The Chapel, is both the building itself and the liberal religious community who meet there.
As a heritage site, it is in the first rank, being a grade one listed building, as well as the final resting place of the famous Victorian author Elizabeth Gaskell. We are grateful to the Gaskell Society for their active interest and support. Visitors, interested in the history of Knutsford, Gaskell's "Cranford" and the chapel, come from all over the world. We also welcome schools groups on educational visits, and small groups by appointment.
The Chapel is a cultural centre. We have hosted musical concerts and literary events and this is an important part of the chapel’s outreach. It is hoped to develop this aspect much further in future years.
It may also be described as a meeting place, where people of many different backgrounds, religions and nationalities may find a warm welcome. This is particularly evident in rites of passage. Our minister conducts quite a number of such services, especially marriages where the couple come from different faiths.
Social events play a large part in the life of the chapel, both for members and for the wider community. This aspect of chapel life is very important for us.
It is a place that seeks to be a centre for justice and social equity, mindful of our heritage in that respect and looking to a larger future, to help in our own particular sphere towards making a better world for everyone.
Future Developments
We are pleased that our disabled access project is now completed and so we are now fundraising to futher develop the Gaskell Exhibition and to create another exhibition based on the history of the Chapel, the people who are buried in the graveyard and the history of Unitarianism and its role today.
If you feel able to help in any way please contact us by email by clicking the address below
minister@brookstreetchapel.org
How I became a Unitarian - A Personal Journey
“To begin at the beginning” wrote Dylan Thomas; but where is the beginning? Many Unitarians and Free Christians come to their faith through a long process of thought, prayer and discernment, rather than a one-off sudden decision. In my case, it was a process that stretched over many years.
Both my parents were devout, yet broad-minded, with a certain healthy scepticism. They set me on a liberal path. From early on, it seemed absurd to say that only adherents of (fill in the desired religion!) would be “saved”.
An excellent and inspiring Religious Education teacher who became a personal friend, taught me about the 2nd Century Justin Martyr, whose teaching on the divine Logos, the ‘Word’ led him to declare that virtuous pagans before Christ were also saved: “All truth wherever it is found, belongs to us as Christians” as one translation has it.
After a long search and exploration of various alternatives, I found the Unitarian and Free Christian churches. They had an open-ended search for truth, rooted in Christian faith and practice. They sought to study and learn from other religious traditions and faiths. Their tradition of social action and practice also greatly appealed to me.
Here was a place I could call home. It was a temple of the spirit where one could seek new insights and think new thoughts. “Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3.17) It has been my privilege to be a Unitarian and Free Christian minister for nearly two decades now. I am free to look for new insights and ideas, whilst being secure in the conviction that Truth is one and God is one. I am profoundly thankful for that freedom.
Alex Bradley
As a heritage site, it is in the first rank, being a grade one listed building, as well as the final resting place of the famous Victorian author Elizabeth Gaskell. We are grateful to the Gaskell Society for their active interest and support. Visitors, interested in the history of Knutsford, Gaskell's "Cranford" and the chapel, come from all over the world. We also welcome schools groups on educational visits, and small groups by appointment.
The Chapel is a cultural centre. We have hosted musical concerts and literary events and this is an important part of the chapel’s outreach. It is hoped to develop this aspect much further in future years.
It may also be described as a meeting place, where people of many different backgrounds, religions and nationalities may find a warm welcome. This is particularly evident in rites of passage. Our minister conducts quite a number of such services, especially marriages where the couple come from different faiths.
Social events play a large part in the life of the chapel, both for members and for the wider community. This aspect of chapel life is very important for us.
It is a place that seeks to be a centre for justice and social equity, mindful of our heritage in that respect and looking to a larger future, to help in our own particular sphere towards making a better world for everyone.
Future Developments
We are pleased that our disabled access project is now completed and so we are now fundraising to futher develop the Gaskell Exhibition and to create another exhibition based on the history of the Chapel, the people who are buried in the graveyard and the history of Unitarianism and its role today.
If you feel able to help in any way please contact us by email by clicking the address below
minister@brookstreetchapel.org
How I became a Unitarian - A Personal Journey
“To begin at the beginning” wrote Dylan Thomas; but where is the beginning? Many Unitarians and Free Christians come to their faith through a long process of thought, prayer and discernment, rather than a one-off sudden decision. In my case, it was a process that stretched over many years.
Both my parents were devout, yet broad-minded, with a certain healthy scepticism. They set me on a liberal path. From early on, it seemed absurd to say that only adherents of (fill in the desired religion!) would be “saved”.
An excellent and inspiring Religious Education teacher who became a personal friend, taught me about the 2nd Century Justin Martyr, whose teaching on the divine Logos, the ‘Word’ led him to declare that virtuous pagans before Christ were also saved: “All truth wherever it is found, belongs to us as Christians” as one translation has it.
After a long search and exploration of various alternatives, I found the Unitarian and Free Christian churches. They had an open-ended search for truth, rooted in Christian faith and practice. They sought to study and learn from other religious traditions and faiths. Their tradition of social action and practice also greatly appealed to me.
Here was a place I could call home. It was a temple of the spirit where one could seek new insights and think new thoughts. “Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3.17) It has been my privilege to be a Unitarian and Free Christian minister for nearly two decades now. I am free to look for new insights and ideas, whilst being secure in the conviction that Truth is one and God is one. I am profoundly thankful for that freedom.
Alex Bradley
