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
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[1] and as such are deserving of dignity, respect and equal treatment in the church, in society and in the law[2].
We recognize that the Church of Jesus Christ has at times conformed to the prevailing culture[3] around it and has committed sin by effectively advocating and justifying racial discrimination, contributing harm toward our fellow humans[4]. We confess that our tendency towards either subtle, individual forms of racial prejudice or broader systemic racism[5] must be called sin, for which we must repent, and seek God’s forgiveness and transforming power to leave buried in our past, under the blood of Jesus.
As we humble ourselves by confessing and repenting of our own complicity[6], we choose to step out of our privilege and into authentic relationships with our Church family, including church leaders, members, our global workers and their associates in the field who endure injustices through racial discrimination.
We, the people of the congregations of the Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada cannot be silent. We must be united with our God who stands in solidarity with those who experience oppression[7]. In Matthew 22:39, Jesus reminds us to love our neighbours as ourselves. In obedience to our Lord, we commit to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our racialized brothers and sisters, bearing their burdens as our own - enduring their hardships as our own[8].
We must aim to honour God through celebrating the diversity of human creation in all of its expressions[9] including race, ethnicity and culture. God has called us to a ministry of reconciliation[10] which includes advocating for justice[11] as the way of Jesus among all people groups, ethnicities and languages[12] found in Canada.
Respectfully submitted by EMCC Pastors:
Matthew Parker
Robb Williamson-Bynoe
Bill Ryan
Yves Kalala
References:
[1] Genesis 1:27
[2] Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11
[3] Romans 12:2
[4] Leviticus 19:34
[5] Isaiah 58:6
[6] James 2:9
[7] Psalm 9:9, Proverbs 14:31, Isaiah 1:17, Luke 4:18-19, Psalm 103:6
[8] Romans 12:15b, Galatians 6:2
[9] Colossians 1:16-17
[10] 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
[11] Isaiah 1:17, Isaiah 58:6-12
[12] Revelation 7:9-10
A note from the EMCC National Team:
We would like to express our gratitude toward the pastors who thoughtfully submitted this statement, which we fully support. We as the National Team expressly stand against racial prejudice, convinced that there is no room in the life of a Jesus-follower for racism. Our ethos as a denomination includes the flourishing of all people, which is not possible in the midst of racial oppression. We are committed to being like Jesus in our attitudes, behaviours, and character.
