It’s hardly a secret that, in spite of some history of cultural diversity, The United Church of Canada is known as a denomination that is predominantly middle-class, ‘white’1, anglo and liberal. It’s also got quite a reputation for aging and being in decline.
However, I think that something is quietly changing – if you can even call it ‘quiet’.
Even the secular press are taking note – see, for example, this recent article Can Immigrants Halt the United Churches Decline in Canadian Affairs.
I’d call it a convergence of sorts – where the cultural values of some migrant and diasporic Christian communities are changing – while at the same time, some of the top leadership of The United Church of Canada are stating a desire to become a landing place for global Christians – trusting that the church will be changed, for the good, in the process.
Take a look at some of the livestreams from some of the longer-established UCC diasporic communities such as Ghana Methodist United, Uganda Martyrs United or Amazing Grace United (as examples). I’d also note the numerous Zimbabwean Methodist United Churches that are being planted across Canada thanks to an innovative partnership between the UCC and several other Methodist bodies. Or there’s the Mission Protestante Francophone in Toronto, ON or Longueuil, QC. How about the Hispanic United Church that’s started in Toronto? Then there’s the Korean Rainbow United Network – a group of queer Korean UCC Christians – or God’s Beloved Fellowship – a fellowship of African LGBTQ2IA+ refugees which now has nearly 150 members in Ottawa (!).
The United Church is starting to list some of the newer churches on their Immigrant Church Plant Hub, here. As more and more of these communities form and affiliate, this list is ever growing. Many of these communities are booming with intergenerational and lively expressions of discipleship, spirituality and worship.
I think it’s safe to say that, if you’re a ‘white’ settler like me, this ain’t your grandma’s United Church.
The worship you’ll experience in the communities listed above is, generally speaking,(with a few exceptions) more evangelical and more revivalistic – some even hold all night revival meetings. It’s also less euro-centric, white or anglo – and growing more quickly – than most older, established United Churches.
Whereas 10 or 15 years ago, there might have been enough discomfort with the UCC’s stances on LGBTQ2IA+ inclusion to not seek out affiliation by some of these communities, there is, these days, at the very least, a willingness to be in communion with folks of diverse sexual or gender identities – even if some of the communities or leaders would still wrestle with full inclusion.
From the established UCC perspective – not too long ago, there was a sometimes subtle and sometimes not-too-subtle rejection of many of these migrant and diasporic expressions in the church – whose worship and theologies were deemed by some the denomination’s gatekeepers as as a threat to the mainstream or the gains made on certain forms of inclusion.
But that’s all changing.
Even as the the cultural values of many newcomers are changing, it’s been my experience that many of the younger generations of non-migrant UCC clergy and leadership are increasingly aligned with the Christ-centred spirit of the immigrant communities – while remaining committed to the deep inclusivity their baby boomer forebears won. I’ve even experienced a marked desire to re-root in the theological riches of the UCC’s reformed and evangelical heritage.
In my work in church planting in the UCC , I’m engaging requests from Franco-Swahili, Farsi, Filipino, Korean and Hong Kong communities who are seeking admission either as leaders or even as whole communities into The United Church of Canada.
In many cases, these folk are telling me that they are coming because they want some of the deep evangelical theological heritage of the UCC as well as the commitments to social justice and inclusion that have marked the last 40-50+ plus years of the UCC.
A convergence, indeed.
Undoubtedly, the witness and worship and expression of these communities will challenge and change the dominant ethos of the United Church, should it be encouraged and fostered. I think that the reverse colonial impulse – one which re-evangelises the established church – will be an important development in our history. At best, it could usher in foster entirely new era for The United Church of Canada.
I, for one, welcome the revival and witness that these communities are already bringing to the UCC.
Bring it on.
A few years back I compiled this video of ‘on the edge’ musical worship in the United Church of Canada which features some migrant, liturgical and evangelical expressions in the UCC. Have a watch. Is this what you’d imagine worship to look like in the United Church?
- I use the term ‘white’ in quotes noting that whiteness is a construct. I also, for flow, use the term ‘middle class’ with some reticence due to classist use of the term – much preferring the term ‘middle strata’. ↩︎