How we work
OUR OBJECT
The Object of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches is “to promote a free and inquiring religion through the worship of God and the celebration of life; the service of humanity and respect for all creation; and the upholding of the liberal Christian tradition.”
OUR COMMUNITY
Our congregations are autonomous, democratic organisations, led by the members. Each elects its own leadership annually and decide their own vision and plans. The culture and ethos of each congregation is unique, while belonging to our larger family. Some congregations are led by a minister appointed by the congregation, and others are led directly by the community.
As well as individual congregations, there are District Associations that connect and support congregations in a local region, and many societies, from the Peace Fellowship and the Earth Spirit Network to the Women’s Group and the Music Society – plus many more. You can find a full list of our Districts and Societies here.
Leadership & Governance
The Unitarian movement is a democratic, grass-roots organisation. Our central hub is the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, a registered charity, whose Executive Committee is elected by members. The movement makes collective decisions at our Annual Meetings, where each congregation sends its delegates.
Each year at the Annual Meetings, congregations and societies are invited to submit Motions for consideration and approval by the delegates. Only four motions will be put to a vote each year. You can read about most recent motions passed here.
For an historical view, you can read a synopsis of the resolutions we have passed from 1929 to 2022. These show the issues that our community has stood up for since the General Assembly’s inception in 1929.
Read more about our governance in our Object and Constitution, and find out about recent activities in our Annual Report.
You can find our complaints policy here.
The General Assembly is funded by a mixture of membership payments from congregations, donations, grants, and income from our investments. Find out more about how you can support our work.
Liz Slade, Chief Officer
Chief Officer
Our Chief Officer, Liz Slade, works with the Executive Committee and leads the staff team. She joined us in March 2019 after a senior career in the healthcare industry. Originally from Dorset, Liz joined our New Unity congregation in north London, starting her on a spiritual journey which led her through leadership in the Sunday Assembly movement to leading pilgrimages treating works of literature as sacred texts, before becoming our Chief Officer. She is excited by the role that Unitarians can play in bringing a cultural shift to make it easy for everyone to participate in a spiritually healthy community, and sees this as a necessary part of creating a society that is more equal and in balance with the natural world.
Meet the rest of the General Assembly staff team here.
Professor Geoff Levermore
Presidential Team
The Presidential team travel the length and breadth of the UK (in person and via Zoom!), connecting with our congregations and sharing their vision for the future. They also represents us at official events like Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph and on official bodies. The President and Vice President are elected annually, serving a 12 month term.
Geoff Levermore (President) studied physics in London and in 1992 started researching into building services and climate change at UMIST (now Manchester University). He was a Lead Author of the IPCC 4th Assessment Report, contributing to the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to the IPCC, along with Al Gore. Geoff is semi-retired.
In London he and his late wife, Carolyn, took the children to an Anglican church. Up North they went to Norcliffe Chapel Styal and heard the Rev Pat Shaw preach and they became hooked on Unitarianism. He now takes services occasionally at Norcliffe, Shrewsbury and other chapels.
He describes himself as a Unitarian agnostic Christian who tries to grapple with philosophy. He recently found the theology of Gordon Kaufman, who describes God as the Mystery of Creation. This idea sits well with current science and usefully gives a theology for climate change. Geoff recently married Margaret adding three stepchildren to the family.
He was honoured to be nominated for the Presidency as he feels the Unitarian message is a good one that needs more exposure. He also feels that Unitarianism is a good home for all who wonder what the purpose of life is and a good life at that, with deeds unfettered by creeds.
Jeffrey Bowes (Vice-president) was was called to Unitarian ministry in 1985, becoming minister for the Somerset and Dorset Group. Since then he has been an exemplary leader in the Unitarian world, taking on varied roles, including: District Secretary of the Western Union and Treasurer of the North West Provincial Assembly, President of the Ministerial Fellowship, and Chair of both the Widows’ Fund and the Ministers’ Pension Fund.
About his nomination for Vice President he says, “One of the things we have said about Unitarianism is that we try to bring the best of scientific learning to bear on our spiritual insights. There have been enormous strides in understanding about the nature of consciousness, how our minds work, how we are affected by diet, meditation, exercise, sleep, prayer. I would be very grateful to have opportunity to help make more of that information useful to Unitarians today. The Universe is a very strange, complex place and we do well to attend to our own, and our world’s weirdness.”
Executive Committee
Our Executive Committee is elected directly by our members. Their work is open and transparent. You can read the minutes from their meetings in our Resources section.
Our Executive Committee:
John Bates
Sarah Benfield
John Bates is a retired Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at London Business School, with forty years’ experience in business and education. He joined Cambridge Unitarians in 1991 and later was a member of Islington Unitarians. John became Chair of New Unity when it was formed in 2015, before stepping down in 2022.
Sarah Benfield lives in Berkshire and is a retired solicitor specialising in family law. She is a member of Reading Unitarian fellowship. The daughter of a Unitarian minister, Sarah has been involved in the denomination all of her life, including in Sheffield, Reading, and as Chair of the Send A Child To Hucklow charity which helps children from deprived areas experience the natural world. Sarah enjoys travelling with her family, volunteering in her local park and as a National Trust guide, singing in a choir and dance exercise classes..
Simon Hall
Jenny Jacobs
Rev. Jo James
Simon Hall has worked in IT for the public sector for many years and is now studying a BA in Theology. He is active in both Northampton and Leicester Unitarians.
Jenny Jacobs lives in Harrogate and is Secretary and an occasional worship leader at York Unitarians. She only discovered the Unitarians relatively recently, and wishes she’d known about them sooner. This helps explain why Jenny is passionate about raising the profile and public presence of Unitarianism. She’s convinced there are a whole lot more people out there who want what we offer, but probably don’t know we exist. Recently retired from her main job in housing, Jenny still works part time for the Ministry of Justice as a Valuer Member of the First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).
Rev. Jo James is Minister of Mill Hill Chapel, Leeds, where he has had a particular interest in fostering conversation projects with refugees, other faith groups, mental health and wellbeing groups and theological reflection within the congregation and denomination. Before training for the ministry he worked in the theatre for over twenty years as an actor. Jo is married to Ann, a ceramic artist, they have two young children.
Sue Morrison
Sue Morrison lives in London and is a former GP, medical educator and life coach. Her health education work has taken her around the world, including to Bangladesh and Kenya. Sue began her Unitarian journey at Monton Unitarians, Lancashire, attending as a child with her grandmother – memories which she cherishes. She is now a leader at New Unity in north London, but remains a proud Northerner. Sue loves being an active grandmother, making patchwork quilts and choral singing.
Zac Baker lives in Cwmbran, South Wales. A graduate of Swansea University in Biochemistry and Genetics, he currently works in cardiac device clinical trials. Encouraged by the openness of the Unitarians to all people and ideas, he joined Swansea Unitarians in 2019 and has since become involved both at the district and national level in Wales. He has particular interest in ensuring the Unitarian movement evolves with the needs of today and continues to provide its unique approach to faith and community for those who seek it.
Rev. Laura Dobson is minister with Chorlton Unitarians in Manchester, where she is passionate about creating safe spaces for people to be vulnerable with each other in exploring spiritual wellbeing. Laura grew up in a Warwickshire farming family, and now lives in Stockport with her husband and their dog. She has been a Unitarian since 2013 and completed ministry training in 2021, after a career in university administration. Laura’s spirituality is grounded in her love of the natural world. She enjoys walking in the countryside, loves to sing loudly, and sporadically practises yoga.