The Very Rev. Dr. Marion Pardy

February 2003

Greetings to you, the people of God in The United Church of Canada.

March 21 is an important date in the life of our church, community, and world. It's the date set aside by the United Nations to mark the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

This message is an invitation to you and those in your congregation and community to join with others around the world in actions against racism.

Let March 21, or the Sunday before or after, be your opportunity to witness and act against the sin of racism, and to act for justice for victims and survivors of racial discrimination. It is an opportunity to live out God's promise of abundant life for all -- to live out our solidarity with and accountability to millions of people who are daily oppressed and marginalized due to racist attitudes, policies, and practices.

Over its history, The United Church of Canada has developed anti-racism policies and taken anti-racist positions in areas such as Japanese internment during World War II, anti-Semitism, Aboriginal land and self-determination rights, and apartheid in South Africa.

At the 37th General Council in 2000, our church adopted an anti-racism strategy and a policy statement called "That All May Be One." By passing an anti-racism policy, the United Church recognized racism as sin and identified our ongoing need to struggle against racism in all its forms. I experience this policy statement as a powerful and encouraging document. It offers us a vision and a commitment towards being a non-racist and anti-racist church in our life together and in our way of being in the world.

In October 2002, our church appointed Omega Bula to a senior leadership position as General Council Minister, Racial Justice. Omega works with others to enable the whole church to live out its commitments to racial justice and to walking a new path toward reconciliation with First Nations peoples and others who have been marginalized.

We encourage you to work continuously for racial justice in your church, home, and community. In keeping with the United Church's justice-seeking tradition, may March 21 be an important milestone in your journey against the sin of racism and towards God's justice.

What You Can Do

• Use the enclosed prayers, "It Is Not Easy" [RTF: 1 p/53 KB] and "Litany for Racial Justice," [RTF: 1 p/55 KB] in your worship.
• Invite someone to speak about anti-racism in the community or church or world.
• Hold a discussion/study group on "That All May Be One."
• Call attention to statements and phrases that discriminate against other races, and re-evaluate your own use of hurtful and degrading terms.
• Strive to eliminate racial discrimination in worship, curriculum, service, and social gatherings.
• Talk to your church family and personal family about racism and the need for racial justice.
• Discuss and choose from the document "Anti-Racism Action Ideas from Global Partners" [PDF: 1 p/18 KB]
• Use your own creative thoughts and ideas, together with those of others.
• For more information on anti-racism work and on March 21, visit these Web sites.

Together, let us endeavour to live out God's love for our neighbours and for ourselves by eliminating racial discrimination.

In faith and hope,
The Right Rev. Dr. Marion Pardy
Moderator, The United Church of Canada