Two events, each the culmination of two years of preparation, took place this June on opposite sides of the Atlantic.
Nearly 300 people from 60 nations met in Scotland to mark the centenary of the Edinburgh World Missionary Conference of 1910. Two Canadian Presbyterians, Rev. Dr. Ron Wallace and I, took part.
The 1910 conference, attended by 1,200 mostly Protestant European-descended men, is widely remembered as significant to the birth of international ecumenism. The minority voice of V.S. Azariah of India is often cited as particularly inspiring: “The exceeding riches of the glory of Christ can be fully realized not by the Englishman, the American, and the continental alone, nor by the Japanese, the Chinese, and the Indians by themselves — but by all working together, worshipping together, and learning together the perfect image of our Lord and Christ.”
I was privileged to lead one of nine study groups. Our paper, the joint effort of many authors, mostly Canadian, focused on the history of residential schools in Canada as a case study on power relationships in mission. You can read the report online at: edinburgh2010.org/en/study-themes/main-study-themes/mission-and-power.html
Two weeks later, I found myself among an equally international but theologically closer family of Christians gathered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for the Uniting General Council of the World Communion of Reformed Churches. The new organization is a merger of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Reformed Ecumenical Council, uniting 80 million Reformed Christians, from 230 member denominations in 108 countries.
Grand Rapids may be well remembered for placing a spotlight on the indigenous peoples of North America and their experience of Christianity. Delegates were welcomed to Michigan by tribal chiefs, attended workshops on indigenous rights, listened to a keynote address by Oglala Lakota/Sioux theologian, Richard Twiss, and enjoyed a traditional powwow in downtown Grand Rapids.
Twiss pulled no punches describing the historical impact of Christian evangelism on indigenous peoples:
“Theology was captured by the cowboys … the conglomeration of Euro-American scholars, ministers and lay folk … have, over the centuries, used their economic, academic, religious and political dominance to create the illusion that the Bible, read through their experience, is the Bible read correctly.
“Jesus was a black-haired, black-eyed and dark-skinned tribal, indigenous, aboriginal, native, First Nations boy … He was given tribal names: Bright and Morning Star, the Rock, Rose of Sharon, Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Chief Cornerstone, Daystar and many more.
“Jesus did not feel ashamed, like a second-class citizen … because … God-the-Father was not embarrassed by His son’s obvious ethnic identity.”
The WCRC delegates welcomed Twiss’ message and, in keeping with V.S. Azariah’s words of a century ago, agreed that the leadership of our new communion requires perspectives from the entire human family. Indigenous peoples will note this was supported through the election of Cree Canadian (and Presbyterian) Rev. Mary Fontaine to the WCRC executive.
Looking to identify some powerful words from Edinburgh, I observed that Metropolitan Dr. Geevarghese Mor Coorlios (from India, representing the World Council of Churches) hit a collective nerve. He elaborated on keynote speaker Dana Robert’s suggestion that 1910’s “macro context” was colonization and 2010’s is globalization, saying:
“Passion for evangelism and [the] quest for social justice should be held together.
“The representation of [the] global south in this conference may have significantly increased from that of 1910, but the question is whether the pressing concerns of the global south such as poverty, economic and social injustice, ecological violence and marginalization of indigenous peoples actually form the main mission agenda.”
His message is the message of the Accra Confession (affirmed in Grand Rapids): to remember the downsides of the history of Christian complicity with colonial powers as we navigate Christian engagement with the global power structures of our own day — lest our descendants in the Christian community, 100 years from now, lament and feel a need to repent of how we are acting, or not acting, in our context and relationships with the powers of today. What is our ongoing need for redemption?
In confessing our complicity with colonialism in the form of residential schools, the Presbyterian Church in Canada said we ignored prophetic voices of the time who told us what we were doing in the schools was causing harm. Are Twiss, Roberts, and Mor Coorlios prophetic voices of today?
Twiss said: It’s high time we focused our attention on non-Western interpretations of the Bible. Our worldviews are still shaped by those who live in places of economic and political power. We are ignoring the majority of those who live on this planet. Mor Coorlios agreed — challenging us to be honest about whose interests we put first when we make decisions about how we live.
In Canada, most of us can claim to be among the most advantaged peoples on the planet. We are comfortable. Twiss and Mor Coorlios would say complacent.
Yet, rather quietly, the Reformed family agreed in Grand Rapids to work towards the establishment of a new world economic order. They agreed that Christians are called to do this by God.
“[The policy committee] calls upon WCRC and its member churches in cooperation with [partner] organizations to prepare a global ecumenical conference to propose framework and criteria for a new international financial and economic architecture that is based on the principles of economic, social and climate justice, serves the real economy, is accounting for social and environmental risks, sets clear limits to greed,” reads reformedchurches.org/docs/PolicyCommittee.pdf
This bold statement expresses anything but comfort and complacency. Still one wonders, what will they say about us in 2110? Will they repent or rejoice over actions taken, or not taken?
Edinburgh and Grand Rapids challenged us to listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit in each other. Each event brought together a plethora of voices which together said that the pursuit of Christian unity will help us witness to Christ today, remembering that Christian unity is the antithesis of Christian uniformity.
