This denominational event took place at the beautiful Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, from Sunday evening, June 2, to Thursday afternoon, June 6, 2024. It commended with worship and the induction of the new Moderator, the Rev. Dr. Patricia Dutcher-Walls. The previous Moderator, Mary Fontaine, minister at Hummingbird Ministries, presided over the ceremony. Over the course of five days, there were 10 sederunts, meaning “times of sitting together.” The General Assembly is the highest court in our church, confirming recommendations, regulations, overtures, polices during its sessions.
Detailed reports and daily sederunt summaries can be found on our denomination’s website. I would like to focus on one particular topic that deeply resonated with me during the assembly: Healing and Reconciliation. Many discussions during the General Assembly were aligned with this subject. Coincidentally our church has recently observed this topic during a worship service. On the third day of the General Assembly, the Moderator, along with four or five General Assembly commissioners, formally apologized to Indigenous people on behalf of the Church, acknowledging the harmful operation of residential schools. Subsequently, a smudging ceremony was conducted inside the meeting hall. For those unfamiliar, this ritual serves as a cleansing ceremony in the presence of the Lord. Two Aboriginal church elders led the ceremony and invited the commissioners to participate and receive its blessing. This gesture deeply moved and inspired many attendants.
Among the numerous recommendations in support of Indigenous communities, one significant proposal was to designate The Sandy-Salteaux Spiritual Centre in Manitoba as a seminary for preparing Aboriginal ministry candidates to serve as ministers of the Word and Sacraments within their communities. This was a sensitive issue, as the PCC already has three established seminaries providing education for Indigenous candidates also. However, the motion passed with the understanding of expanding God’s love within Indigenous communities. During the discussions, emotions ran high as one commissioner shared a personal tragedy: the loss of an Indigenous friend to suicide and urged to recognize the critical need for spiritual leadership by Indigenous ministers.
That evening, outside the dormitory residence, I met one of the elders who performed the smudging ceremony. I expressed my appreciation to him for sharing this sacred ritual with the commissioners. During our conversation, he opened up about the challenges he, his family, and his community have faced over the years. He explained that his ancestors struggled to understand or were unable to comprehend some of the treaties made by European settlers long ago. During the era of residential schools, his parents were prohibited from using their own language outside of their home. He mentioned that one reason there were many Aboriginal inmates in the western Canadian prisons was because they violated these simple regulations. According to him, one of the main challenges now is revitalizing native languages among children, as there was a significant gap during the residential school period. He expressed deep appreciation for our denomination’s effort toward genuine reconciliation with his people, especially during the General Assembly. Furthermore, he emphasized that he and his community feel a profound responsibility to properly educate their future generations from now on. This conversation provided me with a deeper understanding of the ongoing challenges faced by our Aboriginal friends in our country.
Sometimes I hear people saying, “Our country has done enough for Indigenous people.” With respect, I would say that the journey to true reconciliation may take longer than we expect or want. As a Korean Canadian, I can understand this from my own observations regarding Japan. My homeland, Korea, was colonized by the Japanese government from 1910 to 1945, nearly 35 or 36 years. During that period, similar to the Aboriginal people during the residential school era, Koreans lost much of their identity as they were prohibited from using their own language in schools. They were forced to adopt Japanese names and pay respect to the Japanese Shinto god by bowing their heads before idols. If they did not comply with those regulations, they faced disadvantages and were even imprisoned. Later during World War II, almost 700,000 Korean men were compelled into forced labour by the Japanese, and about 200,000 women, known as Comfort Women, were subjected to serve Japanese soldiers.
Twenty years after Korea gained independence from colonization, significant reconciliation efforts were made between the two countries to address harmful actions of the Japanese government. Japan assisted Korea and provided loans to aid in rebuilding after the Korean war. That was a good starting point of reconciliation. For the further healing purpose, the Korean supreme court ruled some time ago that certain Japanese companies operating in Korea should compensate Koreans affected by forced labor and Comfort Women practices. However, those companies refused, believing they had already done enough. On numerous occasions, Japan has also claimed a certain part of Korean territory as theirs. Due to this recurring unwillingness and stubbornness, tensions between Koreans and Japanese have persisted for a long time. In sports events against Japan, Korean players often feel compelled to win no matter what.
While some Japanese leaders have sincerely apologized to the Korean government, others persist in showing their pride and justifying their wrongdoings. The unresolved issues between the two countries continue, and they may last longer than each side expects. Intentional or unintentional harm affects deeply and requires patience and ongoing efforts to do what is right before the Lord for our brothers and sisters on the other side. Like you, I believe that God will bring true reconciliation and healing to both parties if we continue to pay attention to this matter.
In addition to the care of Indigenous people, the General Assembly invited speakers with backgrounds from Ukraine and Palestine, praying for those affected by ongoing conflicts in those regions.
In conclusion, it was an honor and privilege to represent our Presbytery, alongside four other commissioners, at the General Assembly. It provided a wonderful opportunity to learn about God’s inclusive ministry in our diverse world and to participate in our denomination’s commitment to the mission of reconciliation with our Indigenous people.