1. Service of memorial and celebration of the life of Kate Taylor
A service of memorial and celebration of the life of Kate Taylor will take place at Wakefield Cathedral on Saturday 26 September at 2.00pm.
During the service those present will give thanks for Kate and share some memories of her life and work. In addition the Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, Dr Ingrid M Roscoe BA, PhD, FSA will present Kate's son with the MBE which Her Majesty the Queen graciously awarded Kate in the 2015 Birthday Honours list. Refreshments will be served in the nave after the service.
Those wishing to attend the memorial service are asked to let the Cathedral know they are coming by sending an e-mail to admin@wakefield-cathedral.org.uk.
Chris Pilkington
General Secretary
Westgate Chapel, Wakefield
2. Unitarian Renewal Group – Handling Our Diversity
A day gathering for all Unitarians will take place on Saturday 26 September 2015 at Upper Chapel, Norfolk Street, Sheffield, S1 2JD from 11.00am to 4.00pm with speakers; Rev Phil Waldron, starting a first ministry in Merseyside; Christina Smith, Worship Leader at Derby Unitarians and Chief Community Cultivator at Derby Unity (EMU/2020 project) and Rev John Midgley, Retired Minister and columnist in The Inquirer. There will be lots of time for input, discussion and reflection. Tea/Coffee provided however please bring your own lunch. Free with donations, as you are able, to cover costs.
Further information available from David Dawson 01943 608354 [Email: dcdawson3@hotmail.com] or Rev Celia Midgley 01756 228387. An email to say you expect to come would be appreciated – just for administrative purposes.
David Dawson
Unitarian Renewal Group
3. Heritage Open Days
Several congregations will be participating in Heritage Open days. I have received the following details regarding arrangements for Pepper Hill Chapel, Shelf near Hallifax which will be open on Saturday 12 September from 10.30am – 4.00pm and on Sunday 13 September from 12noon – 4.00pm. All are welcome.
Derek McAuley
Chief Officer
4. Rev John C. Ballantyne
Those interested in family history will be interested to learn that the family of David Stamford Ballantyne; the well-known potter, painter, designer, teacher and craftsman have produced a website to celebrate his life and work. They have included in the family background section of his biography information about his father, Rev John C Ballantyne, a Unitarian Minister who had a long ministry at Essex Church in Kensington and also in Liverpool. There are links to two of his publications that are on the General Assembly website: 'Beliefs of a Unitarian' and 'Liberty, diversity and fraternity'.
Derek McAuley
Chief Officer
5. World Peace Day – Message from Religions for Peace
21 September is Peace Day - the annual date unanimously adopted by the United Nations as a day of global ceasefire and non violence. The UN invites all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities for Peace Day every year in the hope that it might eventually lead to a more permanent peace.
Peace One Day is the independent non profit organisation set up to make Peace Day an annual day of global unity and intercultural cooperation. Their campaigns and activities in education, music, film, sport and on line have involved millions of people in every country of the world and prove that Peace Day can work.
Peace One Day has a great website. Please take a look at it.
Is there a way you can get involved and encourage members of your community to do likewise? Help make peace a reality.
This year Peace One Day is supporting Prayer for Everyone, a world wide action over 7 days commencing 24 September calling for the different faiths, according to their own traditions, to pray for the new global goals which include peace and justice. Please go to their website and consider how you might be able to support this.
6. Media Coverage
An obituary for Kate Taylor (see above) written by Rev John Midgley appeared in The Guardian – Teaching Other Lives (17 August 2015)
Rochdale Unitarian Church registered for same-sex marriages (Rochdale online 5 August 2015)
Rawenstall Unitarian Church’s registration for same-sex marriages was featured in Lancashire Telegraph (26 August 2015) and the Rossendale Free Press (27 August 2015)
Their Minister, Rev Jim Corrigall was interviewed on BBC Radio Lancashire just after 8.20 on 25 August 2015 on the Graham Liver morning show (which runs 0600 to 0900). You can listen to the interview on bbc i-player for the next 29 days. This is the direct web link to the Graham Liver morning programme. Click on the programme for 25/08/2015. Then the interview starts 2 hours 21 mins and 11 secs in (so move the cursor to 02:21:11). In other words, the interview began at 08:21:11 hours. Interview runs for 4.5 minutes.
Rev Jo James, Minister at Mill Hill Chapel, was interviewed by Made in Leeds TV prior to conducting the first same-sex marriage in a religious building in Leeds.
The Octagon Chapel in Norwich received excellent press coverage in the Eastern Daily Press weekend magazine (8 August 2015) following a visit by a local journalist.
Derek McAuley
Chief Officer