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Update from the Special Committee on Petitions 1 and 2, 2021
presbyterian.ca
WINTER 2021
By Peter Bush, co-convener of the Special Committee on Petitions 1 and 2, 2021, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Fergus, Ont.
The Presbyterian Church in Canada is a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, mul- ticultural, multi-lingual gathering of people who declare that Jesus Christ is Lord. People from Korea and Gha- na, from the Arabic-speaking world and from Trinidad and Guyana, from Scotland and the Netherlands and Hungary, Indigenous people and indi- viduals who have been displaced so frequently that they have no roots— all of them have been drawn by the action of the Holy Spirit into the com- munity of God’s people we call The Presbyterian Church in Canada.
Regarding Petitions 1 and 2 (2021), the Special Committee, which was established by the 2021 General As- sembly, is asking: How is the church doing at being a community gathered “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” (Revelations 7:9)? How is the church doing at liv- ing into the truth that the church’s sole source of unity is our common allegiance to Jesus Christ as our Mon- arch and Head?
The Special Committee has begun the process of listening to stories about the relations between people of the various ethnicities, language groups, cultures and races who are part of The Presbyterian Church in Canada. We have heard stories of welcome offered across cultural lines and ethnic differences: stories of support and encouragement as the gifts of diverse populations were wel- comed into the predominantly Anglo- Saxon (Scottish) society of Canadian Presbyterianism. The dominance of this Scottish culture is evident in how many churches are named Knox or St. Andrew’s. These days, members act to assist and support our broth- ers and sisters from other ethnicities as they adjust to the new context in which they find themselves, teaching them the systems and structures of the church.
Offering welcome is complicated and takes great sensitivity to do well. The Special Committee has heard stories when the welcome was not well handled, and members of the dominant culture failed to act as good hosts by failing to appreciate that the
differences are deeper than language and include cultural practices and ethnic understandings. One elder’s comment shed light on the tension between the Congo-born pastor and the Session of their church: “I thought that when their English im- proved, they would be just like us.” The subtext being that the pastor’s assimilation into the dominant culture was hoped for, even expected.
The Special Committee has heard accounts of members of the dominant culture speaking in ways that were hurtful, such as when a pastor of Ko- rean-ancestry was told that he and his people (Asians in Canada) were re- sponsible for the Asian beetle that was eating crops in the region; or when a second-generation Korean (that is, someone born and raised in Canada) is told, “You speak English very well, I forget that you are not from here.”
The Special Committee has also heard stories of how members of the dominant culture have marginalized and diminished the space and place of those whose culture and ethnicity was not part of the dominant culture. One of the subtle ways in which this marginalization is evident is in inter- actions when members of the domi- nant culture speak about the others in the church as having a culture, while failing to recognize that they themselves have a culture as well.
Very much like when people note the accents with which other people speak English, while claiming that they themselves have no accent. In identifying that others have a culture, while acting as though the domi- nant group does not have a culture, the members of the dominant group create an environment in which the words and actions, the critiques and challenges offered by the other cul- tures are named as being “cultural matters.” Such language is a form of marginalization that diminishes both the speaker and their words.
The Special Committee has heard stories of how members of minority cultures and ethnicities have been subjected to tokenism. The pres- ence of other ethnicities and races is welcomed in photographs and to sit on committees and boards in or- der to demonstrate cultural diversity, but they are blocked from using their skills and abilities in their roles within the church. Their presence is wel- comed, but their voices are not. They are to be seen and not heard, rather than being treated as full participants at the table.
The Special Committee has been reflecting on John Swinton’s discus- sion of thin and thick relationships. Thin relationships are those in which the other person is known by only one or two things. For example, we
may know the neighbours by their names, the country they come from and that they dress in ways that are different from us. It is a thin relation- ship. A thick relationship is one in which we know many things about the other person, and we have dis- covered common interests as well as experiences that we both resonate with. As we discover that the neigh- bours are hockey fans, that their children are interested in music, that they have a compelling story to tell about their immigration to Canada, the relationship thickens. In a thin relationship, it is easy to dismiss the voice and hopes of the other. When disagreements arise, their viewpoints are quickly labelled as “other” and rejected. Thin relationships see the other in one- or two-dimensional terms. In a thick relationship, the oth- er is three-dimensional, we pay at- tention when they voice their feelings and their hopes. And even when we disagree, we express that disagree- ment in respectful ways.
The question then arises: What kind of relationship do members of the dominant culture of The Presby- terian Church in Canada have with the people of “every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” that are also part of The Presbyte- rian Church in Canada? Is it a thin relationship? Or is it a thick one?
And the follow-up question is, does the dominant culture have the will to build thick relationships with the many language groups and ethnici- ties that are part of The Presbyterian Church in Canada?
The Special Committee hopes that the General Assembly, in establish- ing this committee, is indicating the commitment of the members of the church to build thick relationships across ethnic and cultural lines of division.
The Special Committee is hoping to hear additional stories from within The Presbyterian Church in Canada, regarding how various ethnic and mi- nority groups have been welcomed or not welcomed, have been offered leadership within the denomination or blocked from exercising leadership, have been treated with respect or with disrespect, have been accepted as equals or seen as second-class. We are hoping to hear from a wide variety of voices, including clergy who are serving cross-culturally in primarily dominant culture congrega- tions. As well, members of the domi- nant culture who wish to bear wit- ness to what they have seen, heard and participated in, are welcome to send in their stories.
Stories are being gathered by a variety of methods. Congregations or subgroups in congregations are welcome to invite members of the Special Committee to come and hear their stories. Zoom meetings can be set up so that people, as part of a group or individually, can share their stories. As well, people can write about their story and submit it by mail or email. We understand that some people will be nervous about speaking publicly, on the record, and we can offer confidential places for stories to be told.
To connect with the Special Com- mittee, email us at: special.committee. pcc@gmail.com or by phone/text message at: 226-820-0634. Your stories are needed by Feb. 15, 2022.
The members of the Special Committee are the Rev. Sampson Afoakwah, the Rev. Mary Fontaine, the Rev. Joon Ki Kim, the Rev. Ste- phen Kwon, the Rev. Sean Lee, the Rev. Dr. Daniel D. Scott, the Rev. Dr. Frank Szatmari, the Rev. Linda Park (co-convener), and the Rev. Peter Bush (co-convener).
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