Comments on: Unitarians in Africa

By: Dan

Dan — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 02:43:21 +0000

What I’m really looking forward to is when we start seeing original African English-language worship materials appearing. The tiny Brazilian UU congregation has already enriched the worship life here in New Bedford (where we have a number of bi-lingual Portuguese-English speakers), and I regularly use English-language chalice lightings from the ICUU Web site.

For me, having access to even these little bits of worship materials from overseas is a Big Deal, and has helped me break out of the stagnation into which U.S. UU worship has fallen.

By: Jaume

Jaume — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 14:07:49 +0000

There will probably be several African guests at the next ICUU biannual meeting in Oberwesel (Germany) next November. If any of you can afford the trip to Europe, this may be a unique chance to meet them face to face. Check http://www.icuu.net for updates.

By: Scott Wells

Scott Wells — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 00:37:17 +0000

Thanks for the update.

By: Derek

Derek — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 00:05:04 +0000

In a recent conversation with a colleague, my understanding is that the sexual orientation issue is off the map for liberal churches in Nigeria (including the Unitarian Brotherhood Church). I’ve been told that the bigger conflict between Nigerian Unitarians and Nigerian Anglicans involves the ordination of women and the use of reason in Biblical scholarship.

But in any case I would venture that the Anglican Church of Nigeria probably doesn’t give a “@$^&” about the opinions of a few hundred Unitarians living around the city of Lagos. Why would they, when they don’t seem to care about the opinions of over a million Episcopalians in North America.

By: Scott Wells

Scott Wells — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 12:14:40 +0000

No, I don’t and cannot assume they believe any differently than the Anglicans until otherwise informed. Why would they, if, as has been suggested in some of the gay press, that the animus against gays is less about religion than the culture, esp. the dominant Yoruba culture from which the Unitarians draw.

By: mskitty

mskitty — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 03:53:42 +0000

Scott, do you know if Nigerian Unitarians are speaking out about the leadership of the Nigerian Anglicans? With the Nigerian Archbishop doing such crazy stuff in the Anglican communion, I’m wondering if the Unitarians are responding to that issue.