Jennifer and Aubrey Flegg talk to Rev. Bill Darlison
J & A It is now ten years since you were appointed Minister of the Unitarian Church here in Dublin. First of all we would like to congratulate on your ministry here. During this time we have seen the congregation grow from a Sunday attendance of perhaps twenty to regular congregations of a hundred or more. Last week we had a party to celebrate your ministry, which could leave no doubt as to your popularity with the congregation. However your time here has not always been easy. Because of family commitments your wife Morag had to spend much of her time in England. Then four years ago you were diagnosed with terminal cancer from which you have made a spectacular recovery.

J & A Looking back over the last ten years, has it all been worth while?
B. Undoubtedly. I’ve often said that the last ten years have been the most rewarding of my professional career.

J & A The growth of the congregation speaks for itself. Why do you think Irish Unitarians respond so warmly to your message?
B. We have to get congregational growth in perspective. When I see the vast American evangelical congregations – sometimes numbering many thousands – I realise that our own numbers are very modest. There are a million people in Dublin. One hundred attend the Unitarian church regularly, and we have a membership of about twice that. That’s a very small fraction of one percent of the city’s population! And when you consider that we have a really beautiful church in the centre of the city, which thousands of people pass each day, and which is increasingly used for weddings, it is not surprising that we have experienced some growth. We must remember, too, that in the first half of the twentieth century, when Rev.Ernest Savell Hicks was minister, the church was full twice on Sundays. However, that said, there does seem to be a warm response to the Unitarian message here in Dublin, and it is something which we should be grateful for, and try to capitalise upon. It may have something to do with our lack of dogmatism and our democratic spirit. I think that many Irish people have become disillusioned with authoritarian religion, and our own approach seems more congenial.

J & A Do you feel that a spirituality persists in Ireland that is, perhaps, missing in English Unitarian congregations?
B. Perhaps. There does seem to be more interest in religious matters in Ireland than in Britain. I was surprised when I came here to see religious books on prominent display in the windows of Dublin bookshops, and the Irish press gives more space to religious affairs than its British counterpart. But we must remember that people join a religious community for a variety of reasons, not all of them theological. The Dublin Unitarian congregation is wonderfully welcoming and supportive and this is as important as any message articulated from the pulpit.

J & A You trained for the Catholic priesthood, do you think that this helps you to relate to a congregation, many of whom have been, and indeed may still be Catholics?
B. Undoubtedly. I can speak the language of Catholicism. It comes naturally to me. What’s more, I have enormous respect for many aspects of the Catholic approach to things of the spirit, a respect I share with congregation members who don’t want to deny their Catholic background even though they don’t want to be oppressed by it. Catholics have an instinctive appreciation for symbolism and metaphor which is often lost on Protestants and I think I have been able to work with that. I might add that one of the most important reasons why our congregation has remained united is that those who come from Protestant backgrounds have been extremely open to the Catholic influences. Without such generosity of spirit, the congregation would have been in trouble.

J & A While the growth of the congregation is an endorsement of your ministry does it present any particular challenges?
B. Yes. It may well be that soon we will need to have two services on Sunday and this will put an enormous burden on our preachers and service leaders. In addition, with more people joining, we have more pastoral issues to deal with. In one sense, it is unfortunate that we have congregational growth at the end of my ministerial career when my energy levels are lower! However, we can’t rely on full time ministers, whose housing and salary can sap the resources of a congregation. Instead, we need to develop new patterns of ministry, with more people taking part-time, non-stipendiary positions, and this is being addressed in the lay-preachers’ course. Congregational growth also brings the possibility of increased tensions. I’ve seen successful congregations split and virtually destroyed by internal wrangling, often over quite trivial issues. We must avoid this at all costs, otherwise everything achieved in the past few years could be jeopardised.

J & A It is common for new members of our congregation to say that they have, without knowing it, been Unitarians all their lives. How can we make ourselves known to other people in Ireland without proselytising?
B. We have to proselytise! We have to let people know that we exist. Tastefully, of course, but we would be neglecting our duty to the city if we didn’t announce our presence. Weddings have presented us with a good opportunity to let people see what we are about. Without crassly attempting to convert people, we have been able to introduce bride, groom, and guests to our unique way of doing things, and this has had many positive results.

J & A What message of encouragement would you give to people who might be wondering if they are Unitarians and who need, perhaps, some encouragement or reassurance.
B. I would say, ‘Come and try us. You’ve nothing to lose. You don’t have to renounce your past affiliation to become involved with us. We have members who maintain their association with another religious group and this, from our side at least, is not a problem.’

J & A Apart from the Non-subscribing Presbyterian congregations in the North of Ireland, and a small congregation in Cork, Dublin is the only Unitarian Church in the Republic. Do you see any possibility of outreach to the country by way of, for example, the Internet?
B. The internet is one way, and it is an important way. Our services have been available on our website for over a year now and this has been received very positively. Soon we may be able to broadcast the whole service in video as well as audio. In addition, though, it is possible that we may be able to start holding services in other parts of the country. We’re looking into this, and as more lay-preachers become trained it will become a viable proposition.

J & A Despite a congregation that represents every shade of belief from atheism to believing Christianity there is a spirit of common purpose among us. To what would you attribute this?
B.The reason for this is simple: while we don’t discourage metaphysical speculation we don’t emphasise it, and we don’t really concern ourselves with traditional issues of belief. Our common purpose is the quest to lead integrated, socially conscious, reflective lives. Diversity of belief is no barrier to these things, indeed it may even foster them by encouraging us to be more attentive to the opinions of those who differ from us. This is why it is so important to hear a variety of points of view, and why the pulpit should never be monopolised by one person.

J & A Is this modern search for a common spirituality something that could feed back into Unitarianism in England, for example?
B. Yes. We have a solemn responsibility to show that a diverse community can share a common sense of purpose and achieve a common level of spiritual awareness without creeds and bishops imposing a specious uniformity. As has been said so wisely, we don’t need to think alike to love alike. The Dublin congregation has a real opportunity to demonstrate genuine unity in diversity as a witness to the wider Unitarian community.

J & A Are there any aspects of the last ten years that you look back on with particular pleasure?
B. This has been an enormously rewarding time for me in many ways – professionally, socially, intellectually, and spiritually. It has been very gratifying that Dublin has produced so many ministers over the past few years. Cal Courtney, Chris Hudson, Bridget Spain are all ministers; Maud Robinson will finish her training in Oxford next summer, and a number of others are showing interest in ministry. Never before has the Republic produced so many ministers in so short a time! I’m very pleased with this, and very proud of the part I have played in it. However, I would say that the high spot of my time here was, strangely, when I was sick. The congregation responded with such an outpouring of love and concern that Morag and I were overwhelmed. During the year I was receiving treatment in England, not a day passed without some communication from Dublin – phone calls, emails, letters, cards. On some days there was a dozen! It was incredibly uplifting, and contributed greatly to my recovery. It was almost worth getting sick just to experience it!

September 2006