Racial Unity, Justice, Inclusion, and Indigenous Reconciliation – Resources
Friends,
Our God, who demonstrates righteousness and justice in both His character and actions, calls us—out of integral love for Him and our neighbours—to do justice, love mercy and to walk humbly with Him. Part of our obedience to this call is to respond as a church as Jesus would in the areas of Racial Unity, Justice, Inclusion, and Indigenous Reconciliation. We have received numerous requests for resources which can help guide the journey towards a greater understanding of this call. Arising out of this recognized need, we have been compiling resources for your reference which can be used as a springboard for further study and discussion in your ministry context. Additional resources will be continually added as conversations and collaboration continue. Provided for you are interviews, articles, podcasts, written statements, and suggested resources that facilitate awareness and actions. Click here to go to the Ministry Toolbox section of our PAOC website where you will find these Featured Resources, in two separate sections: https://www.paoc.org/ministry-toolbox
In June, the Government of Canada declared September 30 a federal statutory holiday called the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. These resources, and in particular, the section dedicated to Indigenous Reconciliation, can be used or distributed as you see best in advance of September 30 as a means of intentional engagement on that important day of solidarity with our Indigenous brothers and sisters. In particular, we’d like to draw your attention to these two videos:
- Prayer for Reconciliation by Reepa Evic-Carleton with an introduction from Dan Collado, The PAOC Indigenous Guiding Group Coordinator. (Click here to view or share.)
- The Lord's Prayer in Nine Indigenous Languages. (Click here to view or share.)
Also included in the Indigenous section’s resources is the 2012 Letter of Apology, Forgiveness and Reconciliation between The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada and its Aboriginal leadership. The letter reflects the journey we have already been on together for the last several years, which culminated in the official ceremony at General Conference 2012. Additional/ongoing materials in this section will be authorized by those serving in Mission Canada’s Indigenous Guiding Group.
We trust that you will engage all of these resources consistently as they are updated regularly, and we invite your feedback or stories of applications/actions that relate to the themes of the sections featured. Please email them to info@paoc.org.
Yours in Christ,
David Wells
General Superintendent
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