The Scottish Unitarian Association

CONTENTS

SCOTTISH UNITARIANISM

The Scottish Unitarian Association, while modest in membership among the G.A.family of Districts, may claim to be the most extensive in area, since its bailiwick (notionally at any rate) stretches from the Solway Firth to Unst in the Shetland Isles and from the Isle of Lewis to Aberdeen. As far as we know, there are no Unitarians in Shetland, but we are in contact with Unitarians in Lewis, Orkney, Berwick-upon- Tweed and on the Mull of Kintyre. The S.U.A. is a national as well as a district Organisation, as it functions in a different jurisdiction from the G.A. since the Scottish and English legal systems do not coincide. This discontinuity creates certain administrative difficulties and will no doubt become ever more marked as devolution gains momentum.

The S.U.A. was founded by two Englishmen, the Rev. James Yates, Minister in Glasgow, and the Rev. Thomas Southwood Smith of Edinburgh, on 28th.July 1813, and was revived in 1830 (after its demise in 1824) by another Englishman, the Rev. George Harris. Although Scottish Unitarianism was stimulated and organised by the energy of English missionaries such as the Rev. Richard Wright, a growing indigenous Universalist opposition to Calvinism provided them with ready converts. The credit for founding the first Scottish Unitarian Congregation, at Montrose in 1781, is due to a Scot (albeit heavily influenced by Joseph Priestley) William Christie.

The Montrose Church did not survive Christie's departure from the town in 1794, and in the ensuing century and a half another nine Unitarian Churches elsewhere in Scotland, recorded similarly brief life- spans, leaving behind them the four survivors, in the principal cities, which today constitute the S.U.A.

Each of these four churches, funded by income from free-will offering, fund-raising, investments, property and bequests is soundly based and supports a professional ministry - part-time, in the case of Dundee at the moment, but it is anticipated that this may become full time in the near future.⁽¹⁾ Each Congregation is seated comfortably in its own city-centre premises and Edinburgh still occupies its 1835 building, the exuberant facade now happily restored. The others, having been obliged to surrender their own architectural heritage to the importunities of town-planners and economic exigencies, occupy plain-faced, modern buildings. Aberdeen's membership (Rev. Eric Breeze⁽⁴⁾) numbers 56 (30 average attendance); Dundee (Rev. Bob Wightman) 57 (50); Edinburgh (Rev. Andrew Hill⁽⁵⁾ 110 (45); Glasgow (Alan Bates⁽⁶⁾) 43 (27).The S.U.A., each of its four churches and the Scottish Unitarian Fellowship have their respective websites.

As may be expected of congregations at least 50 miles apart, each has its own distinct profile; however, it would be difficult to be specific about these differences, whether demotic or philosophical: what is certain is that the range of religious belief within the S.U.A. membership encompasses the whole Unitarian spectrum, from traditional Free Christian to New Age and the varieties of Humanism.

A particularly interesting exercise in denominational convergence is taking place in Dundee where, five years ago, members of an independent Congregational Church followed its Minister, the Rev. Bob Wightman (now on the G.A. Roll), into membership of the Williamson Memorial Unitarian Christian Church, and are evolving into a Unitarian congregation.

The Heroic Age of Scottish Universalism/ Unitarianism with its martyrdom on the gallows (Thomas Aikenhead, Edinburgh, 1696) and transportation to Botany Bay (Thomas Fyshe Palmer, Dundee, 1793) is fortunately long past; and also long departed are our 19th. century giants, who, by their deeds, moulded Scottish Unitarianism in their pursuit of religious freedom, innovation and social justice, Alexander Webster (Aberdeen), Henry Williamson (Dundee) George Hope and Robert Drummond (Edinburgh) Henry Crosskey and John Page Hopps (Glasgow). They have bequeathed us an agenda, which in our modest way we, severally, try to honour in our service to the community, our support of inter-faith activities and our on- going concern with freedom and fair-play, at home and abroad.

Although a coordinating body, and dependent for most of its funding upon its constituent Churches, the S.U.A. by means of its Annual General Meeting and its Executive Committee, which meets three times a year, is also empowered to act on its own behalf and, therefore, is a member of various institutions, including A.C.T.S (Action of Churches Together in Scotland), Commonweal, Jubilee 2000, and the Scottish Interfaith Council of which the S.U.A. is a founder member. 

The S.U.A. also tries to be sensitive to the wider community's evolving perception of the role of a religious denomination in a person's spiritual life and how its services may be accessed and used. In an effort to accommodate non-members' requests for rites-of-passage services the S.U.A. has over the past few years developed the Chaplaincy Scheme, which has gained approval and is ready to accept potential recruits.

Over the past two years responses to press advertisements have demonstrated a widespread curiosity about Unitarianism in Scotland and the S.U.A. has to find acceptable ways of transforming this curiosity into serious interest.

The advent of the Scottish Unitarian Fellowship on the scene, recently, has also revealed the existence of interest in following the Unitarian path. The S.U.F. started five years ago as the readership of a magazine for individual members of the S.U.A., entitled "The Link" and edited by the Rev. Dr. Colin Wicker.⁽⁷⁾ Gradually, non- church members out-numbered Church members as readers, until it was decided to make some separate provision for this country-wide group whose needs could not easily be accommodated within the traditional S.U.A. structure, based upon the four city churches. The S.U.A. had intended to be the midwife, but the birth of the S.U.F. last year was more a spontaneous than a planned event. However this is an organic and innovative group which seems to generate its own momentum and may even be similar to the proto-Unitarians shepherded by Richard Wright and George Harris.

The S.U.F. membership is attracted to Unitarianism for many reasons, but an important one seems to be the opportunity to develop and nourish personal spirituality in a non-credal environment without being a member of a Church-based congregation. Contact with and among the members is by means of the "Link" magazine, the mail, telephone and increasingly the Internet. The Rev Dr. Colin Wicker⁽⁷⁾, who looks after the S.U.F., also visits individual members when he can.

The practice of belonging to a Denomination without being a member of a specific Congregation is scarcely new but in Scotland, people of independent mind now apparently see it as a sound way of making contact with an accessible, spiritual community and perhaps of satisfying spiritual need. Currently, there are 64 non- church members and interest continues to grow. The S.U.F. is still evolving and as we have had no prior experience of such an innovation, it is difficult to predict how it will develop. Similarities there are with the N.U.F. but also differences: its rapid growth and the fact that many of its members have discovered Unitarianism only recently. It has a draft constitution, office bearers and a committee and talks are proceeding with the S.U.A. about its affiliation to the national body.⁽²⁾

The S.U.F., the Chaplaincy Scheme, the increased interest in Unitarianism all predict a lively future for the S.U.A. Our ancestors would certainly have seen this as a challenge to be welcomed (An Online Unitarian Church, perhaps?) and I am certain we, their inheritors, will not disappoint them. 

W.S Stephen.⁽³⁾

^{'The Unitarian' May 2000}

(Reproduced here with permission of the author, and 'The Unitarian' in which the article was first published.)

⁽¹⁾  Rev. Robert Wightman is now employed on a full-time basis by the Dundee congregation.

⁽²⁾ At the S.U.A. Annual Meeting, held in June 2000, it was agreed to grant affiliation to the S.U.F. in February 2001.

⁽³⁾ Bill Stephen served a five-year term of office, as Hon. Secretary of the S.U.A, from 1995 to 2000.

⁽⁴⁾ Rev. Eric Breeze left Aberdeen in 2006. Rev. Cal Courtney is now the part-time minister and usually takes the service on the 2nd Sunday of
    the month.

⁽⁵⁾ Rev. Andrew Hill retired in 2007. The Interim Minister is Rev. Louise Ulrich.

⁽⁶⁾ Alan Bates has left Glasgow. Rev. Cal Courtney is now the part-time minister and usually takes the service on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the
     month.

⁽⁷⁾ Rev. Dr.Colin McK.Wicker passed away on August 15th 2007.  (Please see the October 2007 issue of the 'Link' for further details.)
    The 'Link' is now edited by Bill Stephen who is also the secretary and correspondent.

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The S.U.A. aims to promote fellowship among Unitarians in Scotland by all means possible, and to spread Unitarian ideas and principles in Scotland by linking together for mutual support and endeavor, Unitarian churches, fellowships, societies and individuals.

Membership of the S.U.A. is available to individuals, whether within the churches or without, who wish to be members of the Association and who shall subscribe annually to the Treasurer an amount which at present stands at £5.50.

If you wish to contact the S.U.A. please contact the Secretary, Janet Briggs: email:

OFFICE BEARERS 2008-2009

TRUSTEES

(EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE)

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Each of the churches has its own web site:

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Some other Unitarian Web Sites:

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