Each department at church offices must find ways for aboriginal ministries' healing and reconciliation to become a permanent part of their mandate, according to assembly.
An additional motion was adopted that affirmed funding for ongoing native ministry as a high priority. After considerable debate assembly reached several conclusions. The Life and Mission Agency was commissioned to encourage and support individuals, groups and congregations to increase their awareness and understanding of the impact of colonialism on aboriginal peoples. The LMA will also develop resources and programs that will encourage and support the church to initiate dialogue with aboriginals, and to build lasting partnerships through concrete sustainable projects with measurable results.
"We encourage Assembly Council, the Life and Mission Agency and Canada Ministries to review the financial support provided by Presbyterians Sharing…, and to increase this support in light of our commitment to healing and reconciliation." The results of this review should be reflected in the proposed 2007 budget.
Debate centred on whether or not to devote more resources to new ministries and programs, or to simply increase support of existing ones. Rev. Margaret Mullin, director of Anishinabe Fellowship Centre in Winnipeg, had mixed feelings about the church's initiatives. She said she is encouraged by attempts to include aboriginal elements at the assembly. However, she felt developing new programs for aboriginal ministry was unnecessary. "The resources are already there, they don't need to be developed. Use these resources wisely. Increase the church's awareness of what's there already. Invest in the lives we serve with compassion and concrete help."
Rev. Ian Morrison, general secretary of the Life and Mission Agency, said healing and reconciliation is built through relationships, "and the relationships we want you to develop can be facilitated by new resources."
Lew Ford, who has been part of the healing and reconciliation design team, understood both sides. "Our report is trying to address the healing of the relationship; it does not diminish the healing already happening in various centres. One is affecting the immediacy; the other is affecting the future," he said.
The Healing and Reconciliation Task Group of the Assembly Council will consider using money from the Healing and Reconciliation Fund to support the work assigned to the Life and Mission Agency in the above recommendations, and to contribute additional funds to the church's existing aboriginal ministries. The majority of funding currently comes from Presbyterians Sharing.
Edmonton Urban Native Ministry
– Rev. Hoo Sik Kim
Saskatoon Native Circle Ministry
– Rev. Stewart Folster
Kenora Fellowship Centre / Anamiewigummig
– Henry Hildebrandt
Anishinabe Fellowship Centre (Winnipeg)
– Rev.Margaret Mullin
Flora House (Winnipeg)
– Warren Whitaker
Hummingbird Ministries (Vancouver)
– Mary Fontaine
For resources on healing and reconciliation, visit www.presbyterian.ca/healing.
