Category: colonialism
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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…
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This week, I had the great joy of being interviewed by Dr. Ashley Boggan of the United Methodist Church’s General Commission for Archives and History for the Un-tied Methodism podcast which explores the roots of global Methodism – and how it shapes our Methodist witness today. Our conversation touched on me being an “Anglican leaning…
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Originally Published In Touchstone: Theology Shaping Witness June 2025 The Great Methodist Dumpster Salvage For me, the great dumpster salvage began one afternoon when there was no one around. I surreptitiously entered the abandoned church library in a building that had, until recently, housed a once-strong United Church of Canada congregation. Knox-Wesley United[1] was the…
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The following is a paper I wrote in seminary in 2017 for professor Ray Aldred. A trigger warning that the colonial practices and language of 19th century Methodist missionaries are contained in this writing. For my first paper for this course, I explored the practice of the potlatch, particularly as it was practiced in First…
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This article originally appeared in the May 1, 2002 issue of FaithTides. When we bought our house in Victoria, BC, eight years ago, we had already been selected for a Habitat for Humanity build. The executive director of Habitat at the time told me that, because of their model, where Habitat holds the loan at…
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This apology, comes from my participation in the ?aps ciik cha chim hiy ap / Road to Reconciliation / Making it Right group in Port Alberni, BC. The non-indigenous United Church church planter, Sarah Williams of Courageous Community took 11 pages of notes in a day-long meeting of survivors of the Alberni Indian Residential ‘School’ who…