General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches
The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches ( GAUFCC, German: General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian churches ) is a Unitarian and Liberal Christian Church in the United Kingdom.
The GAUFCC was founded in 1928. The seat is located in the Essex Hall in London. The association is a member of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists.
History
In the 17th century include representatives of antitrinitarianism in England. This is mainly attributable to the literary influence of Socinianism under Fausto Sozzini. The first Unitarian congregation, however, was founded in 1774 with the Essex Street Chapel in London, where today the headquarters of the national GAUFCC. Three years earlier (1791 ) had already established with the Unitarian Book Society for literature a nationwide literary society that had / made the task of spreading Unitarian antitrinitarischer literature. In 1806, the Unitarian Fund for mission work, which mainly dealt with newly established communities followed. Since the British Unitarians were not covered by their rejection of the Trinity, however, under the tolerance acts of the English Parliament of May 24, 1689 ( unlike the other ecclesiastical nonconformists ), Unitarianism was up to so-called Unitarian Relief Act (also Trinity Act called ) of 1813 formally illegal. Also, although the Unitarian Relief Act of 1813 tolerated Unitarian church services, but guaranteed them no gleichwetrtigen civil rights, whereas, in particular, the Unitarian Association founded in 1828 for civil rights turned.
In 1828, finally, the three organizations called for British and Foreign Unitarian Association United ( German: British and Foreign Unitarian Society), whereby the first national umbrella organization for British Unitarians had arisen. This in turn closed in 1928 with the Sunday School Association to the still existing General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches ( GAUFCC ) together. The Unitarian congregations in Scotland founded in 1813 the still existing Scottish Unitarian Association ( German: Scottish Unitarian Society ), which today occurs as a member of Association of GAUFCC. In order to strengthen the Christian tradition within the British Unitarians again, 1991, the Unitarian Christian Association (UCA, German: Unitarian Christian Society) was founded. There is close cooperation with the Irish Non- Subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland.