Unitarians Worldwide - Countries P-Z
PakistanUnitarian Universalist Christians of Pakistan (UUCP) was founded in 1991 as
a confederation of self-help groups. |
PhilippinesThe Universalist Church of the Philippines was established in the early 1950s
on the initiative of the Rev. Toribio S. Quimada. This body was renamed the
Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines in 1988. There are 15
Unitarian Universalist congregations, all on the islands of Negros, Panay
and Mindanao with a membership of over 400 people. |
PolandIn April 1997 the Polish Unitarian Church held its Founding Synod using a
constitution registered with the Polish authorities in January 1997.
This church is based in Warsaw, with some contacts elsewhere in Poland.
It represents the merger of three post-World War I liberal religious
strands: (a) a Panmonist (i.e. Universalist) group in Warsaw founded by
Rev Marcin Lubecki; (b) a fellowship in Warsaw led by Rev Janusz Ostrowski
but largely destroyed during the Second World War; and (c) the re-established
Union of Polish Brethren started by Rev Karol Grycz-Smilowski in 1936.
The latter suffered a takeover by Pentecostals who wanted a registered
church organisation to get around their sect image so the Unitarians
formed a new Union of Polish Brethren, Unitarian. This latter group is
active today mainly in Silesia. The impetus for a merger and official
registration came from wishing to avoid being considered a sect, which has
real disadvantages under Polish law. Polish Unitarians are affiliated to the
ICUU through the umbrella organisation, the Association of Unitarian
Universalists in the Polish Republic. |
RomaniaA fully organised Unitarian church has existed in Transylvania since its
foundation by Bishop Francis David in 1568. The total membership is 80,000. |
RussiaTwo small groups have become established in recent years in St. Petersburg
and Moscow. |
South AfricaThe first South African Unitarian congregation was founded in Cape Town in 1867. There is a church in Cape
Town and congregations in surrounding suburbs: Somerset West, Southern Peninsula and Northern Suburbs
(Afrikaans speaking.) The website for these groups is
www.capetownunitarian.org.za and the
current minister is Rev. Roux Malan at rouxmalan@gmail.com .
There are two other fellowships
in Durban, and Johannesburg.
|
SpainEmail: suue@uuhispano.zzn.com |
Sri LankaSince 1992 a community of some 3,500 people has developed.
The title of the group is the Unitarian Universalist Association of Sri Lanka. |
United States of AmericaThe Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) represents the consolidation
in 1961 of two religious denominations: the Universalists organised in 1793,
and the Unitarians organised in 1825. The UUA is composed of member congregations
serving about 157,000 adults and 61,000 church school children in over 1000
churches and fellowships in the United States. |
