A young Asian couple was seeking a home parish, but they felt awkward when they were earnestly encouraged by friends and family to join an all-Asian congregation. They preferred the liturgy at a parish closer to their home where, as it happened, the congregation consisted of mostly white members. This had not seemed like a deterrent to them, and they wondered why it seemed so important to their friends that they should worship in an all-Asian parish.

These examples are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the lived experiences of people in our diocese who represent our vast diversity in language, culture and ethnicity. This is why we are called to do the work that we do in intercultural ministry. We have moved towards being multicultural, but multiculturalism can work to organize us into tidy, separate spaces. What’s crucial for us to see is that multiculturalism does not demand interaction but interculturalism does.

We take our mandate from our diocesan bishop, knowing that it comes directly from the teaching of Jesus.

As the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church wrote in a pastoral letter, “When Jesus entered the synagogue in his first public ministry (Luke 1), he read from the prophet Isaiah. The vision proclaimed is known as the desire of God, the peaceable kingdom, a society of justice and shalom, or the city set on a hill. It is an icon of what God intends for all creation – that human beings live in justice and peace with one another… and that the whole created order is restored to right relationship. That is our goal and vocation as Christians.” (The Sin of Racism: A Call to Covenant, 2006.)

The Bishop’s Committee on Intercultural Ministry is working towards ensuring that this vision and this vocation are realized. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote, “Christianity teaches us that each person is created in the image and likeness of God – it is part of being human. To treat one such person as if they were less… is not just evil but downright blasphemous and sacrilegious.”

The bible and Christianity teach that reconciliation – restoring us to right relationship – is at the heart of the gospel. To deny this is, as Archbishop Tutu wrote, “denying the central tenet of Christianity.”

Friends, if Jesus walked into any of our services this Sunday, would he rejoice in the profound inclusion of all cultures, languages, identities and abilities, or would he meet a false sense of the love that he taught?

1 Corinthians 12 says that when one of us suffers, we all suffer. The Church is not complete unless all are valued and empowered to contribute fully. St. Paul’s vision for us is not just unity but mutual belonging. In some parishes, the lack of ethnic diversity is striking. This may reflect the local demographics, or it may reveal something deeper – a quiet discomfort about joining a community where one’s culture, language or identity may not be reflected or understood. “Will I belong? Will I be heard?” Despite a sincere welcome, the absence of representation in leadership or liturgy can speak louder.

The work of intercultural ministry helps us ask hard but faithful questions. We do it because God’s love underlies all that we do. We do it because true inclusion isn’t just about welcome, but about presence, participation and shared influence. We do it because of an urgent desire to educate ourselves about the far-reaching effects of exclusion and racism. We do it so that we may reach out into our communities to influence positive change and to promote healing of the pain caused through the years, as exclusion and racism hurt both our beloved people and our witness as followers of Jesus.

Jesus told us that the key to our faith is to love God with heart, soul, strength and mind, and to love our neighbours as ourselves. Together, let’s show the world in our actions as well as our words that God’s love is for everyone.

Andre Lyn, ODT, and Donna Scantlebury are co-chairs of the Bishop’s Committee on Intercultural Ministry. Members of the committee include Bishop Riscylla Shaw, Elin Goulden, Brother Reginald Crenshaw, OHC, the Rev. Adrienne Clements, Alice Akinwalere, the Rev. Oliver Lim, the Rev. Canon Maurice Francois, John O’Dell, the Rev. Leonard Leader and the Rev. Susanne McKim. They can be reached at intercultural.ministry@toronto.anglican.ca. Safety and privacy will be prioritized.

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The Bishop’s Committee on Intercultural Ministry reports to Bishop Andrew Asbil with a renewed mandate to take action that will bring our diocese to new horizons in racial equality. We’ve worked hard to ensure that our committee membership reflects the wide diversity of our diocese, and we continually seek new representation. We’ve taken a deep dive into the experiences of our members and clergy, and we’ve helped create and test material for training in anti-racism; worked with congregations of many ethnic origins; produced a module on anti-racism for Momentum training; given presentations and workshops at the parish level; offered support at the scene of a hate crime (committed at a Toronto parish); and we continue to consult with the College of Bishops in their desire to ensure that the diocesan reality reflects our press releases.

And there’s excellent news! We’re happy to report some giant strides forward. Along with the Anti-Black Anti-Racism (ABAR) Pod group, we submitted a petition to the College of Bishops and executive staff requesting urgent action on three major issues:

1. That the diocese hire a full-time, qualified Diversity, Equity and Inclusion staff member. This will be a person skilled in working with issues of anti-racism, human rights and equality, to ensure that we comply with government regulations and to establish protocol for dealing with issues that arise within our diocese.
2. To launch an on-going mandatory anti-racism training program for staff, clergy and lay workers similar to our Sexual Misconduct Policy program, ensuring awareness of racial justice issues from the hierarchy to the grass roots level of our diocese.
3. To begin collecting race-based data that would hold us accountable in crucial matters of equity such as recruitment, employment opportunities and remuneration (something that many corporations in Canada have had in place for some time) to protect our members and to ensure equitable treatment.

We’re delighted and grateful to tell you that these three requests were taken seriously by the diocese and are now in process. First, the diocese has published a job description for the full-time position requested, and it’s now in the process of hiring. Second, the on-going mandatory anti-racism training is included in the new hire’s job description. Third, the collection and disaggregation of race-based data is listed under the major responsibilities of the new full-time staff member.

The arc of justice can be long and slow indeed, but it does bend towards justice.

In the December 2024 issue of the Anglican Journal, journalist Sean Frankling wrote an article titled “Primate’s commission calls Church to dismantle racism, boost diversity at meetings.” The hope is to address the racism and colonization built into our governance and remove logistical barriers that keep many of our members from taking part at the General Synod level. Bishop Peter Fenty responded, “Do we acknowledge the reality of systemic racism in our own dioceses? Until that work is done, it seems to me that [General Synod] is engaging in futile work.” Our committee heartily agrees with Bishop Fenty’s assessment that the work must begin at the local level in each diocese. Your feeling welcome and safe doesn’t guarantee the same for your neighbour.

Friends, Jesus dismantled our barriers, insisting that everyone belongs. Everyone. Yes, racial justice starts right here with you and me.

Andre Lyn, ODT and Donna Scantlebury are the co-chairs of the Bishop’s Committee on Intercultural Ministry. For more information, email intercultural.ministry@toronto.anglican.ca.

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