Last week I went to a day-long workshop on racial justice. It was a United Church event and I was there because all clergy in the denomination are required to attend one. I showed up with about forty of my colleagues, although just about everyone I know was puzzled by the mandatory nature of this workshop. We just didn't want to be there, not because we don't believe in racial justice, but because just about every United Church minister I know does have deep convictions about racial equality and justice. But how could we not attend? As the colleague I travelled with said, if we are stubborn and don't go, how does it look -- I'm staying home to kick my grandmother instead!
As it turns out, the presenters were well prepared and took us through the process with intelligence and conviction. The trouble is, we didn't hear much we didn't already know. That doesn't mean we don't have work to do, nor that we don't have our own occasions of racism along the way, the sins of commission or omission. But a total of over a month of clergy time was spent being earnest about a subject on which we already have deep convictions.
This was the first event I was required to attend in 30 years of ministry, on any issue. There is even word that one conference has told its ministry personnel that they will not be permitted to accept a call unless they have completed this requirement. This is preposterous when we know that a very few United Church ministers don't believe in God, despite the Basis of Union and the vows they make at ordination. How can this be?
Every once in a while I shake my head at our denominational theological correctness. We spent no time at our event affirming the positive things done in our congregations to uphold justice. And while we did a "timeline of shame," looking at all the very real examples of injustice, we didn't include the examples of courageous action our United Church has taken through the years.
Accepting that a commitment to racial justice should be a "given" for any Christian in any denomination, what is your response to this?
Sounds completely like 'theological correctness' ... and like something you shouldn't need to justify through mandatory attendance.
ReplyDeleteWeird.
I have mixed feeling about this mandatory workshop. It was a project that was approved at General Council, so obviously people from all over the church believed it was worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteIt is unfortunate that is was full of information you had already heard. I was hoping it would come from a different slant and would offer new wisdom.
It's too bad this couldn't be aimed more towards congregations. A workshop like this would probably be a good stepping off point if ministry personnel and a group of lay people from the pastoral charge went together. We have been encouraged to invite people from our congregations, but it hasn't been very intentional.
I do not go until mid-June.
It does sound overly earnest. doesn't it Ian?
ReplyDeleteAnd Deb you are right on the mark. This was an opportunity for some creative strategizing on how to address a sensitive but important subject within congregational life. Instead it had the smell of white guilt. At least the United Church cares, even when it is a bit misguided.