Intercultural Ministries

What would it mean if in Canada, we intentionally nurtured respectful spaces for dialogue and relationships among diverse cultural groups? And if this nurturing mutually enriched the ways in which we are church together?

Dialogue and equitable relationships can transform us as individuals, as church, and as global communities. The vision of an intercultural church is a transformative one, calling all of us to move toward becoming mutually welcoming and racially just communities, and towards being changed in the process.

At the 39th General Council, The United Church of Canada agreed to “commit itself to becoming an intercultural church.” This commitment means “that intercultural dimensions of ministries [will] be a denominational priority in living out its commitment to racial justice, where there is mutually respectful diversity and full and equitable participation of all Aboriginal, francophone, ethnic minority, and ethnic majority constituencies in the total life, mission, and practices of the whole church.”

“Intercultural” refers to mutually reciprocal relationships among and between cultures. But intercultural ministries seek also to move beyond dialogue toward transformation in all parts of our church.

Intercultural ministries embrace diverse ways of being church together, including

• racial and ethnic minority congregations and related ministries
• ministries with Aboriginal peoples
• ministries with francophone peoples
• Deaf ministries
• ministries with ethnic majority peoples

There are many intersecting paths on the way to becoming an intercultural church. It means more than simply openly identifying ourselves as a national church that is welcoming and inclusive of racial, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural diversity. It means joining with others in living out our life-long commitment to racial justice.