington Street to the south. It is a triangular area where six roads meet: Infirmary Street and Park Row to the north, Boar Lane and Bish ...

* New Chapel, Denton *

Newington Green Unitarian Church Newington Green Unitarian Church (NGUC) in north London is one of England's oldest Unitarian churches. It has had strong ties to political radicalism for over 300 years, and is London's oldest Nonconformist place of worship still in use. It wa ...

, North London *

Norcliffe Chapel Norcliffe Chapel is in the village of Styal, Cheshire, England. It is a Unitarian chapel, and is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building. The chapel was built in 1822–23 by a mill ow ...

, Styal, Cheshire * Nottage General Baptist & Unitarian Church near

Porthcawl Porthcawl (, ) is a town and community on the south coast of Wales in the county borough of Bridgend, west of the capital city, Cardiff and southeast of Swansea. Historically part of Glamorgan and situated on a low limestone headland on the S ...

* Octagon Chapel, Norwich * Richmond and Putney Unitarian Church *

Rivington Unitarian Chapel Rivington Unitarian Chapel is an active place of Unitarian worship in Rivington, Lancashire, England. It was founded in 1703, although its congregation dates to 1667. It is designated as a Grade II* listed building with some restoration in 1990 ...

, 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 West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

* Toxteth Unitarian Chapel, in Liverpool * UMB (Unitarian Meeting Bristol) Brunswick Square, Cabot Circus, Bristol City Centre, Bristol *

Underbank Chapel Underbank Chapel is a Unitarianism, Unitarian place of worship in Stannington, Sheffield, Stannington, a suburb of Sheffield, South Yorkshire. It is a member of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, the umbrella organisat ...

, Sheffield * Ullet Road Unitarian Church, Liverpool * Unitarian Meeting House, Ipswich * Upper Chapel, Sheffield * York Unitarian Chapel

Previous churches

Some Unitarian church buildings are now used for other purposes: * Wallasey Memorial Unitarian Church, on the

Wirral Peninsula Wirral (; ), known locally as The Wirral, is a peninsula in North West England. The roughly rectangular peninsula is about long and wide and is bounded by the River Dee to the west (forming the boundary with Wales), the River Mersey to ...

, now under the care of the Historic Chapels Trust *

Upper Brook Street Chapel, Manchester The Upper Brook Street Chapel, also known as the Islamic Academy, the Unitarian Chapel and the Welsh Baptist Chapel, is a former chapel with an attached Sunday School on the east side of Upper Brook Street, Chorlton-on-Medlock, Greater Manchester ...

, as of 2017

student accommodation A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm) is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or university s ...

* 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 High Pavement Chapel is a redundant church building in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. It is now the Pitcher and Piano public house and is Grade II listed. It was built as, and for most of its existence operated as, a Unitarian place of wo ...

, Nottingham, now a pub *

Platt Chapel Platt Fields Park is a large public park in Fallowfield, Manchester, England which is home to Platt Hall. Fallowfield lies to the south and Wilmslow Road runs along its eastern edge. Description The centrepiece of the park is a large pleasure ...

, in

Fallowfield Fallowfield is a suburb of Manchester, England, with a population at the 2011 census of 15,211. Historically in Lancashire, it lies south of Manchester city centre and is bisected east–west by Wilmslow Road and north–south by Wil ...

, Manchester Other 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 Joseph Chamberlain (8 July 1836 – 2 July 1914) was a British statesman who was first a radical Liberal, then a Liberal Unionist after opposing home rule for Ireland, and eventually served as a leading imperialist in coalition with the C ...

Church of the Messiah, Birmingham The Church of the Messiah, Birmingham was a General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, Unitarian place of worship on Broad Street, Birmingham, Broad Street. The impressive Gothic Revival architecture, Victorian Gothic church was ...

, 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, Liverpool

Those mentioned in articles

The following place articles mention the presence of their Unitarian churches: * Belper, Derbyshire (1788) * Bessels Green, in Sevenoaks, Kent *

Crewkerne Crewkerne ( ) is a town and electoral ward in Somerset, England, southwest of Yeovil and east of Chard all in the South Somerset district. The civil parish of West Crewkerne includes the hamlets of Coombe, Woolminstone and Henley – and b ...

, in Somerset *

Gateacre Gateacre () is a suburb of Liverpool, England, about from the city centre. It is bordered by Childwall, Woolton and Belle Vale. The area is noted for its Tudor Revival architecture and contains over 100 listed buildings within a quarter-mile r ...

, 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 Sussex

Affiliations

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

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

* 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 Sir Joseph Austen Chamberlain (16 October 1863 – 16 March 1937) was a British statesman, son of Joseph Chamberlain and older half-brother of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer (twice) and was briefly ...

Nobel peace prize The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiolog ...

winner * Joe 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 The Lupton family in Yorkshire achieved prominence in ecclesiastical and academic circles in England in the Tudor era through the fame of Roger Lupton, provost of Eton College and chaplain to Henry VII and Henry VIII. By the Georgian era, ...

of Leeds, prosperous merchants and civic leaders * John Sutton Nettlefold, industrialist *

Sir Isaac Newton Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author (described in his time as a " natural philosopher"), widely recognised as one of the g ...

, physicist *

Joseph Priestley Joseph Priestley (; 24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, natural philosopher, separatist theologian, grammarian, multi-subject educator, and liberal political theorist. He published over 150 works, and conducted exp ...

, chemist and Unitarian clergyman * Andrew Pritchard, microscope maker *

Cyril Smith Sir Cyril Richard Smith (28 June 1928 – 3 September 2010) was a prominent British politician who after his death was revealed to have been a prolific serial sex offender against children. A member of the Liberal Party, he was Member of ...

, member of parliament and alleged serial sex offender *

Mary Wollstonecraft Mary Wollstonecraft (, ; 27 April 1759 – 10 September 1797) was a British writer, philosopher, and advocate of women's rights. Until the late 20th century, Wollstonecraft's life, which encompassed several unconventional personal relationsh ...

,Mary on the Green
About Mary
feminist

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:General Assembly of Unitarian And Free Christian Churches Christian organisations based in the United Kingdom Christian denominations in the United Kingdom English Reformation Unitarianism in the United Kingdom Christian organizations established in 1928 1928 establishments in the United Kingdom