Canadian churches take hard look at racial justice

Ottawa, Canada, Mar 27, 2006 / 22:00 pm

Canadian churches wrapped up their first Racial Justice Week, an event intended to encourage churches in their efforts to undo racism in their local communities. The week ran from March 19 to 26.

Churches were invited to make use of a kit, created by the Ecumenical Anti-Racism Network, focused on the theme "God so loved the people of the world" (John 3:16). The title of this resource comes from the Chinese Kuo-yu Bible, an ecumenical translation done in the 1930s and still in use in most Chinese congregations.

This network is an expression of Canadian churches working together to support anti-racism programs, and involves member-churches of the Canadian Council of Churches (CCC). The kit is the result of five years of learning, reflecting and acting together in the Canadian Ecumenical Anti-Racism Network.

The CCC is the largest ecumenical body in Canada, representing 20 churches of Anglican, Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, Protestant and Roman Catholic traditions. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) is representing the Catholic Church.

"God so loved the people of the world" is a pilot project. More information on this initiative is available at: http://www.ccc-cce.ca/english/justice/racism.htm