Author: Dale Tuggy

The Unitarian Christian Alliance UK International Conference organisers are pleased to announce a general call for papers to be presented at our third annual conference at the Denham Grove Hotel in Uxbridge, UK, Thursday 30 July – Saturday 1 August 2026. (Optional Sunday + programme: Sunday 2 August.) Watch this blog for the opening of registration.

• The paper submission deadline is the end of the day (UK time) of Friday, April 17, 2026. Please do not submit multiple papers. Submissions will be blind-reviewed by a committee.
• We are looking for scholarly (or at least: clear, informed, insightful, and well-argued) papers which are also accessible to an educated lay audience on topics which can advance the cause of unitarian Christianity. Previous conference presentations can be seen on YouTube and some model papers are referenced here.
• Topics may include but are not limited to: biblical theology, systematic theology, biblical studies, textual criticism, history of theology, history of unitarian Christianity, apologetics, Christian philosophy, analytic theology.
• Authors may submit even if they are neither a member of the UCA nor a unitarian Christian.
• Paper submissions must conform to the Chicago Manual of Style (Notes and Bibliography style, with footnotes and bibliography). A fully written paper must be submitted; an outline or proposal is not enough.
• The main text should be no longer than 6,000 words, so that the presentation is no longer than 45 minutes. Submitted papers longer than 6,000 (in the main text – so not including footnotes) will be automatically rejected.
• Authors should plan on about 10 minutes of audience Q&A after their talk. Papers may be read, although authors are encouraged to present the material in an engaging way.
• Conference presentations will be video-recorded and may be posted on the UCA YouTube channel, and our social media committee may also snip out interesting “sound bites” for short videos. By submitting a paper, you agree that your presentation may be filmed and used in these ways by the UCA.
• After removing any self-identifying features (e.g. your name, references to your other publications or other work), please email your submission to ukconference@unitarianchristianalliance.org. When submitting, please indicate your country of residence. We especially encourage submissions from the UK, Ireland, and continental Europe. Our conference coordinator will ensure that the papers are suitable for blind review and then pass them on to the committee.
• The committee’s decisions will be emailed to authors by the end of April 27, 2026.

Also, if you are planning on attending and you are interested in leading a practical workshop (as opposed to a scholarly presentation) please contact the committee with your idea at ukconference@unitarianchristianalliance.org.

Save the dates: the Unitarian Christian Alliance is coming to Australia! Inspired by our 2024 conference in New Zealand, our Australian committee has been hard at work putting together a full, residential conference at a beautiful conference center in Stanwell Tops, New South Wales (not too far from Sydney). The conference will start at 6pm on Friday, March 27, 2026 and it will end at 3pm on Sunday, March 29.

Confirmed speakers so far include UCA Board members Mark Cain, pastor Sean Finnegan, and Dr. Dale Tuggy.

Watch this blog for a call for papers; we intend to feature some excellent presentations by Australian unitarian Christians.

As with other UCA conferences, there will also be practical workshops and plenty of time for making new friends and encouraging one another.

We hope to see you there!

Our amazing UK and European committee have built a site for conference information and registration here. It will be held at the beautiful conference facility Denham Grove once more. There is a discounted rate for those who want to arrive earlier and/or stay later; you’ll need to talk to the hotel about that after registering. It’s not far from London, one of the greatest cities in the world!

The call for papers is here.

The workshops will be coordinated by Rosalind Frøysadal again; you can contact her through the site above – just click on “Workshops,” upper right.

You’ll want to register soon! There is an early-bird rate that ends March 31.

See you there?

The Unitarian Christian Alliance UK International Conference organisers are pleased to announce a general call for papers to be presented at our second annual conference at the Denham Grove Hotel in Uxbridge, UK, 24-27 July 2025. (Watch this blog for the opening of registration.)

The paper submission deadline is the end of the day (UK time) of Thursday, May 15, 2025.

Please do not submit multiple papers.

Submissions will be blind-reviewed by a committee of three.

We are looking for scholarly (or at least: informed, insightful, and well-argued) papers which are also accessible to an educated lay audience on topics which can advance the cause of unitarian Christianity. Previous conference presentations can be seen on YouTube and some Model Papers are referenced here.

Topics may include but are not limited to: biblical theology, systematic theology, biblical studies, textual criticism, history of theology, history of unitarian Christianity, apologetics, Christian philosophy, analytic theology.

Authors may submit even if they are neither a member of the UCA nor a unitarian Christian.

Paper submissions must conform to the Chicago Manual of Style (Notes and Bibliography style, with footnotes and bibliography). A fully written paper must be submitted; an outline or proposal is not enough.

The main text should be no longer than 6,000 words, so that the presentation is no longer than 45 minutes. Submitted papers longer than 6,000 (in the main text – so not including footnotes) will be automatically rejected.

Authors should plan on about 10 minutes of audience Q&A after their talk. Papers may be read, although authors are encouraged to present the material in an engaging way.

Conference presentations will be video-recorded and may be posted on the UCA YouTube channel, and our social media committee may also snip out interesting “sound bites” for short videos. By submitting a paper, you agree that your presentation may be filmed and used in these ways by the UCA.

Authors of accepted papers must supply a PowerPoint or Keynote or Google Slides (etc.) presentation to accompany their talk by the end of July 1, 2025. (This should be emailed to the address below.)

After removing any self-identifying features (e.g. your name, references to your other publications or other work), please email your submission to ukconference@unitarianchristianalliance.org. Our conference coordinator will ensure that the papers are suitable for blind review and then pass them on to the committee.

The committee’s decisions will be emailed to authors by the end of May 23, 2025.

Thanks to our hard-working workshop coordinator Laura Willenburg, we have an exciting line-up of workshops for the October 2024 conference! Here are their titles and descriptions:

• Appreciating the One True God Through Science and Creation – Tony Taylor
  • Have you ever wanted to know more about how to connect science and the beauty of God’s creation? If so, you won’t want to miss this presentation! In this workshop, you will: learn about the wonders of the created universe, witness visually stunning experiments and demos, examine the benefits of scientific curiosity and thinking critically, and learn how science is useful for testing and authenticating major aspects of biblical history. Whether you are a kid, teenager, or an adult, there will be something to learn and appreciate for all ages!
• Becoming Trauma-Informed – Laura Willenburg
  • Most everyone will experience trauma at some point in their life and will find themselves in situations where they need resources to help them understand trauma and/or get help for themselves or their loved ones. In this workshop, Laura Willenburg provides a framework for understanding trauma and how it affects people, and provides resources for finding hope, help, and healing for those experiencing the effects of current or past trauma. This workshop is designed for people from all walks of life, but will be especially helpful to pastors, lay ministers, people in helping professions, trauma survivors and their loved ones.
• Church Planting – Will Barlow and Sean Finnegan
  • In this workshop, Will Barlow and Sean Finnegan talk about their experience planting the newly established Compass Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky with the help of the seasoned organization Living Hope International Ministries. Together, they share how they turned a vision of a healthy thriving unitarian church into a reality. Topics covered include: pastoral and core leadership selection, finances, vision and mission, location, policies and procedures, and church culture. If you have an interest in being part of a unitarian church plant, you won’t want to miss this one.
• Community Building – John Truitt and Timypaul Lupe
  • John Truitt and Timypaul Lupe share practical ways churches and other Christian groups can grow through various community-building activities. They will share real-life experiences of connecting with those around them through both spiritual and recreational activities that help produce vibrant healthy groups and mature disciples of Jesus.
• Evangelism – Nate Swanson
  • Many Unitarians are looking for practical ways to share their beliefs about the One True God and his son. In this workshop, Nate Swanson shares wisdom from his experience with evangelism. His practical advice will help believers share their beliefs in a way that is winsome to others without compromising the truth. Come ready to be inspired and energized to share your faith!
• Hearing God’s Voice – Michele Norton
  • From the beginning, God desired a family that he can commune with. At some point, you became a part of his family and heard his call on your life. Now is the time to sharpen your “ears” to hear the Creator speak to you in ways that you may not experience currently. It is within the family of God that his voice is most heard. In this workshop, we will explore the tangible and intangible aspects of being sensitive to him. Whether you are a novice or a seasoned believer, all are welcome.