Last September (2014) leading Unitarians and Free Christians met at Cross Street Chapel in Manchester to share their vision for the Future of Unitarianism in this country.
They discussed many ideas and tried to deal with pictures rather than words, recognising the challenge of coming to an agreement. It is strange to record that the day passed almost without dissent and the outcome has served as the basis to develop the ideas contained in this book.
This is a vision for our future created by the members of our Movement themselves. It is not a product of Executive Committee thinking, though the Executive Committee are 100% behind it. It has evolved through fundamental thought, creative argument and consultation. Many of you will have seen these pieces published in the Inquirer and the Unitarian; there have been discussions on Facebook and conversations between individuals.
There is still much to do and the debate must continue as we develop our thoughts into some sort of cohesive picture. It will, of course, fall to the Executive Committee and the various Strategy Groups to evolve a plan on how to implement the thoughts and ideas that have been put forward.
This vision, though created with a view to the Unitarian Movement nationally, applies just as easily to Districts and congregations. How it is implemented will, of course, differ according to circumstance. But it can become a uniting factor in our search for a better future.
We all hope that it will serve to inspire those many individuals who love our Movement so deeply to join together in serving by whatever means they are able.
There are some practical things that we can do to improve this vision, because it relies on everybody to join in and have their say. Here are 3 ways in which you can become involved:
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If you are a member of any Unitarian Facebook groups - comment directly - go for it!
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If you are on the Internet, you can access the national Unitarian website and comment on any individual article at www.unitarian.org.uk
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For those without Internet access, for whatever reason; discuss the various pieces as a congregation and then get somebody with an Internet connection to make your contribution.
This is a vision for everybody. It will continue to develop with new ideas and new thoughts. Please come and be part of it.
Robert Ince
Convenor of the Executive Committee
Acknowledgments
Thank you to all those who took part in the Vision Day at Cross Street Chapel and those who have contributed pieces to this document.
Thank you to the unknown artist from the Vision Day who drew the outline figures.
