FAQ

Is First Unitarian a Christian church? Does it welcome non-Christians and ex-Christians? How about feminists? Pagans?

Although Unitarianism was a Christian movement during most of its centuries-old history, it has been broadening beyond the Christian sphere since the Transcendentalist movement began in the early 1800s and throughout the 20th century. Some individual Unitarians and Unitarian congregations in North America still regard themselves as Christian, but First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto is not one of these. We warmly welcome Christians, non-Christians, ex-Christians, the unchurched, pagans and all others who embrace our principles and whose behaviour reflects a fundamental respect for other people. Of course, feminists are welcome, and our denomination's current hymnal is fully degenderized.

Absolutely. We have an active Interweave chapter for bisexual, gay, lesbian and/or transgender members and their friends, many of whom wear pink triangles on their name tags each Sunday, so that they will be identifiable by visitors. We have had a number of gay summer ministers. Our denomination has welcomed gay parish ministers for the last quarter century, long before most other religious groups. Our congregation supports Toronto's annual Gay Pride Day and usually manages to include its banner in the Pride Day parade. Toronto First is also a "Welcoming Congregation." The Welcoming Congregation Program is a completely volunteer program for congregations that see a need to become more inclusive towards bisexual, gay, lesbian, and/or transgender people.

Yes. at Toronto First we call them "smallGroups." Current groups are listed here. smallGroups are established as the need arises.

What is the First Unitarian membership like? In some quarters, Unitarianism is perceived as being a religion for the educated elite. Is this true at First Unitarian?

First, we are an urban congregation. Consequently, we have a membership that reflects typical urban demographics: many young, single adults and families, middle-aged empty-nesters, retirees. We offer a full Lifespan Religious Education program for children, youth and adults.

Second, Unitarianism has long appealed particularly to intellectually independent, well-informed people. It still does. So we tend to attract an educated segment of the population. However, there is no element of exclusiveness in the Unitarian faith or at First Unitarian; we work to be broadly inclusive. If you feel that we can give you the spiritual sustenance and growth that you need, you belong here.

Are your members mostly Unitarians by birth, or does First Unitarian attract lots of unchurched people and ex-(Catholics, Baptists, Uniteds, Anglicans, Lutherans, Jews, etc., etc.)?

As with North American Unitarian Universalists in general, the vast majority of us at First Unitarian have arrived at Unitarianism from either another faith tradition or from no faith tradition at all. Our congregation is home to a wide variety of ex-(fill in the blank)s as well as to the previously unchurched.

Unitarians claim to place a high value on religious tolerance. Do members of First Unitarian also value diversity in views concerning secular matters such as politics and social issues?

Our liberal religious principles unequivocally encourage tolerance of diversity in such secular matters. In practice, some of us occasionally fall short of our principles. You are invited to point that out to us whenever it happens.

The hymns in our current hymnal have been completely degenderized. So have the responsive readings that are used in our services.

I have only modest financial resources. Can I become a member of First Unitarian without making any financial contributions?

No, we expect every member to help support our congregation, at a level which he or she can afford. We welcome members from all walks of life and all financial circumstances, but we feel that all members should be accountable for the financial survival of the institution that gives them a spiritual home.

Some other Unitarian societies have no explicit expectations for membership beyond signing a Membership Book. Isn't that the time-honoured way of liberal religion? Why does First Unitarian expect anything more than that of its members?

Spiritual growth is about taking responsibility for your world.
Full-service churches like First Unitarian cannot survive to pursue their missions without the continuing and generous support of their members. Given that reality, we feel that it is best to make our expectations of prospective members clear at the outset.

We don't have our own parking lot, but two lots associated with medical buildings next door and across the street are available to our members and visitors on Sundays (only). On the six other days of the week, street parking must be used. Click Here for directions and a map.

Is First Unitarian associated with the Unity Churches? the Unification Church? the United Church?

Although the names seem similar, we have no association whatever with the Unity churches in the Metro Toronto area or with the Unity religious denomination. Neither are we associated in any way with the Unification Church or the United Church of Canada. We are associated only with other Unitarian, Universalist and Unitarian-Universalist congregations throughout North America.

I have heard it said that Unitarians never proselytize. If so, why has First Unitarian developed this Website on the Internet?

Unitarians don't proselytize, but we do (not often enough) evangelize. There's a big difference. Proselytizing means enticing people away from their current faith. We respect all religious faiths as well as the personal integrity of all individuals, so we don't attempt to undermine anyone's existing faith. However, we do have our own liberal religious "Good News" which we offer to anyone looking for a spiritual home. Making that Good News available to the general public is (literally) evangelism, and we are slowly coming to recognize that it constitutes an important service to the larger community. Have we made our Good News clear to you in the various pages of this Website? If not, please use e-mail to give us the bad news.

Why does First Unitarian expend any of its scarce resources on external publicity? Isn't it enough that the Congregation is always "there" for people who are interested in associating themselves with you?

It's no help to be "there" if nobody knows you're there. This attitude is a classic example of dysfunctional modesty (at best) or spiritual gatekeeping (at worst). We're growing out of it.

Not on a long-term basis. However, the ministers are prepared to do short-term spiritual and crisis counseling of non-members.

Do the ministers perform weddings or other rites of passage for non-Unitarians?

No. However, we have lay Chaplains who are trained and licensed to perform weddings, services of union, and other rites of passage. See our web page on weddings and other services for further information.

Does First Unitarian operate over the summer months? Are there any organized activities in July and August?

Yes, we operate year-round. During our regular program year (2nd Sunday in September through end of May), we have two Sunday Services at 10:00 and 11:30 am. Religious Education classes for children and youth are conducted at the same hours during most of that period. From early June through Labour Day, we conduct only one Sunday Service, at 10:30 am. Child care and supervised activities for older children take place during the service. Occasional outings for children and youth are organized over the summer months. For adults, there are organized classes and recreational/social programs during the summer.

Do the Sunday Services at First Unitarian have a particular theological slant? Might I feel theologically uncomfortable attending a Service?

Our ministers do their best to make our Sunday Services meaningful and spiritually rewarding for religious liberals of all major persuasions. However, if you have a need for a lot of "God-talk" or religious ritual in the service, you may be disappointed at First Unitarian.

Is there infant and child care as well as religious education during the Services?

You bet. We want to encourage families with young children to become part of our religious community, and we know what they need.

Older children usually spend their first 10 minutes in the Service, then go off to age-grouped religious education classes.

Does First Unitarian have a youth group for people of high school age? If so, what are its activities?

First Unitarian has a youth group which meets during the 11:30 service. This group attends conferences and participates in activities at other times of the week as well.

Does First Unitarian take official stands on social, economic and political issues of the day?

The congregation has taken specific stands on issues of the day from time to time in the past. However, that is not the main modus operandi of our Social Justice program. Ordinarily, our congregation selects a few issues or projects to concentrate on for the next couple of years, through a systematic procedure involving congregational education and decision-making. Then teams of interested members work intensively on those projects, keeping the rest of the congregation informed and enlisting their aid for specific kinds of support (e.g., collection of funds and household items for refugee families). Current and recent projects include work in the areas of cultural diversity, food security, domestic violence, Amnesty International, the environment, queer concerns, and homelessness.

Does First Unitarian co-operate with other, non-Unitarian churches and religious organizations to achieve socially worthwhile objectives (such as feeding the homeless, sponsoring refugees, supporting the peace movement, combating racism, etc.)?

Yes, we have been participating in the local "Out of the Cold" program which involves providing food and shelter for some of Toronto's homeless during the cold months of the year. We send school building teams down to Central America in partnership with World Accord. We have also participated in several anti-racism organizations and projects over the years as well as food bank drives jointly conducted by a number of churches. We probably don't do enough of this kind of co-operative world-changing. Please give us some more worthwhile ideas.

If Unitarian Universalism doesn't explicitly require its members to believe in a personal God, why does it call itself a religion? Is Unitarian Universalism generally regarded as a religion?

Other organized religions exist to work toward the realization of God's Will on Earth. How does Unitarian Universalism fit into that pattern?

Those UUs who believe in a personal God may well view their purpose in that way. Others may focus more on the building of a humane social order based upon a profound respect for the worth and dignity of all people. From either standpoint, UUs would be inclined to echo John Corrado's observation that, "We are more interested in getting heaven into people now than in getting people into heaven later."