Canadian churches, in recent times have been devastated by residential school scandals which have resulted in lawsuits being brought against them totalling millions of dollars. The aboriginal representatives of these churches have told Rev. Samuel Kobia, WCC general secretary that they must work closely ecumenically if they are to bring hope and healing to the country’s First Nations.

The WCC general secretary was making his first visit to Canada as general secretary. He began his tour this week by meeting a panel of Aboriginal people at Thunderbird House on 30 September, a gathering place for Indigenous spirituality. Two clergy from the Cree Nation described the process of apologies and healing the churches had undertaken.

The Canadian churches operated hundreds of Indian residential schools across the nation fro decades until 1969 on behalf of the federal government. At the time the federal government had the policy of Native assimilation, which meant that the schools forced children to speak English only and to deny their original cultures and religions. Some of these former European and Canadian clerical and lay staff have been charged and convicted of sexual and physical abuse.

In 1993, First Nations’ organisations commenced the process of hiring lawyers to bring legal action against the government and a number of churches. Since then the churches and government have issued apologies and established healing funds, and the churches have even gone as far as trying to raise millions of dollars to compensate the victims for physical and emotional abuse suffered in the past.

The ‘Winnipeg Panel’ informed Kobia of the residential schools’ response group which has been set up, which is ecumenical and involves churches that had no part in the running of the schools. Kobia put forward four suggestions:

1) Healing cannot be achieved without struggling with the issues of racism, poverty, violence and abuse;

2) There must be a mutual recognition of vulnerability by the children who were victims and by the perpetrators of the abuse;

3) Recognise the global nature of these issues and that the whole Body of Christ, all the churches together, need to work for healing and wholeness; and

4) Accept that Christians walk together both globally and locally in an ecumenical journey and that the World Council of Churches walks with the Canadian churches.

Winnipeg is the national headquarters for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, which is a member of the WCC, as well as the Mennonite Church of Canada and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada.

Kobia gave a public lecture at the University of Winnipeg on “New Visions and Challenges to Ecumenism in the 21st Century.” This was followed by Kobia dining with the leaders of all the major local churches at Thunderbird House.

The general secretary talked about the trends that will impact and influence ecumenism in the 21st Century and the meaning of spirituality and ecumenism.

Kobia commented that whilst mainline churches were on the decline in Europe and North America, Christianity is thriving in the countries of the South. In addition to this he said that vital churches were also emerging in the North; the Pentecostal and Evangelical sectors.

“Because of their location, the National Councils of Churches are challenged to provide ecumenical frameworks and spaces for sharing new realities,” Kobia said. “Another factor which will have to take into account the growing phenomenon of living in a multi-faith context. This is particularly evident in multi-cultural Canada. This situation challenges us to consider more deeply the concept of broader ecumenism and the relationship between deepening inter-Church and interfaith dialogue.”

The WCC general secretary continued to make the point that the audience should search for “a holy ground on which to stand, from which we Christians may be able to exercise leverage on a world in need of transformation.”

From Winnipeg, Kobia flew to Canada’s largest city, Toronto to meet with leaders of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, the Anglican Church in Canada, and the United Church in Canada. His tour will then continue and include meetings with theological students of African descent, addressing the Centre for Ecumenism on “The impact of Interfaith Relations on Ecumenical Theology Practice.” From there he will go to the Canadian capital of Ottawa before leaving for the USA on Monday 4th October.