Dialogue at the Boundaries: An Exploration of the Native Apology (1986) and its Relationship to an

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Dialogue at the Boundaries:
An Explorntiott of the Native Apology (1986)
And its Relatianship to an Understanding of Mission
Within The United Church of Canada
BY
The Rev. Bruce Gregersen B.SC., M.Div.
Submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the
Doctor of Ministry Degree
Emmanuel College
Toronto School of Theology
April 1999
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Autobiographical Statement
The privilege and opportunity to serve in historic ministries and the
engagement with cutting edge issues in society have been touchstones of
my work and life within The United Church of Camda
Upon ordination in 1976 Heather and I accepted transfer to the East
Labrador Pastoral Charge and settled in North West River, the home of the
northern medical and socid services of the Intemationai Greafell Mission.
Parish responsibilities involved frequent travel to the coast of Labrador to
communities, at that time, with few of the services taken for granted in the
rest of Canada. While my parish work did not directly serve First Nation
peoples, native issues including land claims and development became a
central part of my work. These concerns led to my chairing a series of
Labrador-wide meetings involving native communities, government,
university and business representatives on development issues and land
claims.
In 1980 we moved to St. John's, Newfoundland, where i became first an
associate and later senior minister of Gower Street United Church. Through
ten years of ministry at Gower, I was drawn more deeply into the linkages
between pastoral and prophetic leadership and became involved in
numerous aspects of social ministry within the larger Newfoundland and
United Church community. From 1988 through 1992 I served as Chair of
the national Division of Mission in Canada, and in 1989 as President of the
Newfoundland and Labrador Conference.
The move to Hamilton in 1990 was initiated primarily because of a sense of
completion of time and work within Newfoundland. The next four years
involved ministry at Melrose United Church in Hamilton, continued
chairing of the Division of Mission in Canada and the beginning of this
Doctor of Ministry program.
In 1994, the position of Interfaith Secretary within the Division of World
Outreach became vacant. My decision to apply came out of a strong belief
that The United Church of Canada's unique understanding of mission was
interconnected with its willingness to risk moving beyond itself, into what I
called even at that time, boundary relationships. This thesis documents
something of my understanding of that dynamic. In 1996 the Interfaith
portfolio was merged with another pordblio, Area Secretary for South Asia
and the Pacific Islands. The learning curve in that position, as well as the
implications of merging two MI time portfolios with significant historical
responsibility into one job, meant that the find work on this thesis was
delayed until this moment.
I offer my sincere appreciation to those who have patiently awaited its
completion.
Abstract
"Dialogue at the Boundaries" explores the meaning and implications of the
Native Apology offered in 1986 by the General Council of The United
Church of Canada. The Apology addressed the troubling history of Native
missions in Canada in particular, this study suggests, the focus of the
Apology was directed towards the failure of the Church to acknowledge the
validity of traditional Native Spirituality. The ApoIogy therefore opened
the Church to the welcoming of Traditional Spirituality, the other, into its
life and work.
Acknowledging the validity of Traditional Spirituality, this study argues,
raises significant challenges to the usual understanding and practice of
mission within the Church. It also has important implications for the
practice of dialogue and what has been called the intedaith question.
Through in-depth interviews, and an examination of a traditional Native
form of dialogue called the Talking Circle, the contributions and teachings
of Native people to an understanding of mission as mutual transformation
is named. The Native experience of "two path" spirituality is furthermore
pointed to as offering a new approach to understanding the nature of
pluralism.
Finally the concept of Whole World Ecwnenism, lifted up within a recent
document on mission for the United Church entitled "Mending the World,"
is offered as a new paradigm of mission. The experience and learnings
from the Apology and the Talking Circle are used to deepen reflection on
this paradigm.
CONTENTS
Autobiographical Statement
Abstract
Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction
The Research Project
Methodology
The Apology
Chapter 2 The Historical Context of the Apology and
General Council Preparatory Documents
Towards the Apology
Chapter 3 The Interviews
Chapter 4 The Circle of Respect
The Sacredness of the Circle
The Taking Circle
The Central Value of Respect
The Values of the Circle
Conclusion
Chapter 5 Explorations kom the Interviews and the
Talking Circle
The Relationship between Gospel, Culture and Power
The Nature of Differences and the Communal Soul
Multiversality and the "Other" Within
Conclusion
Chapter 6 Boundary Discourse
The Dialogical Imperative: Towards Interpretation
and Action
The Space In-Between
.. .
111
Chapter 7 From Dialogue to Relationship:
Mission as Mutual Transformation
World Missionary Conferences:
The Transformationist Option
The Commission on World Mission and the
Origins of Whole World Ecumenism
Whole World Ecumenism as a New Paradigm of Mission
"That the People May Live"
Space for Transformation
The "De-Westernization" of the Church
"AH My Relations"
Chapter 8 Conclusion 205
The Thesis Proposal APPENDIX A
The Paths of Respect Consultation APPENDIX B
The New Creed APPENDIX C
The El Escorial Agreement APPENDIX D
Mending the World APPENDIX E
Selected Bibliography
1. INTRODUCTION
The 20th General Council of The United Church of Canada established the
Commission on World Mission in 1962. It was a time when significant social,
political and economic changes were pressing the Church to examine more
closely its theology and practice of mission. The "paper tiger"' of Western
military and economic dominance, increasing resistance to colonialism and the
resulting three-self movements,' the rise of Communism, the resurgence of
Eastern religious traditions and increasing Western plwalism all pointed to the
need to re-evaluate prevailing concepts of mission.
In its early history Canada had been on the receiving end of missionary
activity. Through the last century, however, Canada had sent missionaries
overseas repeating the same patterns of its own early experiences in which power
and direction were vested in foreign mission sending centres. But it was clear that
another stage of missionary history had now been entered, a stage defined by
partnership with indigenous churches in former mission fields, and a new
understanding of mission that focused on common participation in God's mission.
It was, most importantly, a time when the Christian church was becoming
sensitive to the criticism applied to the collusion of Christian mission and Western
I The phrase, "paper ti er" was used in China as a depiction of Western
power as no more to %e feared than papier rnache figures used in dances.
2 The three-self movement of the churches of the People's Republic of
China, self-government, self-support and self-propagation, were widely
adopted by many indigenous churches.
colonialism. Similarly the awareness of religious pluralism in Canadian society
itself. and the increasing interaction between Christianity and other world faiths,
presented significant challenges to traditional understandings of mission.
The recommendations of the Commission, brought to the 22nd General
Council in 1966, were wide ranging. In the midst of an exploration of the new
realities of pluralism in Canada and throughout the world, the Commission
offered a significant openness and sensitivity to the importance of interfaith
dialogue as a primary task of the Church. In a recommendation flowing fiom a
section entitled "Rethinking the Relationship Between Christianity and Other
Faiths. and the Uniqueness of Christianity," the following was offered:
The Church should recognize that God is creatively and redemptively at
work in the religious life of all people. Christians have much to learn, as
well as contribute, through dialogue with people of other faiths. Their
special responsibility is to present the knowledge of God in Christ Jesus in
humble and sincere dialogue in ways which will respect each other's
integrity. We recommend a) that our church actively pwsue, both
informally and formally opportunities and occasions for dialogue with
representatives of other faiths; b) that the General Council instruct its
Executive to find or create suitable means for achieving this purpose.'
This recommendation led to the appointment of a Secretary for Interfaith
Dialogue within what is now the Division of World Outreach; a position that was
possibly the first hl1 time interfaith office established in a mainstream
denomination anywhere in the world4. My own subsequent appointment as the
3 Record of Proceedings. United Church of Canada. 22nd General Council,
19 66, pg.435-6
4 Marcus Braybrooke, Pilmimaee of HOE: One Hundred Years of Interfaith
Dialogue. (New York: Crossroads Publishing, 1992) pg. 245