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ICUU President Brian Kiely will deliver the John Relly Beard lecture on the 8th of April as part of the Annual Meetings of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom.
The lecture is sponsored by the professional body of Unitarian ministers in Great Britain and is in memory of the Rev John Relly Beard, a famous forebear responsible for many accomplishments including the establishment of Unitarian College Manchester.
Beard had an early interest in liberal religion abroad and he edited a book of essays on international Unitarianism in 1846 titled "Unitarianism Exhibited in its Actual Condition". Available on line at http://www.archive.org/details/unitarianismexhi00bear
Kiely's subject for this year's address will be "The Center and the Circle: The Challenge of International Ministry" and it is the first time the lecture will be delivered by someone from outside the United Kingdom.
When asked to describe his subject, he remarked: "Unitarianism is not really a global faith. Rather it is a collection of indigenous expressions of the liberal religious spirit. That truth combined with economic and varying educational conditions around the globe make international Unitarian ministry challenging indeed."
The ICUU President will be a guest of the British Unitarians at their meetings and he welcome the opportunity to learn more about how they see their role in the international liberal religious community. The British General Assembly is a founding member of ICUU. More information about Unitarians in the UK can be found at www.unitarian.org.uk.
ICUU Executive Secretary Steve Dick and Program Coordinator Jill McAllister will represent ICUU at the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association from June 23 to 28 at the Convention Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
Attendees can meet Jill and Steve at the ICUU booth in the UU International Organizations Village (Booth #227) in the exhibit area at the Assembly.
ICUU will host a number of special events in the Village including a live quiz show on International U*U ABCs (win a t-shirt), Face to Faith Encounters and a challenging session on How Not to Be A U*U Tourist. Special guests from U*U groups in other countries will also make an appearance.
The schedule of events and other announcements can be found on a special website set up at www.UUinternational.org.
ICUU will share the International Village at the UUA General Assembly with the International Convocation of UU Women, Project Harvest Hope, UU Global Aids Coalition, UU Partner Churches Council, UU United Nations Office and the International Resources Office of the UUA.
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Global Chalice Lighting for May 2010
The International Council of Unitarians and Universalists announces the 81st in its monthly series of global chalice lighting readings. Congregations worldwide are invited to participate.
All ICUU-affiliated groups have been asked to submit brief chalice lightings for the project. Every month, a reading will be distributed to Unitarian and Universalist congregations around the world.
We ask each congregation to use the reading for at least one worship service in the designated month, identifying it as the “Global Chalice Lighting” for that month and naming the group which submitted it.
Readings will be circulated in English and, where different, in their original language.
It is hoped that the ICUU Global Chalice Lighting Project will enhance the worship experience in our congregations and raise awareness of the international dimensions of our religious movement.
Past Chalice Lightings
This Global Chalice Lighting, in Yoruba and English, is to be used during May 2010.
Alafia mbe l’okan ti
Ife nse Oluto;
Ife dara julo l’ebun
O nmu ‘wa rere pe.
Peace reigns in the heart that
Love co-ordinates and directs.
Unrestrained love is the greatest gift,
As it prolongs good behaviors and attitudes,
Olafemi Matimoju
First Unitarian Church of Nigeria
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