Many sought to push William Ellery Channing and others out of their Christian fellowships for holding beliefs that were outside of the norm. The intellectual and doctrinal freedom that nineteenth century Bostonian Christians were said to have extended to each other did not go far enough. And perhaps, as a result of the controversy, it eventually went too far. In any case, Channing's Unitarianism was not welcome in his day. So those who adhered to it were denied fellowship by some ministers and congregations.

In a sense, the Unitarians were excluded from conversation about God. Imagine, for just a moment, that you are sitting down with a group of people and you are all talking about God. Imagine that it's your turn to speak, and all of a sudden you find yourself being asked to leave the discussion for expressing a minority view. Not only are you asked to cease talking, you are also asked to physically leave the group and go mingle some place else. Can you imagine that? That is exactly what happened to Channing and his like. They were asked to seek communion some place else.

We know the rest of the story about how Unitarianism developed in America. Many of us can quote or paraphrase the famous words of Channing, Clarke, Emerson, and other religious forefathers. But I think somewhere in the middle of all that history-making we have lost track of something. We have forgotten to avoid the pitfall of sectarian strife. I think this is what happened to the Unitarians who walked in Channing's shadow. They became so preoccupied with their own ideas about God that they either ignored or looked down upon their Trinitarian Christian brothers and sisters. They preached Christ's ethical precepts from the mountaintops, and rightly so, but they lacked his humility to meet their brethren in the valley, and they did not hear his call for unity.

The Psalmist writes, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity" (Psalm 133:1). Channing may have had this line of scripture on his mind towards the end of his life. He had seen his church condemned by those who viewed themselves as "true Christians," become a Unitarian Christian haven, and then further down the line, a part of the larger Unitarian movement that would radically splinter off from its Christian roots. He wrote to a friend, “I distrust sectarian influences more and more. I am more detached from a denomination, and strive to feel more my connection with the Universal Church, with all its good and holy men” (Wright, Conrad. 1989. A Stream of Light. Boston: Skinner House Books. Pages 30-32.).

The “Prophet of Unitarianism” doubted the importance of his denominational ties. It was the Christian name that Channing prized above all else. He was a Christian who happened to have a Unitarian theology. But theology was a lesser concern for him. Channing craved Christian unity. This concern is as relevant today as ever. Christianity is just as populated with sectarian conflicts and divisions now as it was then. But there is hope in Channing's weariness over “sectarian influences.” Throughout his ministry he spoke of the Universal Church. He considered himself and all Unitarians a part of the global church founded by Christ and sustained by the Holy Spirit of God. Channing did not demand strict allegiance to his views. He would have broken bread with any sincere Christian believer and any sincere spiritual seeker. Likewise, neither should we split off from one another over differences of opinion. To dwell together in unity – how good and pleasant indeed.

As a Christian I can say that the American Unitarian Conference is in a unique position because it fosters both Christian and non-Christian unity. It offers the gift of mutual fellowship minus the curse of sectarian bickering. The AUC provides a service to those who share a Unitarian theology. It allows those with similar views about God to fellowship with one another and to encourage one another. Although it began as a counter-movement to modern Unitarian Universalism, the emphasis is not on division. It is on unity (which ties in with the word Unitarian). It is truly a part of the Universal Church. While expressing Unitarian ideas, it does not wish to sever the bonds of brotherhood we have with the other churches and denominations. Let it be our prayer that as we fellowship with one another we do not repeat the mistakes of our past.