NEWS: New Unity announces appointment of Adam Slate as new Minister
New Unity is today announcing the appointment of Adam Slate as its next Minister.
New Unity is a Unitarian and radically inclusive community of love and justice, and welcomes people of all faiths and none.
Adam was called by the congregation this summer following a comprehensive selection process by a search team of New Unity members, who recommended him as the candidate for the congregation to affirm.
Adam will work with the congregation and its trustees and staff to lead and inspire members of the congregation in their spiritual and personal development.
He will also be responsible for growing the community – with the aim of helping it realise its full potential and presence in the local area.
Get to know Adam by catching up on the recent fireside chat with him conducted by NU congregant Angela Neustatter, then scroll down and read on
Adam is an experienced service leader, and has led gatherings in the UK and the US across multiple traditions and many spiritual and secular themes, drawing on his Unitarian and Jewish background.
Adam, a US citizen, has been based in the US state of Virginia and is set to begin his role in London in the coming months. He has spent the past two years gaining ministry experience at Rosslyn Hill Chapel in Hampstead, both remotely and visiting London part-time. New Unity is currently working to secure Adam's UK Minister of Religion visa.
His first message at New Unity was given in 2018, and he was a very active member of the congregation for several years.
He is finalising his studies for a Master of Divinity at Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the US, and will formally graduate next year.
He was a Democratic candidate for US Congress for the 5th congressional district of Virginia in the 2018 election, to promote the need for universal health care, addressing income disparity and providing relief for student debt, demonstrating his commitment to social activism and support for vulnerable members of his community.
He will minister to the community from New Unity’s Newington Green Meeting House on the north side of Newington Green, a part of North London described by the author Alex Allardyce as the “village that changed the world”. New Unity also owns a building on Upper Street in Islington which is used for lettings, events and as office space.
Adam’s predecessors as Minister include the leading Dissenter Rev. Richard Price, who in the 18th century was known for his role in promoting the American and French Revolutions. He and New Unity’s other Ministers have been involved in a number of other progressive initiatives over the centuries.
The Meeting House is also known for its links to Mary Wollstonecraft, the mother of modern Western feminism and a former worshipper at the building.
Continuing in this longstanding Dissenting tradition, New Unity made headlines more recently for refusing to marry anyone until everyone could marry regardless of gender.
Adam joins New Unity at an exciting time, with the congregation pursuing a variety of work in addition to its regular Sunday gatherings – including an active social action team campaigning on issues like housing equity, as well as a climate justice team, poetry circle, young people’s group and much more.
It has also just launched Arts on the Green, an arts and culture programme based at the Newington Green Meeting House.
Adam Slate, New Unity’s next Minister, said:
"I am so thrilled to join New Unity as its next minister. The congregation has been a beacon of progressive social action and religious diversity and tolerance for centuries and I am honoured to be part of the congregation's work to safeguard that rich and still-relevant history. New Unity demonstrates that a spiritual community need not be exclusive and can be a place of welcome for everyone regardless of their beliefs, doubts, or skepticism. I cannot wait to roll up my sleeves and get to work."
Sue Morrison, Chair of New Unity’s trustees, said:
“Adam has been a passionate member and advocate for New Unity. His energy and enthusiasm for social activism, dedication to a cause, attention to detail, kindness, thoughtfulness, commitment, creativity and his ability to work collaboratively make him an ideal person to take New Unity to the next phase. We are delighted to welcome him as our new minister.”
Frequently asked questions
Is there a confirmed start date for Adam?
This is dependent on when Adam is granted a visa. NU and Adam are tentatively aiming for a start date of mid-December, but this is subject to change.
Who was involved in the search team, and what did they do?
Lisa Roskam (chair), Mary Wright, Lisa Chomette, Coco Tas and Steve Champion – along with NU’s General Manager Nick Toner as secretary – worked together for a period of months to draft a job description based on input collected from the congregation, advertise the role, longlist candidates and then shortlist them based on application material reviews, a Sunday gathering, congregation feedback, and two interviews. They then recommended Adam to the congregation for a confirmatory vote.
What’s Adam’s job description?
New Unity has tasked Adam with the following work (among other things):
To work alongside the congregation to review, challenge and refresh congregational norms in the spirit of helping New Unity realise its full potential to lead and inspire members of the congregation in their spiritual and personal development
To support the continued health and growth of New Unity's community, nurturing its diversity
To ensure pastoral care is provided, as appropriate
To help New Unity be a presence in the local community, as a force for good to focus on the whole week, not just on Sundays
To continue the growth in membership (as evidenced through pledges) and the growth in engagement (as evidenced through participation in Sunday gatherings, young people’s group, and other congregational activities)
To prepare and deliver 40 Sunday gatherings a year, with thought-provoking, challenging and inspiring messages
