CRC Staff Works Toward Understanding, Inclusion

Almost 20 staff at the Christian Reformed Church’s office in Burlington, Ontario, participated recently in a workshop on race and racism.

The workshop, called “Widening the Circle,” is part of a diversity and inclusion effort aimed at fostering understanding and reconciliation.

Bernadette Arthur from the denomination’s Race Relations team led the workshop with Kim Radersma, an educator and scholar at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, studying race and culture in a societal context. 

Arthur described the workshop as “more than fulfilling a work duty. It is the way that we live in a discipling community that is intentional about our call as ambassadors of reconciliation.”

She and Radersma emphasized that the goal was not to accuse but to make participants aware, using guidelines such as listening instead of defending, learning to distinguish impact and intention, freedom to speak imperfect thoughts, and “what is said in the group stays in the group.”

The day included discussions, activities, and reflection time geared to different learning and processing styles. In one activity, participants helped to complete a chart looking at dominant and non-dominant identities in society: able-bodied or having a disability, well-off or financially struggling, gender, age, orientation — and, naturally, race became part of the discussion.

The activity wrapped up with participants taking a “privilege inventory,” the results of which startled most and created a telling – but effective – awkwardness that fuelled discussion later in the day.

Afterward, a number of the participants in the workshop talked about the experience.

Rhonda Elgersma said she “was impacted by the wisdom and insight of my colleagues participating in the course with me.” She said it had “helped give me a glimpse into the lives of people I pass in the office or lunchroom every day, but don't necessarily know their story.”

“What surprised me,” said Peter Bulthuis, “was the myth of race – the fluidity of racial definitions.”

Ron VandenBurg said he found himself wondering about stories about race in scripture. “I continue to reflect on biblical stories that discuss differences, and how we as Christians walk with stories in the biblical narrative: Babel/Pentecost, Jesus and the Samaritan woman, Daniel’s life, Egypt/Israel, Ruth and others.”

Videos and stories – some light-hearted and others more thought-provoking – helped to move the day along.

One activity resulted in a timeline being assembled and then used to introduce examples of racism in Canada’s story, such as the Doctrine of Christian Discovery, declarations on the status of Aboriginal people, treaties made and broken, the founding of residential schools, and immigration barriers placed to bar or discourage non-European immigrants, as well as progress made.

Staff members in the CRC’s Grand Rapids, Mich. office also are participating in diversity and inclusion training, a requirement for all CRCNA staff.

“Doing anti-oppression work is messy work,” Radersma said. “It is often painful and conflicting to see how we are each implicated in systems that privilege some at the expense of others.

“Doing this messy work alongside people who share and are committed to our common identity as followers of Jesus injects needed hope to a sometimes seemingly hopeless situation.”

This and other workshops are available to churches, schools, and organizations. Arrangements can be made by contacting the office of Race Relations (877-864-3977). For information on available workshops, go to www.crcna.org/race/racial-reconciliation-workshops.