our faith

Unitarianism is a religious movement in which individuals are free to follow their reason and conscience; there is no pressure from creed or scripture. We are open to change in the light of new thought and discoveries.

We believe that:

everyone has the right to seek truth and meaning for themselves.
the fundamental tools for doing this are your own life experience, your reflection upon it, your intuitive understanding and the promptings of your own conscience.
the best place to do this is a community that welcomes you for who you are, complete with your beliefs, doubts and questions.

We offer:

liberty of conscience and freedom from imposed creed, confessions and dogmas.
a fellowship where people come together to worship; to share times of celebration and trial; and to help each other in the quest for a faith to live by.

We affirm the universal values of love and compassion, peace, truth and justice.

We welcome all who come to us in the spirit of goodwill and enquiry, regardless of ethnic or religious background, age, gender or sexual orientation.

Our thanks to the General Assembly Information Department, for extracts from 'A faith worth thinking about' by Peter Sampson et al; and to Ipswich Unitarians for extracts from a leaflet by Cliff Reed.

a faith worth thinking about

Our main publicity leaflet A Faith Worth Thinking About has been revised and re-issued. It acts as a very accessible introduction to Unitarianism and our distinctive approach to religion. It covers Unitarian attitudes to worship, beliefs, religious education, social responsibility, relations with others faiths and gives the historical and global context.

Click here or on the image to download the leaflet in PDF format.

If the Adobe Reader software is not already installed on your computer, please click on the icon below to download it for free.

unitarian beliefs

If you want to find out more about the Unitarians, we recommend Cliff Reed's short book: Unitarian? What's that?

our history

During the first half of the 18th century, independent colleges for the training of future non-conformist ministers were established in various parts of the country, because such people were not allowed to study at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. One of these colleges was the famous Academy founded by the Rev. Dr. Philip Doddridge at Castle Hill, Northampton in 1730.

In 1827, a group of members of this non-conformist church (now Castle Hill United Reformed Church), reacting to a new and less liberal theology, left to form a Unitarian church. After a few months in rented accommodation, they moved in 1828 to an old Methodist Church in King Street (now demolished).

Worship continued there for seventy years until in 1897, through the benevolence of Sir Philip Manfield, it was possible to move to a grand new church in Abington Square, which became known as Kettering Road Free Church. The congregation stayed there until March 2000, when we moved to our present quarters in Hazelwood Road. We are therefore part of the great non-conformist tradition of Northampton, with the special role of a faith without a creed.

Northampton Unitarians are part of the Midland Union of Unitarian congregations, and are affiliated to the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches.

For a fuller history of the Unitarian presence in Northampton, please see:

Northampton Unitarians 1827 - 2002: the Story So Far
by Frank Field.

Northampton Unitarians
Home Page Our Faith & History Services News & Events Discussion Group Newsletter How To Find Us Contact Us Links "Give what you have. To someone it may be better than you dare to think." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow		our faith Unitarianism is a religious movement in which individuals are free to follow their reason and conscience; there is no pressure from creed or scripture. We are open to change in the light of new thought and discoveries. We believe that: everyone has the right to seek truth and meaning for themselves. the fundamental tools for doing this are your own life experience, your reflection upon it, your intuitive understanding and the promptings of your own conscience. the best place to do this is a community that welcomes you for who you are, complete with your beliefs, doubts and questions. We offer: liberty of conscience and freedom from imposed creed, confessions and dogmas. a fellowship where people come together to worship; to share times of celebration and trial; and to help each other in the quest for a faith to live by. We affirm the universal values of love and compassion, peace, truth and justice. We welcome all who come to us in the spirit of goodwill and enquiry, regardless of ethnic or religious background, age, gender or sexual orientation. Our thanks to the General Assembly Information Department, for extracts from 'A faith worth thinking about' by Peter Sampson et al; and to Ipswich Unitarians for extracts from a leaflet by Cliff Reed. a faith worth thinking about Our main publicity leaflet A Faith Worth Thinking About has been revised and re-issued. It acts as a very accessible introduction to Unitarianism and our distinctive approach to religion. It covers Unitarian attitudes to worship, beliefs, religious education, social responsibility, relations with others faiths and gives the historical and global context. Click here or on the image to download the leaflet in PDF format. If the Adobe Reader software is not already installed on your computer, please click on the icon below to download it for free. unitarian beliefs If you want to find out more about the Unitarians, we recommend Cliff Reed's short book: Unitarian? What's that? our history During the first half of the 18th century, independent colleges for the training of future non-conformist ministers were established in various parts of the country, because such people were not allowed to study at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. One of these colleges was the famous Academy founded by the Rev. Dr. Philip Doddridge at Castle Hill, Northampton in 1730. In 1827, a group of members of this non-conformist church (now Castle Hill United Reformed Church), reacting to a new and less liberal theology, left to form a Unitarian church. After a few months in rented accommodation, they moved in 1828 to an old Methodist Church in King Street (now demolished). Worship continued there for seventy years until in 1897, through the benevolence of Sir Philip Manfield, it was possible to move to a grand new church in Abington Square, which became known as Kettering Road Free Church. The congregation stayed there until March 2000, when we moved to our present quarters in Hazelwood Road. We are therefore part of the great non-conformist tradition of Northampton, with the special role of a faith without a creed. Northampton Unitarians are part of the Midland Union of Unitarian congregations, and are affiliated to the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches. For a fuller history of the Unitarian presence in Northampton, please see: Northampton Unitarians 1827 - 2002: the Story So Far by Frank Field.