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During the course of the 18th century, the congregation and its ministers moved gradually towards a Unitarian position, stressing the unity - as opposed to the trinity - of God, and the humanity - as opposed to the deity - of Jesus. Doctrinal change was facilitated by the open' nature of the Trust Deed, which stipulated no theological conditions other than that the Meeting House be used for the 'Worship of Almighty God'. The crucial period was the ministry of Thomas Scott, from 1737 to 1766. Scott, an Arabic scholar, was one of the few ministerial friends of the young Joseph Priestley during his pastorate in Needham Market from 1755 to 1758. Priestley, besides his later fame as a scientist, was to become in time the foremost Unitarian minister of his day. After Scott's time both ministers and congregation were at least Arian in their beliefs. By the beginning of the 19th century the theological position of the congregation was not in doubt and ministers like Thomas Rees and Thomas Drummond represented a new and aggressive brand of Unitarianism.

The passing of the so-called Trinity Act in 1813 removed the legal penalties for professing Unitarianism and the resultant lingering restraints on Unitarians calling themselves by that name. The 1844 Dissenters' Chapels Act confirmed Unitarian congregations, like that in Ipswich, in possession of buildings originally constructed by people who were not Unitarian in their beliefs.

Two ministers caused the congregation problems at this period. In 1832 the trustees dismissed Andrew Melville for misconduct and running up debts in the town. His successor, Joseph Ketley caused further embarrassment by very publicly renouncing Unitarianism and resigning in 1836. It was left to Thomas Felix Thomas to get things back on an even keel, and his photograph begins the series depicting former ministers that hangs in the vestry.

Among the prominent laypeople in the congregation in the mid-l9th century were Herbert Wright, editor of the 'Ipswich Journal', and the writer John Glyde, author of 'The Moral, Social and Religious Condition of Ipswich', published in 1850.