Anti-Racism

Select actions of the church

2023: General Assembly adopted a Confession acknowledging 1) that racist values which assume the superiority of the dominant culture [white Europeans] has shaped the church, 2) the church’s failure to recognize the spiritual gifts of all persons, and 3) restating the church’s commitment to turn from the sin of racism. The Confession will be presented in a service of repentance coordinated by the General Assembly Office, with members of the multi-racial community of the church present. It was recommended that presbyteries hold similar services of repentance. General Assembly also approved a recommendation that the Life and Mission Agency provide resources to accompany the Confession to deepen our understanding of the concept of race and the role we share in the important work of anti-racism. (A&P 2023, pp. 33, 240-4)

The General Assembly adopted recommendations encouraging that geographically defined presbyteries (that is, not Han-Ca Presbyteries) reach out to the congregations of Han-Ca Presbyteries and other ethnic communities within their bounds to build connections, listen, and find contexts to express understanding and compassion and that congregations and ministers that are not part of the Han-Ca Presbyteries develop friendships with neighbouring congregations that are part of Han-Ca Presbyteries and other ethnic communities through a variety of activities, including but not limited to meals shared, joint mission trips and shared worship services; and that congregations be creative in telling the stories of the connections made. (A&P 2023, pp. 33, 240-4)

A five-year position of Intercultural Liaison was established as part of the church’s responses to the work of the Special Committee re Petition Nos. 1 and 2, 2021 (see 2022, below, for more information). A search will be conducted for the newly created position and a candidate will be recommended to the 2024 General Assembly (A&P 2023, pp. 49-51. General Assembly noted that the national church is developing inter-cultural workshops and commended PCC theological colleges for proactively offering courses and programs in inter-cultural studies (in response to Special Committee recommendations). (A&P 2023, p.24)

General Assembly agreed that translation to all languages used in the presbyteries of the church be made available as needed, subject to funding being made available by the Assembly Council. (A&P 2023, pp. 35, 240-4)

The General Assembly received a report on environmental racism, which refers to the influences of systemic racism and colonization that make racialized and Indigenous communities disproportionately impacted by climate change, environmental degradation and environmental toxins from human activities. General Assembly approved that the Moderator write to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change expressing support for the development of a strategy to examine the links between race, socio-economic status and environmental risk and address environmental racism in Canada. Presbyteries, congregations and individuals were invited to write their local member of parliament for the same purpose.

2022: A Special Committee was convened to address petitions regarding the need to address racism in the church. General Assembly adopted several recommendations from the Commission’s report that:

• the Special Committee continue to listen to people who have been affected by racism and marginalization and to prepare an apology.
• Set up funds:
  • To provide counselling for those harmed by the church’s racism and marginalization; and
  • To provide for mentoring of non-Euro Canadian clergy and lifting up leadership from non-Euro Canadian clergy
  • To approve the creation of the Office of Cross-Cultural Liaison.
• Within the next three years, steps will be taken so that the Committee to Nominate Standing Committees is more? Representative of the ethnic and cultural mix of the PCC, and the Assembly set an aspirational goal that all General Assembly standing committees be representative of the ethnic and cultural mix of the denomination.
• A course in Inter-cultural Studies will be developed and offered at the theological colleges, and workshops in cross-cultural awareness will be delivered to all the presbyteries of the church. (A&P 2022, pp. 286-302).

General Assembly reviewed a report on church statements and actions that reject and oppose racism while acknowledging the presence of systemic racism in the church and that the church has “not lived up fully to the calls for love, justice and discipleship.” An anti-racism covenant and accompanying strategies will be prepared. The covenant will:

• Develop a theological framework for understanding racism;
• provide educational resources to inspire commitment to anti-racism endeavours;
• provide a basis for decisions about resource allocation among anti-racism initiatives;
• and guide the church regarding its anti-racism efforts. (A&P 2022, pp. 183-191, 24)

2021: General Assembly adopted a report on violent encounters between police services and Black and Indigenous people, discussing systemic racism and its impacts on targeted violence toward Black and Indigenous people, and the disproportionate numbers of Black and Indigenous people in the justice system. The moderator will write to the Government of Canada encouraging the creation of a centralized, national data collection system to record race-based data with policing, including use of force. The moderator will also write to provinces and territories advocating that responsibility and funding for wellness checks is reallocated from police to community and healthcare-based crisis intervention workers, including pathways for people to access healthcare-led interventions through 911 services that do not necessitate the involvement of police as first responders in mental health crises. (A&P 2021, pp. 430-432, 38)

Congregations and Presbyteries were encouraged by General Assembly to study racism and xenophobia in Canada and the ways that churches can contribute to ending racism, including the use of church resource “Racism and Hate in Canada”. (A&P 2021, pp. 427-429, 38)

2020: The church wrote to the Prime Minister expressing support that August 1 be recognized as Emancipation Day marking the 1834 end of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade in British colonies.

2011: General Assembly commended a number of initiatives to the church identifying ways the church can become more racially and ethnically inclusive, including increasing diversity in all church structures, programs and in leadership positions, and reporting on steps taken. The Committee to Nominate Standing Committees will maintain data on the racial and ethnic diversity of standing committees of General Assembly and make this data available to the church as appropriate. (A&P 2011, pp. 373-6, 32)

2008: General Assembly approved a policy to deal with allegations of racial harassment titled “Growing in Christ: Seeing the Image of God in Our Neighbour” and “A Statement of Commitment Toward Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Leadership at the National Level of The Presbyterian Church in Canada.” (A&P 2008, pp. 220-9)

1985: General Assembly mandated the Administrative Council to provide guidance to local congregations in complying with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and provincial human rights codes in their capacity as employers. (A&P 1985, p. 44, 55)

1984: General Assembly urged presbyteries and synods sending nominations for committees to use their utmost efforts to see that at least 15% of their submitted nominations be from groups not usually represented, i.e. youth, minorities, the people who are disabled. (A&P 1984, pp. 49)

1981: General Assembly affirmed the value and importance of distinct linguistic, ethnic and cultural ministries in the church, and directed presbyteries to receive pastors from different racial backgrounds qualified for ordination in the Presbyterian/Reformed church of their homeland on the understanding that they would upgrade those qualifications to meet the standards of The PCC after acceptance, in their own language, if necessary. (A&P 1981, pp. 423-5, 92) In light of a recruitment drive by the Ku Klux Klan in Canada, it also endorsed renewed opposition to racism in all its forms. (A&P 1981, pp. 309-310)

1979: General Assembly urged presbyteries to “take measures to see that ethnic congregations are encouraged and enabled to participate fully in the main life of the presbytery and the church and to guard against the isolation of these congregations.” (A&P 1979, p. 414, 85)

1972: General Assembly adopted several statements on racism previously adopted by the WCC (in 1954, 1966 & 1968) and the 1971 General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church, USA. (A&P 1972, pp. 269-270, 59)

1964: General Assembly approved a statement calling on the church to study racial and ethnic discrimination in the church and commended the Government of Canada for passing the Bill of Rights and provinces which had enacted Human Rights Codes. (A&P 1964, pp. 353-354, 357, 95-96)

1960: General Assembly called on provincial governments to disallow discrimination in rental units based on race, colour, creed, religion, national origin or place of birth and asked the Government of Canada to include “no discrimination” provisions in National Housing Act transactions and Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation loan agreements. (A&P 1960, pp. 304, 50)

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