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Unitarians come from a long tradition and have evolved over time at different rates and in different ways across the globe. The Australian and new Zealand UU experience is likely to be different from what you might expect from visiting UU web pages in the USA or Europe. Nor is it the same across ANZ and you will likely find very different experiences in the same city where multiple UU communities meet. However we all have common values and interests, centred around the seven Unitarian Principles.

Who we are

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We are spiritual communities with Christian origins that recognise and respect wisdom from a range of traditions, both religious and secular. Our gatherings can include people from many faiths and none, including progressive Christians, Humanist, Atheist, Agnostic, Buddhist  and Earth centred.

 

While we differ in our beliefs and experiences we  have common principles involving respect for people of all faiths and cultures, respect for the planet, trying to live an ‘ethical life’ and developing our own sense of spirituality. We believe that spirituality can be developed through reason, conscience and our own experience.

 

Instead of creed we share a spirit and vision of inclusivity, individual agency, and social justice — "Deeds,  not Creeds!'. We embrace personal discovery and growth through learning, engagement, and service. Our only doctrine is love.

 

Read what some people say about why they are part of Unitarian Universalist communities.

How we are organised

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Unitarian churches and fellowships follow a democratic and congregationalist model, with each church governing its own affairs.

 

ANZUUA has no authority or sway over any member congregations This is distinguished from less democratic systems of church governance, such as governance by elders or by a church hierarchy of bishops. 

 

Our Seven Principles

  1. The inherent worth and dignity of every person

  2. Justice, equity and compassion in human relations

  3. Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations

  4. A free and responsible search for truth and meaning

  5. The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large

  6. The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all

  7. Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part

Unitarians make history

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Many Unitarians, both men and women, have been courageous agents of change and innovators who have helped shape the modern world we enjoy today.  They have worked to change society in many fields including the arts, politics, science, education and social justice.

 

Access to web pages and having the sum of all human knowledge at our finger tips is easy to take for granted, so first off is Sir Timothy "Tim" Berners-Lee, widely recognised as the  inventor of the World Wide Web.

 

One of  Australias most prominent Unitarians is the woman who graced the five dollar note, Catherine Helen Spence, journalist, social reformer and novelist from Adelaide. In Brisbane, Emma Miller was one of the first leaders in women's suffrage and a major fighter for women workers' rights. In southern states Andrew Ingles Clarke was a major contributor to formulating the Australian Constitution and in New Zealand Harriet Morison was an active suffragette, tailoress, trade unionist and public servant, while Robert Stout bacame Premier and Chief Justice.  

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