Francis David
(written by Ralph Roberts, edited by Nita Penfold)
Sources: great deeds of prophetic men and women
Materials:
 7 or more wall pieces, as plain wood as possible
 5 houses of Worship (may look all the same)
 King piece (King or Prince figure from Nova Naturals)
 Francis David Piece (Monk or Councilor figure from Nova Naturals)
 Optional: Queen Isabella piece

Brown or green underlay softened square to fit materials with 2 inch frame

Gold box with symbols on side
Note: According to Rev. Ralph Roberts— historically, the fifth house of worship (Jewish
Temple) was not included in the city, even with Francis David’s inclusiveness. This was essentially an ecumenical meeting of Christian churches which was a radical concept in its time
(1568) in Transylvania.
Extension for older children: add the names of King Sigismund, Queen Isabella, and the names of the churches: Roman Catholic, Calvinist, Lutheran, Unitarian, Jewish, included on last page.
You may also put the two cards about the story on a small tray next to the story on the shelf for older children to read when they take the story for their work.
Presentation:
Now watch where I go to get our story for today so that if you would like to make it your work later you will be able to find it.
Walk around the room and come back to the UU focal shelves that were behind you.
Take the basket and place it on the floor next to you. Take out the underlay and shake it out and drop on the floor.
Hmm..what could this be? It could be a……….
Encourage answers from the children.
Yes, it could be grass. Or dirt. Or………
Place one section of wall in the storytelling area. Try setting it up different ways finally setting it up so it stands like a long section of wall. As you do this say . . .
Francis David
Unitarian*Universalism

What do we have here? If we stood it up it might be a column. If we laid it flat it could be a bridge. Maybe we need another piece?
Place a second section of wall beside the first and try moving the pieces in different positions while saying something like . . .
Maybe it is a column? And now we have two. Maybe it’s a tall tower we need to put together?
If we put them beside each other like this we have a hallway or corridor. Maybe people walk through here?
Begin removing the remaining wall pieces and line them up so that they form a circle with a small gap or archway block for entrance facing the children.
There are a lot of things that we could make out of these shapes but I think what we have here is a wall. And our wall has an opening, a gate for people to come and go.
Trace your finger along the top of the wall.
This is a wall around a city. It is an important city.
Remove the king figure from the basket and place him in the center of the city.
One reason this city was so important was because a king lived in this city. The king had many important decisions to make. He decided who could come into the city and do business there.
Motion the comings and goings with your finger pacing in and out of the gate.
The king made decisions about the crops which were grown outside the city walls.
Place your hand palm down in a few spots outside the walls to show where the fields are. Then point inside the walls and say.
The king had to make laws to protect the people in the city and help them to be happy.
One by one remove the five houses of worship and line them up close to you at the top of the story telling field as you say.
It was an exciting time. There were many churches and religions in the king’s country. They shared many ideas about the mystery of God but they also disagreed about how God spoke to people and cared for them and how people could best show God that they loved God.
Sometimes people fought about those differences. Sometimes people from one church would hurt or even kill people from another church. They wanted the king to decide which religion was the right religion and which church was the right church.
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Place your hand on the king’s head and say . . .
The king knew that the fighting couldn’t go on. He remembered his mother the Queen teaching him about fairness. And he knew that people expected him to decide which was the right religion. He also knew that he couldn’t decide without help from others, so he invited church leaders from three of the churches to come and help him decide.
Hold up the first house of worship with one hand and put your other hand on the head of the king.
The king asked the first church leader how he would have the cities throughout the kingdom look. And the church leader from that church answered that he would have it look like this. . .
Place the first church inside the walls of the city and leave the remaining houses of worship where they are.
The king thought about what this man said.
Return the first church to its position at the top of the story telling field. Then place one hand on the king’s head and with your other hand hold up the second house of worship.
The king asked the second church leader how he would have the cities throughout the kingdom look. And the church leader from the second church answered that he would have them look like this.
Place the second church inside the city walls. Then place the first and third churches on the outside of the city walls on either side.
The king thought about what the second church leader said.
Return the houses of worship to the top of the storytelling field. Place one hand on the king’s head and with the other take the Frances David piece and place him inside the city walls.
Then the king asked the third church leader how he thought the cities throughout the kingdom should look. This third man was a Unitarian minister named Francis David (Daveed). Francis
David told the king that he thought all of the cities should look like this . . .
Take the third house of worship and place it inside the city walls.
But then he said, “I think they should also look like this . . .
Take the first house of worship and place it inside the city walls beside the third house.
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Then he said, “I think they should also look like this . . .
Take the second house of worship and place it inside the city walls beside the other two.
And then he said, “I think they might even look like this . . .
Take the fourth house of worship and place it inside the city walls beside the other three.
Place a hand on the Francis David figure. Leave the fifth house where it is.
“This, your majesty is how your cities should look if you love your people and would have peace.”
Place your hand on the king piece.
The king liked what this third church leader, this Unitarian had to say. The king declared that not only would his cities look like this . . .
Motion in a circle around the whole city.
But that his church, the king’s church would be that of the third church leader.
Place the king in front of the third house of worship. Look at the whole layout for a moment before beginning the wondering questions.
Wondering Questions:

I wonder what the most important part of this story is?

I wonder which part you liked the best?

I wonder where you could be in this story?

I wonder if the people who lived in the city agreed with the choice that the king made?

I wonder how the other church leaders felt when their ideas were not chosen?
 I wonder why the king did not ask the church leader of the 4 th or 5 th church how the city should look?
 I wonder what those people might have said?
 I wonder how the people of this other church felt when they were left outside of the wall?
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 I wonder why the king chose Francis David’s church for his own?
 I wonder if there are places in the world where people can’t choose their religion? Or where Kings and Queens make all the decisions?
 I wonder how it feels to believe or think something differently than a lot of other people?
 I wonder which church YOU think is the “right” church?

I wonder if there could be other churches here, too?
 I wonder if one of these churches is more important than the others?

I wonder what would happen if this wall were not here?

I wonder how this story may have been different if they asked someone else?
Now watch how I put this story away, so that if you make it your work, you will be able to get it ready for the next person.
Place each object back into the basket in reverse order, naming them as you go, and then fold up the underlay and place on the basket before you take the basket to the shelf.
Now watch where I go to put this basket away so that you will know where it is found in the classroom.
Place basket on shelf.
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Layout:
Another Version:
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Materials for Readers: add to story after you tell it.
King John Sigismund
Francis David
Queen Isabella
Transylvania
1568
Roman Catholic Church
Calvinist Church
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Lutheran Church
Unitarian Church
Jewish Temple
The following cards may be added to the shelf on a tray for extension materials for those who are interested. Be sure to point out before children choose their work if they are available.
Decree of King John Sigismund in 1568
"His Majesty, our Lord, in what manner he --- together with his realm --- legislated in the matter of religion at the previous Diets, in the same manner now, in this Diet, he reaffirms that in every place the preachers shall preach and explain the Gospel each according to his understanding of it, and if the congregation like it, well, if not, no one shall compel them for their souls would not be satisfied, but they shall be permitted to keep a preacher whose teaching they approve.
Therefore none of the superintendants or others shall abuse the preachers, no one shall be reviled for his religion by anyone, according to the previous statutes, and it is not permitted that anyone should threaten anyone else by imprisonment or by removal from his post for his teaching, for faith is the gift of God, this comes from hearing, which hearing is by the word of
God."
Francis David and the Edict of Torda
In sixteenth century Transylvania, Francis David (1510-1579) became the founder of the first
Unitarian faith to be known literally as Unitarian. Francis David had originally trained as a
Catholic priest before becoming a Lutheran and then a Calvinist, and then finally a Unitarian. In the year 1568, King John Sigismund called a Diet (debate) in the city of Turda (Torda) to determine which of the established religions in the area would be declared the official religion of his realm. During that lengthy debate, Francis David held his ground against all the other established religions in the region and convinced King John Sigismund that to declare one religion as the state religion and to compel his people to follow that religion was wrong. King
John proclaimed religious freedom throughout his realm, the first such declaration known in history. This victory did not last long, within three years King John was dead, and his successor did not hold his tolerant views. Francis David was ultimately sentenced to prison for refusing to acknowledge that Jesus Christ was to be at least Adored, and he died in the prison at Deva in
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1579. The Unitarian faith that Francis David founded is still alive today amongst many of the ethnic Hungarians living in the Transylvania region.
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