Call for Papers: New Zealand conference

July 27, 2026

The New Zealand UCA Conference organisers are pleased to announce a general call for papers to be presented at our annual conference at the Don Rowland Centre, Karapiro, just out of Cambridge on Friday 20th November – Sunday 22nd November. Registrations will be open soon.

  • The paper submission deadline is the end of the day (NZ time) of Sunday 27th September, 2026. Please do not submit multiple papers. Submissions will be blind-reviewed by a committee.
  • We are looking for scholarly (or at least: clear, informed, insightful, and well argued) papers which are also accessible to an educated lay audience on topics which can advance the cause of unitarian Christianity. Previous conference presentations can be seen on YouTube and some model papers are referenced here.
  • Topics may include but are not limited to: biblical theology, systematic theology, biblical studies, textual criticism, history of theology, history of unitarian Christianity, apologetics, Christian philosophy, analytic theology.
  • Authors may submit even if they are neither a member of the UCA nor a unitarian Christian.
  • Paper submissions must conform to the Chicago Manual of Style (Notes and Bibliography style, with footnotes and bibliography). A fully written paper must be submitted; an outline or proposal is not enough.
  • The main text should be no longer than 6,000 words, so that the presentation is no longer than 45 minutes. Submitted papers longer than 6,000 (in the main text – so not including footnotes) will be automatically rejected.
  • Authors should plan on about 10 minutes of audience Q&A after their talk. Papers may be read, although authors are encouraged to present the material in an engaging way.
  • Conference presentations will be video-recorded and may be posted on the UCA YouTube channel, and our social media committee may also snip out interesting “sound bites” for short videos. By submitting a paper, you agree that your presentation may be filmed and used in these ways by the UCA.
  • After removing any self-identifying features (e.g. your name, references to your other publications or other work), please email your submission to nzconference@unitarianchristianalliance.org. When submitting, please indicate your country of residence. We especially encourage submissions from New Zealand, Australia and other surrounding countries. A member of our team will ensure that the papers are suitable for blind review and then pass them on to the committee.
  • The committee’s decisions will be emailed to the authors by Sunday 4th October 2026.

Also, if you are planning on attending and you are interested in leading a practical workshop (as opposed to a scholarly presentation) please contact the committee with your idea at nzconference@unitarianchristianalliance.org.

Save the date: November 2026 New Zealand Conference

July 13, 2026

I am delighted to post the following on behalf of the New Zealand UCA Committee! Dale Tuggy

We are excited to announce that the annual New Zealand UCA conference will be the 20th – 22nd of November 2026 just outside of Cambridge at the Don Rowland Centre, Karapiro. Please save the dates in your calendar and keep an eye out for more details in the coming weeks. This will be an awesome opportunity to reconnect with people, make new connections and help strengthen the unitarian movement here in New Zealand.

Last year we ran a shorter, one-day event, which was great, but this year we are returning to our full weekend format, giving us the opportunity to include a larger range of speakers and presenters and more time to connect. 

We also want to welcome anyone abroad to join us again this year. Those from Australia, Philippines, Malaysia, or any other nearby countries: we would love to have you come along and get involved. 

This year we will be having a call for papers, so if you are interested in submitting something for review, please keep an eye out for that on this blog. We are keen to see more people, both local and abroad, given the opportunity to present their material.

Please feel free to share this and any future updates with anyone you think would be interested in coming. We look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible!

Thanks,

NZ UCA Committee 

Call for Papers – UCA Conference in Arizona, October 2026

June 8, 2026

The Unitarian Christian Alliance is pleased to announce a call for papers to be presented at our conference at Lakeshore Bible Church in Tempe, Arizona, October 22nd-24th, 2026. (Watch this blog for the opening of registration.)

  • The paper submission deadline is the end of the day (US Eastern Standard time) on Saturday, August 15, 2026. Please do not submit multiple papers. Submissions will be blind-reviewed by a committee.
  • We are looking for scholarly (or at least: clear, informed, insightful, and well-argued) papers which are also accessible to an educated lay audience on topics which can advance the cause of unitarian Christianity. Previous conference presentations can be seen on YouTube and some model papers are referenced here.
  • Topics may include but are not limited to: biblical theology, systematic theology, biblical studies, textual criticism, history of theology, history of unitarian Christianity, apologetics, Christian philosophy, analytic theology.
  • Authors may submit (and if accepted, present) even if they are neither a member of the UCA nor a unitarian Christian.
  • Paper submissions must conform to the Chicago Manual of Style (Notes and Bibliography style, with footnotes and bibliography).
  • A fully written paper must be submitted; an outline or proposal is not enough.
  • The main text should be no longer than 6,000 words, so that the presentation is no longer than 45 minutes. Submitted papers longer than 6,000 (in the main text–not including footnotes) will be automatically rejected.
  • Authors should plan on about 10 minutes of audience Q&A after their talk. Papers may be read, although authors are encouraged to present the material in an engaging way.
  • Conference presentations will be video-recorded and may be posted on the UCA YouTube channel, and our social media committee may also snip out interesting “sound bites” for short videos. By submitting a paper, you agree that your presentation may be filmed and used in these ways by the Unitarian Christian Alliance
  • After removing any self-identifying features (such as your name and references to your other work), please email your submission to conference@unitarianchristianalliance.org. When submitting, please indicate your country of residence. We especially encourage submissions from new presenters. Our conference coordinator will ensure that the papers are suitable for blind review and then pass them on to the committee.
  • Decisions will be emailed to authors by the end of Tuesday, August 25, 2026.

Also, if you are planning on attending the conference and you are interested in leading a practical workshop (as opposed to a scholarly presentation) please contact the conference organizers with your idea at conference@unitarianchristianalliance.org.

Barlow vs. Nesan: “Is Jesus Yahweh?”

June 3, 2026

A quick follow-up to this post. Here is the new, in-person debate “Is Jesus YHWH?”:

As I expected, this was a respectful yet substantial debate. The unitarian Christian side was ably represented by Pastor Will Barlow of Compass Christian Church in Louisville, KY. He did many things well–he’s an excellent debater–but I want to highlight one sort of argument I thought was particularly effective. Mr. Nesan based his case that Jesus is Yahweh in large part on Old Testament passages. And for each and every one of those, in his rebuttal Barlow quoted a major commentary by a trinitarian Bible scholar that contradicts Nesan’s interpretation. That is powerful “hostile” testimony! Indeed, as this book and this one have illustrated, for any text cited by trinitarian theologians, other trinitarians have interpreted it differently.

Please enjoy this debate with your trinitarian friends or family members and share on social media. If they’re not familiar with unitarian Christians, here’s a playlist of beginner-friendly explainers you can send them.

Many thanks to Mark and Bella for the audio and video production!

Your donations empower the UCA to present this sort of public witness. Would you consider a monthly or a one-time donation today?

the next great deity of Christ debate: Barlow v. Nesan in Louisville, KY, May 17

May 13, 2026

The UCA is proud to co-sponsor a new, in-person debate between Pastor Will Barlow and apologist and seminary student Samuel Nesan on the topic “Is Jesus YHWH?” God willing, I will be there, as will UCA Board members Mark Cain and Brandon Duke. Get your tickets here!

If you’re within driving distance of Louisville, Kentucky, you should join us and bring your trinitarian friends or family members. This will be a great way to foster conversation on the important topics of God and his unique Son Jesus, and this event will not feature the contempt and verbal bullying that sours so many people on debating. The debaters will educate you, not embarrass you.

My friend Will Barlow is the beloved pastor of Compass Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. He’s an excellent preacher, life-long student of Scripture, published author, and expert debater who has actually coached me and others. The address is above and in the Eventleaf (not Eventbrite) ticket link–it’s a meeting room in a synagogue. I hope to see you there!

If you’re not close to Kentucky–no, sorry, there will not be a livestream. But the UCA is recording the event and it will be on the UCA YouTube channel.

Thanks to everyone who supports the UCA on a monthly basis. With your help, we’re helping people to re-examine their views on God and Jesus in light of the New Testament.

UCA UK International Conference call for papers – updated deadline: May 1

April 15, 2026

The Unitarian Christian Alliance UK International Conference organisers are pleased to announce a general call for papers to be presented at our third annual conference at the Denham Grove Hotel in Uxbridge, UK, Thursday 30 July – Saturday 1 August 2026. (Optional Sunday + programme: Sunday 2 August.) Watch this blog for the opening of registration.

  • The paper submission deadline is the end of the day (UK time) of Friday, May 1, 2026. Please do not submit multiple papers. Submissions will be blind-reviewed by a committee.
  • We are looking for scholarly (or at least: clear, informed, insightful, and well-argued) papers which are also accessible to an educated lay audience on topics which can advance the cause of unitarian Christianity. Previous conference presentations can be seen on YouTube and some model papers are referenced here.
  • Topics may include but are not limited to: biblical theology, systematic theology, biblical studies, textual criticism, history of theology, history of unitarian Christianity, apologetics, Christian philosophy, analytic theology.
  • Authors may submit even if they are neither a member of the UCA nor a unitarian Christian.
  • Paper submissions must conform to the Chicago Manual of Style (Notes and Bibliography style, with footnotes and bibliography). A fully written paper must be submitted; an outline or proposal is not enough.
  • The main text should be no longer than 6,000 words, so that the presentation is no longer than 45 minutes. Submitted papers longer than 6,000 (in the main text – so not including footnotes) will be automatically rejected.
  • Authors should plan on about 10 minutes of audience Q&A after their talk. Papers may be read, although authors are encouraged to present the material in an engaging way.
  • Conference presentations will be video-recorded and may be posted on the UCA YouTube channel, and our social media committee may also snip out interesting “sound bites” for short videos. By submitting a paper, you agree that your presentation may be filmed and used in these ways by the UCA.
  • After removing any self-identifying features (e.g. your name, references to your other publications or other work), please email your submission to ukconference@unitarianchristianalliance.org. When submitting, please indicate your country of residence. We especially encourage submissions from the UK, Ireland, and continental Europe. Our conference coordinator will ensure that the papers are suitable for blind review and then pass them on to the committee.
  • The committee’s decisions will be emailed to authors by the end of May 15, 2026.

Also, if you are planning on attending and you are interested in leading a practical workshop (as opposed to a scholarly presentation) please contact the committee with your idea at ukconference@unitarianchristianalliance.org.

Save the Date USA 2026 Conference!

March 3, 2026

We are delighted to announce that the Unitarian Christian Alliance is holding our 2026 Conference at Lakeshore Bible Church in Tempe, Arizona on October 22-24th (Thursday evening – Saturday evening). On Sunday (Oct 25th), conference attendees can visit a Christadelphian church in Phoenix, visit another church in the area, or come worship at Lakeshore.

Will you join us?

UCA conferences are an excellent time to hear cutting-edge scholarship from biblical unitarians like Dale Tuggy, Dustin Smith, and Jerry Wierwille. For those less interested in academic presentations, we also provide practical workshops on meaningful topics. There will be plenty of opportunities to renew old friendships and make new ones during the meals and free time. We hope you can join us October 22-24th!

If you are interested in contributing to the conference, whether by leading a practical workshop or submitting a paper for consideration, get to work on it now. We’ll let you know in a future update about the precise requirements for paper submissions as well as how to send them to us. Papers are judged by a double-blind review process, which makes it possible for first timers to have an opportunity to present. As for workshops, we are especially interested in topics that are both practical and relate to the unique concerns of biblical unitarians today.

Does the Bible Teach the Trinity? Reflections on the Dustin Smith vs. James White Debate

February 17, 2026

I had the pleasure of being in Dallas at a debate conference hosted by The Gospel Truth on Feb 6-7, 2026. One of the featured debates was Dustin Smith, host of the Biblical Unitarian Podcast and author, and James White, a Trinitarian apologist and debater.  I and around 20 other unitarian Christians were there to support Dustin and to be present and interactive with the attendees. The room was packed with over 200 people. The topic: “Does the Bible Teach the Trinity?” (Dustin Smith’s video with embedded, clear slides, or TGT’s video without slides), released Feb. 16.

Historically, unitarian Christians have been on the fringe: the ignored. For those of us who have been unitarian believers for years, the isolation tends to leave us with a “this is just how it will be” attitude. This is not the case any longer. The internet and the culture of skepticism, combined with the cultural departure from Christianity, has left the next generation with a willingness to ask questions and not feel beholden to an historic, post-apostolic credal identity. I saw this on display this weekend. Folks who identified as Trinitarian were asking great questions, sincerely wanting to know “how does a unitarian view X and Y?” And the answers they were getting intrigued them. 

There was a measurable sense of Dustin having won the debate. Note that “your guy” almost always wins the debate. So Trinitarians, by default, and unless in the face of insurmountable evidence to the contrary, will say that James White won. That’s just how debates play out for the audience. However, this time, there were Trinitarians saying that despite their disagreement with Dustin’s view, he did provide the better case.

There were several in attendance who were not “all in” on the Trinity. There were folks who might be more binatarian, or still working on it. There was one who said they may have changed their mind after the debate. Who knows how many other nearly-unitarians might have been there. This shift is happening quietly, mostly outside our awareness, and I saw a glimpse of that shift during that weekend.

Dustin clearly put the time and effort in, and it showed. An amazing case was presented before hundreds of Trinitarians (and over 16 thousand views on YouTube as of Feb. 17, less than 24 hours after release).

If you get an opportunity to visit with people outside your normal circle, try to take it. If you have a chance to be at a conference or event which is Trinitarian, maybe take that, too. For many Trinitarians, we are “them.” We are not real people; they have never met us. But when they meet us in person, they see real people with real faith and passion. That can’t be unseen. It is easy to dismiss the heretics en masse. It’s hard to ignore the christlike non-trinitarian soul who is having lunch with you.

Whatever your opinion on formal debates, this one thing is true: thousands more are going to be exposed to the simple truth of our human, exalted savior. It’s an exciting time.

Call for Papers – Australian Stanwell Tops Conference – deadline extended

December 30, 2025
  • Unitarian Christian Alliance, Australia are pleased to announce a general call for papers to be presented at our conference at ‘The Tops’ Conference Centre in Stanwell Tops (1hr South of Sydney) 27 – 29 March 2026. Watch here for the opening of registration.
  • The paper submission deadline is the end of the day (Sydney time) of Thursday, 8 January, 2025.
  • If you have already submitted a paper, you are welcome to re-submit a revised version before that deadline and only the later version will be considered.
  • Please do not submit multiple papers.
  • We are looking for scholarly (or at least: informed, insightful, and well-argued) papers which are also accessible to an educated lay audience on topics which can advance the cause of unitarian Christianity. Previous conference presentations can be seen on YouTube and some “model” papers are here.
  • While all submissions will be considered, we are especially interested in submissions from unitarian Christians in Australia or elsewhere in Oceania, so in your submission email please state your country of residence.
  • Topics may include but are not limited to: biblical theology, systematic theology, biblical studies, textual criticism, history of theology, history of unitarian Christianity, apologetics, Christian philosophy, analytic theology. An author may submit even if they are neither a member of the UCA nor a unitarian Christian.
  • Paper submissions must conform to the Chicago Manual of Style (Notes and Bibliography style, with footnotes and bibliography).
  • A fully written paper must be submitted; an outline or proposal is not enough.
  • The main text should be no longer than 6,000 words, so that the presentation is no longer than 45 minutes. Submitted papers longer than 6,000 (in the main text – so, not including footnotes) will be automatically rejected.
  • Authors should plan on about 10 minutes of audience Q&A after their talk. Papers may be read, although authors are encouraged to present the material in an engaging way.
  • After removing any self-identifying features (e.g. your name, references to your other publications or other work), please email your submission to conference@unitarianchristianalliance.org. A UCA Board member will ensure that the papers are suitable for blind review and then pass them on to the committee.
  • Submissions will be blind-reviewed by a committee of three.
  • The committee’s decisions will be emailed to authors by the end of 15 January, 2026.
  • Authors of accepted papers must supply a PowerPoint or Keynote or Google Slides presentation to accompany their talk by the end of Sunday, 1 March, 2026 (emailed to the address below).
  • Conference presentations will be video-recorded and may be posted on the UCA YouTube channel, and our social media committee may also snip out interesting “sound bites” for short videos. By submitting a paper, you agree that your presentation may be filmed and used in these ways by the UCA.

Sydney conference registration is open!

October 27, 2025

UCA Australia is pleased to announce that bookings are now open for our inaugural residential conference near Sydney in March 2026.

In addition to fantastic fellowship with numerous other unitarian Christians, you can expect excellent opportunities to hear from the likes of Dr. Dale Tuggy, Pastor Sean Finnegan, Mark Cain, Jeff Deuble, and more.

Early Bird price available until December 14th, 2025. Follow this link to join us there!

Any Questions? Contact uca.australia@outlook.com. For more updates, watch this website or join in the UCA Australia Facebook group.