Reconciliation

"How can our church have a healthy relationship with First Nations communities without repeating past mistakes of the Canadian church?"

This has been the question asked by a number of pastors to our FAIR team over the last number of years. We each come with our own experiences and biases when it comes to interacting with First Nations people. Given Canada's (and the Church’s) history of attempting to eradicate First Nations culture, language, and identity, it would be prudent to seek to first listen to wise counsel.

In 2021, Fellowship President, Steve Jones, and National Council Chair Doug Blair, published a statement in response to the news from Kamloops, BC regarding the discovery of unmarked graves of 215 children at a former residential school site. They lamented the loss of young lives and sought to "encourage our churches, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to carefully listen, learn, and act as we sorrow together with the Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc First Nation and the indigenous peoples of Canada." The full statement is available on our website.

We have taken this encouragement to “carefully listen, learn, and act” to heart. Our desire is to help churches identify ways they can engage in reconciliation within their own context. Our FAIR team has sought wise counsel from those who are, or working closely with, First Nations people to learn ways Fellowship churches can get started and continue on this important journey.

Below are some key points for you and your church.

God calls us to defend the oppressed:

Scripture reveals God’s heart for the oppressed and calls the Church to seek justice for them.

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy and
to walk humbly with your God.”  

— Micah 6:8 (NIV)

“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow.” 

Isaiah 1:17 (NIV)

Indigenous Communities in Canada want reconciliation with Christians in Canada:

Through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Indigenous communities asked Christians to take steps to learn what happened and to help bring healing to our country.

"We call upon leaders of the church parties to the Settlement Agreement and all other faiths, in collaboration with Indigenous spiritual leaders, Survivors, schools of theology, seminaries, and other religious training centres, to develop and teach curriculum for all student clergy, and all clergy and staff who work in Aboriginal communities, on the need to respect Indigenous spirituality in its own right, the history and legacy of residential schools and the roles of the church parties in that system, the history and legacy of religious conflict in Aboriginal families and communities, and the responsibility that churches have to mitigate such conflicts and prevent spiritual violence."

                                                                — The Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action #60

Although Fellowship churches were not directly involved in the institutional harm done to First Nations people and their culture, there is much for us to learn in order to be able to “act justly and love mercy” (Micah 6:8) and be a voice and model of reconciliation in our communities.

Each church family has its own context and level of connection to Indigenous peoples whether they’re located in a city, rural town, or on a reserve. We hope that you and your church community will take this call to action to heart and discern the most appropriate steps to help bring healing to our country with your nearby Indigenous communities.

Respected First Nations Christian leaders we can learn from:

  • Dr. Ray Aldred | Cree from Swan River Band | Bio

Christian leaders to talk with further:

These are just some of the Christian leaders in Canada who are currently engaging in reconciliation and healthy relationship with First Nations communities in Canada.

Fellowship churches who are already taking practical steps in this area:

These are some of the Fellowship churches who have developed healthy relationships with First Nations communities and have started their own learning journeys of reconciliation.

Websites:

Books:

  • First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament | Amazon
  • 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act: Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality | Amazon
  • Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City | Amazon
  • Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future | Amazon

Date Last Updated:
This webpage is intended to be updated in the future with more content as the Fellowship continues to learn and develop relationships with First Nations communities.

Date last updated: August 2, 2023