The Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada is heartbroken by the devastating news of 215 children buried in unmarked graves on the former site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School. The confirmation of the deaths of these children has served as a shocking reminder of the problematic history of the country of Canada and of the injustice and violence experienced by Indigenous Peoples in this land. Our hearts are with the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation as we consider the lives of these children and the magnitude of the loss experienced by their families and their community. 

The EMCC recognizes the inherent value and dignity of every human being, based upon the foundational Judeo-Christian principle of Imago Dei: that all humans are created in the image of the living God and as such are deserving of dignity, respect and equal treatment in the church, in society and in the law. As the EMCC family, we seek to be united with our God who stands in solidarity with those who experience oppression. In Matthew 22:39, Jesus reminds us to love our neighbours as ourselves. We believe God has called us to a ministry of reconciliation which includes advocating for justice as the way of Jesus.  

We confess that our tendency towards subtle, individual and broader forms of racial prejudice must be called sin, for which we must repent. With this in mind, we commit ourselves to growth in our listening and in our learning. We lament over the ways we have been blind to injustice and oppression, whether out of ignorance or turning away willfully. We seek to humbly engage in ways that cultivate respect, trust and friendship, learning to walk in right relationship with the First Peoples of this land we share.

*Portions sourced from EMCC Statement Against Racism.

Resources:

EMCC Orange Shirt Day

EMCC Statement Against Racism

Unsettling: Reimagining Right Relationship | An Interview with Colin Creighton and Alison Lefebvre

EFC: Indigenous Relations

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada

94 Calls to Action