‘Respect the dignity of every human being’

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This article was published 10/04/2023 (1254 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Finding ways for people of colour to be better represented in leadership in the Anglican Diocese of Rupert’s Land is the goal of a new committee created by the church.

The Black Anglicans of Canada Dismantling Anti-Black Racism Committee, Diocese of Rupert’s Land, was launched at a celebratory worship service at Holy Trinity Anglican Church on March 19. It is chaired by Wilson Akinwale, priest at St. Thomas Anglican Church in the Weston neighbourhood.

Akinwale, originally from Nigeria, said the new committee grows out of desire by the Anglican Church of Canada to dismantle systemic racism in the denomination.

The church wants to “strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being,” he said. “We are called to be a church where people have the assurance that they will be treated with dignity and respect where they will find a community free of racism.”

The Anglican Church of Canada website says in 2017, the last year for which published statistics are available, 359,030 people were on parish rolls.

At its 2022 synod, or general meeting, the diocese itself approved a recommendation to dedicate time and resources to increasing diversity and improving inclusion and equity in its governance and decision-making bodies.

Akinwale said the goal of the committee is to do a review of how many people of colour there are in the diocese, examine the barriers to their full participation and then make recommendations for ways to include more of them in leadership at all levels.

“Racism exists in the church, that’s a fact,” said Akinwale, 48, who has experienced it first-hand.

“We expect to have some difficult conversations, but we have to talk about it, acknowledge it exists, and then confront and dismantle it.”

The result, he hopes, will be “people of colour in the diocese having equal representation in leadership… we want everyone to be on the same playing field.”

Although the number of people of colour in the diocese is not known, there are six Black priests, he said.

Simon Blaikie is the executive archdeacon for the diocese — the person who oversees its day-to-day operations and supports its 65 parishes in Manitoba and northwestern Ontario.

For him, the new committee is not only an opportunity for the church to promote more people of colour into leadership, but also to examine its worship practices.

“A lot of our liturgy is from a white, British perspective,” he said of the hymns, readings and prayers. “How can we diversify our worship so it includes other cultures?”

Those traditional liturgical elements would have “represented the church in the past, but not in 2023,” he added.

The committee’s work will also provide a chance to look at how the church conducts its meetings, at the diocesan and parish levels.

“We need to find ways to hear from people who are marginalized,” he said, adding “there isn’t enough representation from people of colour at our governance levels.”

“We want people of colour to know their voices will be heard,” Blaikie said, adding that the diocese is serious about this effort. “This isn’t just window dressing. We really want to listen. We want to be sure leadership of the diocese reflects the diversity of the church.”

The committee is expected to present a report with recommendations this year, with implementation slated for 2024.

The committee is one of three created with the same goals in Canada; the others are in Toronto and Vancouver. It has about 50 members, so far.

“Everyone is welcome to join, including friends and allies,” said Akinwale, adding he encourages young people to join.

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