Honouring the Truth Reconciling for the Future

The challenge of reconciliation • 2852006,” the United Church responded to an earlier call from the World Council ofChurches “to reflect on the question of power and empire from a biblical and theologicalperspective and take a firm faith stance against hegemonic powers because allpower is accountable to God.” 88 The report recommended that further work be done,and a follow-up report, “Reviewing Partnership in the Context of Empire,” was issuedin 2009. The report’s theological reflection noted:Our development of the partnership model was an attempt to move beyondthe paternalism and colonialism of 19th century missions. The current work todevelop right relations with Aboriginal peoples is an attempt to move beyonda history of colonization and racism. This ongoing struggle to move beyondempire involves the recognition that our theology and biblical interpretationhave often supported sexism, racism, colonialism, and the exploitation ofcreation.... Theologies of empire have understood God and men as separate fromand superior to women, Indigenous peoples, and nature. 89In 2012, the Executive of the General Council reported on the follow-up to the 2006and 2009 reports on how to re-envision the church’s theological purpose and restructureits institutions by shifting from a theology of empire to a theology of partnership. 90The Commission asked all the Settlement Agreement churches to tell us their viewson Indigenous spirituality and what steps were being taken within their respectiveinstitutions to respect Indigenous spiritual practices. In 2015, two of the SettlementAgreement churches responded to this call.On January 29, 2015, the Presbyterian Church in Canada issued a “Statement onAboriginal Spiritual Practices.” Among other things, the church said:As part of the Churches’ commitment to a journey of truth and reconciliation,the Presbyterian Church in Canada has learned that many facets of Aboriginaltraditional spiritualities bring life and oneness with creation. Accepting thishas sometimes been a challenge for the Presbyterian Church in Canada. We arenow aware that there is a wide variety of Aboriginal spiritual practices and weacknowledge that it is for our church to continue in humility to learn the deepsignificance of these practices and to respect them and the Aboriginal elderswho are the keepers of their traditional sacred truths.…We acknowledge and respect both Aboriginal members of the PresbyterianChurch in Canada who wish to bring traditional practices into theircongregations and those Aboriginal members who are not comfortable or willingto do so. The church must be a community where all are valued and respected. Itis not for the Presbyterian Church in Canada to validate or invalidate Aboriginalspiritualities and practices. Our church, however, is deeply respectful of thesetraditions. 91On February 18, 2015, the United Church of Canada issued a statement, “AffirmingOther Spiritual Paths.” The document sets out various statements and apologies made