Healing and Reconciliation
All this from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." (2 Corinthians 5:17-20)
What's new
The Rev. Margaret Mullin speaks to participants of the first national Truth and Reconciliation Commission event June 16-19 in Winnipeg. Margaret was a panelist in a discussion on the theme, “Living the Dialogue: Native Traditional Spiritualities in Conversation with Christianity.” Rev. Margaret is the executive director of Winnipeg Inner City Missions, a Native Ministry of The Presbyterian Church in Canada.”
TRC national event in Halifax
- Read The PCC's Expression of Reconciliation, read by Moderator Horst on Oct. 27, 2011
- Read the update from Day 1
- Read the update from Day 2
- Read the update from Day 3
Other Updates
- Read Stephen Kendall’s, Principal Clerk of General Assembly, blog from the TRC national event in Inuvik, June 2011
- Read Herb Gale’s, Moderator of the 137th General Assembly, blog from the TRC national event in Winnipeg, June 2010
- Background information on The Presbyterian Church in Canada and Indian Residential Schools
Funding
Healing and Reconciliation Seed Fund
The Healing and Reconciliation program offers funding up to $5000 for Presbyterians wishing to build relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.
- Healing and Reconciliation Seed Fund Criteria
- Seed Fund Application Form
- Seed Fund Follow-up Initiatives: Criteria and Application Form
- Ideas for getting started
Native Ministries Fund
This fund is specifically for Canadian Presbyterian Native Ministries. It was established for those represented on the National Native Ministries Committee of The Presbyterian Church in Canada.
Local Relationship Building
The Healing and Reconciliation program offers funding up to $5000 for Presbyterians wishing to build relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. You may wish to invite an Aboriginal Elder to speak with a small group, or organize a trip to a local Native Friendship Centre. Click here for ideas for getting started.
Click the links below to read about relationship building initiatives:
- Cultural Camp – Camp Christopher and Riverside Community School, Prince Albert, SK
- Healing and reconciliation story from St. John's Presbyterian Church, Bradford ON. Read from "Schools share their cultures."
- St. Paul's Presbyterian Church reaches out to Native Canadian Centre (Bramalea, ON)
- The Inuit Residential School Experience, St. Andrew's, Knox and St. Giles Presbyterian Churches (Ottawa, ON)
- Returning to Spirit Workshop (Alberta)
- Cheryl Bear Tour, Presbytery of Kamloops (British Columbia)
- Founding Stories at Riverside School: Rev. Sandy Scott and St. Paul's Presbyterian Church (Prince Albert, SK)
- National Aboriginal Day: Our Voice, Our Culture, Our Community, Aboriginal Youth Video Project, Richmond Youth Services Agency, British Columbia
- Rev. Marty Molengraaf, Duff’s Presbyterian Church, Guelph Ontario
- The Creation of Friendship, Rev. Jonathan Kwon and Trinity Presbyterian Church (Grenfell, SK)
- National Aboriginal Day Event, Richmond Youth Service Agency (Richmond, BC)
- Rev. Susan Samuel and the Presbytery of Grey-Bruce-Maitland (ON)
Liturgical Resources
Liturgical resources, including suggested orders of service, sermon illustrations, church school activities, bible study, and prayers are available in two liturgical resources.
Legacy of Residential Schools
- The Confession of 1994
- One in the Spirit: Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Peoples Walking Together in Ministry and Toward Reconciliation
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission
- The Moderator of the 136th General Assembly, Rev. Dr. Herb Gale, attended the first national Truth and Reconciliation Event in Winnipeg, MB, June 17-20, 2010. Click here to read his blog.
- Remembering the Children: Aboriginal and Church Leaders’ Tour
- New Resource: A Brief Administrative History of the Residential Schools and The Presbyterian Church in Canada’s Healing and Reconciliation Efforts
- The Presbyterian Church in Canada Implementing the 2007 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement
- The Presbyterian Church in Canada Addressing Issues of Aboriginal Rights and the Legacy of Residential Schools, Highlights from 1992-2005
- Niigaanibatowaad: FrontRunners Study Guide
- The Gillespie sisters and File Hills Residential School, a paper by The Rev. Peter Bush
Other Resources
Events
- St. Andrew’s Toronto’s Three Questions Event: included are links to audio and text files on topics directly related to healing and reconciliation such as Canada’s Journey of Reconciliation; We accepted Jesus and they gave us the church (reflections on the history of world mission, highlighting mission to indigenous people in North America); and Diversity: beyond a church growth strategy; as well as topics of more general interest.
- Stand in solidarity with Indigenous women on October 4, 2010
- World Mission Conference, June 2010 - This year the world church celebrates the centenary of the World Missionary Conference, held in Edinburgh in 1910. Christians from all over the world join in unity and explore different ways of Witnessing to Christ Today. Click here to read a conference paper on residential schools.
Speaking Notes
- Download Speaking Notes from the Healing and Reconciliation Program Animator at the Charles H. MacDonald Memorial Lecture (October 14, 2009), Knox College, Toronto ON
About H&R
At the heart of the Healing and Reconciliation ministry is the belief that society will be transformed for the better when Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people develop a new understanding of each other and build a new relationship founded on mutual respect and love of neighbour. Healing is required to overcome the legacy of misunderstanding.
The approach is simple: local church members and groups are encouraged to reach out and get to know their Aboriginal neighbours.
Ten Presbyterians attending an ecumenical conference in Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia, May 4-6, 2011. Participants learned how to lead educational and relationship building initiatives between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, and to support the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Read about this event in the spring 2011 edition of “Streams of Justice”.