Jeffrey Teagle is a lifelong active Unitarian, born into a Unitarian family very active in our Altrincham congregation. He was a keen member of the Unitarian Young People’s League when Peter Godfrey ministered in Altrincham during the 1960s and remembers Peter’s sermons better than Peter can. Jeff was involved in many aspects of UYPL affairs leading to him becoming its international secretary and then secretary of the International Religious Fellowship – IRF – in the 1970s, organising and attending conferences all over Europe.
Jeff moved from a successful business career to become our GA General Secretary in 1994. His business acumen, wide knowledge of all aspects of Unitarianism nationally and internationally and his ability to work well with people made him a very successful General secretary over thirteen eventful years. He has been described as ‘always cool in a crisis’, and ‘full of wisdom and common sense’. Jeff established strong links with the American Unitarian Universalist Association and helped to establish and raise funding for the International Council of Unitarian Universalists
After his GA General Secretaryship Jeff continued his involvement with worldwide Unitarian affairs and was for a while an officer of the International Association for Religious Freedom – the IARF. He was also very soon deeply involved with many national Unitarian matters, Jeff has only recently retired from a long period as treasurer of the British and Foreign Unitarian Association and the Essex Hall Trust. As a trustee of Dr. Williams’s Library he has been very actively involved in the recent transfer of the library to Manchester’s famous John Ryland’s Library
Jeff is still secretary of what Unitarian ministers consider to be his most important job – secretary of the Ministers’ Pension Fund !
In all this Jeff has not forgotten the local church, He has been a trustee and treasurer of Godalming over many years and an active member there and with the Reading Fellowship. You will be pleased to hear that it has not been all work. With his immensely supportive wife Sue Jeff is a keen walker, even braving the Great Hucklow Winter Walking Weekend and a keen member of the Unitarian Music Society.
This life-long and immensely valuable service to Unitarianism in so many spheres is deeply appreciated by us all and throughly deserves our recognition by conferring upon him the Honorary Membership 0f the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches.