Unitarians Worldwide - Countries G-O

Germany

Liberal religion within Germany embraces a large number of religiously free-minded people. Yet liberal religion is only loosely organised, divided among several denominational bodies of various historic, ideological and organizational origin. Two of the more important groups are described below:

Freireligiose Gemeinden (Free Religious congregations). The free religious organisations broke away from the state church in the middle of the 19th century, having been involved in the democratic movement during the German Revolution. The free religious movement is non-hierarchical in its organization and non-dogmatic in its teaching. While the federal League of Free Religious Societies holds membership in the International Humanist and Ethical Union, there are two regions holding additional contact with the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF).

Deutsche Unitarier Religionsgemeineschaft (D.U.R) is a democratic fellowship, originating in the 19th century, newly spread throughout Germany with approximately 1,600 members in 26 lay-led congregations.
Contact: Wolfgang Jantz
Jantz@t-online.de

Hungary

After the unification of Transylvania with Hungary in 1867 many Unitarians settled in Budapest and in other Hungarian towns and an influential church was established in the capital in 1869 which is today the site of the headquarters of the denomination. There are 12 Unitarian congregations in Hungary plus 21 fellowships.
Contact: Unitarian Church of Hungary, 1055 Budapest V., Nagy Ignac u. 4, HUNGARY
www.unitarius.eu

Iceland

Contact: Jon Gunnarson, Hjardarhaga 48, 107 Reykjavik, Iceland

Ireland

Contact: Rt. Rev. Robert McKee, 41a Rosemary Street, Belfast, BT1 1QB, Northern Ireland. Tel: (028) 90325365

www.nspresbyterian.org

India

There is a Unitarian church and congregation in Madras (est. 1795) and fellowships in Hyderabad and Erode, South India. The Khasi and Jaintia Hills Unitarian Union includes thirty-two scattered congregations in Meghalaya and Assam with a growing membership of about 9,000 people. Its members belong to the hill tribes and speak the Khasi language. A magazine, 'U Nongwad /Inquirer' appears quarterly.
Contact: Carleywell Lyngdoh, Unitarian Union of NE India, JOWAI, 793150, Meghalaya, INDIA
Email: uu_ne_india@hotmail.com Unitarian Union of North East India

Japan

The presently named Free Christian Church was founded in 1953. It consists of a single congregation in Tokyo. They publish a monthly bulletin.
Contact: Shigeo Akashi, 5-14-10, Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 155, Japan

Latvia

In 1993 a new Unitarian Universalist congregation was founded in Riga, Latvia.
Contact: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Riga, c/o Maija Ozolina, Silikatu iela 2-7, Riga, LV 1016, LATVIA

The Netherlands

The spirit of Erasmus has influenced Dutch liberal Protestantism since the Reformation. The Remonstrant Brotherhood, for instance, dates back to 1619 and the Armenian Controversy. The Zwinglibond ( Dutch Unitarian Association ) produces a regular journal and has a chair at the University of Groningen.
Contact: Remonstrant Brotherhood, Nieuwe Gracht 27, 3512 LC UTRECHT, Netherlands;
Prof. Dr. E H Cossee, Burg, Le Fevre de Montignylaan 169, NL-3055 NC Rotterdam, Netherlands

New Zealand

Website: www.anzua.org/anzua_alt

Nigeria

The Unitarian Brotherhood Church of Lagos, Nigeria, was founded in 1919. It was the first African church to introduce African cultural elements into its liturgy and to baptise their children with names in the Yoruba language.
Contact: Rev. Adewale Soyombo Abowaba, Unitarian Brotherhood Church, 25a Bankole Street, LAGOS, Nigeria

Norway

The Unitarian Christian Church in Norway
Website: www.unitarforbundet.org