An Interview with the Office of Race Relations' Bernadette Arthur
Bernadette Arthur was recently honored as an “emergent leader” at the Phoebe Palmer breakfast in Hamilton, Ontario. The breakfast at John M. Perkins Centre drew women of all ages as well as some men to honor three area women for the leadership they bring to their respective roles, ministries, and callings
CRC News writer Anita Brinkman recently sat down with Arthur, the Christian Reformed Church Race Relations advocate for Canada, to learn more about her work in biblical reconciliation.
CRC News: What is the Office of Race Relations and what does your work involve?
Arthur: The Office of Race Relations exists to equip the CRC’s churches, agencies, and ministries in the work of racial justice and biblical reconciliation. We do this primarily through facilitating learning events that are designed to engage the head, heart and body.
There are three Race Relations advocates that serve our bi-national denomination. I focus on the Canadian churches and ministries and my colleagues focus on the U.S.
A significant aspect of my job is making sure that the resources, materials and learning events are contextually based to Canada. It is important that the Canadian church understands that racism has a past and present in Canada and that it’s not just something that should be discussed or dismantled in the U.S.
CRC News: How long have you been working with Race Relations?
Arthur: This September will make two years since I’ve been a Race Relations advocate. Along the way, I’ve learned that there are many different ways that the Office of Race Relations Canada can complement and support the ministry work of CRC congregations and agencies. When you begin to understand the pervasive effects of racism on our society, then it becomes easier to see the benefit of having a racial justice and equity lens in all of the ways that we do/live out ministry.
CRC News: Can you give us a few examples?
Arthur: Let’s say that a church is considering starting community outreach efforts. If you’re reaching out to a community that has a racial/ethnic composition that’s different than your congregation, then, along with contacting Diaconal Ministries Canada, you should give the Office of Race Relations a call. In this scenario, we can help you consider what it means to reach out across cultural differences, while also considering what it means to become an authentic place of inter-cultural belonging.
Similarly, if your church is planning to go on a Short Term Missions trip, the Office of Race Relations can complement the work that World Renew and/or ServiceLink does in preparing you for short term missions. Everyone is talking about “When Helping Hurts” and doing no harm. It is extremely difficult to not do this during a short-term mission trip without an awareness of how different social identities function in our society and culture. Our interactive workshop helps you to understand how your social identity engages and interacts with those with similar and differing social identities.
CRC News: What are some of the challenges of your work in racial reconciliation?
Arthur: People tend to see the office as a ministry that provides reactionary services. What I mean is that most people will only choose to engage us if a relational breakdown or offense has occurred. We are also often perceived as a ministry that’s only for people who are non-white. In actuality, we’re a ministry that supports the health of the whole body and we will only be truly effective when all members embrace the call to racial justice and biblical reconciliation.
A third challenge is one that I believe is more prevalent in Canada than the U.S. Many Canadians don’t believe systemic and institutional racism exists in Canada’s past or present. A recent visit to a large chain bookstore revealed the following titles: The World Needs More Canada, and Rise to Greatness: The history of Canada from the Vikings to the Present.
For 150 years the dominant narrative of this land has been shaped by a few. This has meant that the majority of people have had skewed perspectives about Canada. The history books, university lectures, arts and media have consistently painted the picture that Canada is a land of welcome and equal opportunity for all. A land flowing with Timbits and maple syrup.
Slowly the narrative is beginning to include that Canada is “Our home on native land,” and that there are many who have limited or no access to Timbits and maple syrup. This is a slow realization and it’s as slow in the church pews, as it is in the buildings of parliament. That which we are not willing to admit or acknowledge is that which we cannot actively work to change. In this way we are missing the opportunity to join God in his work of redemption in this area.
CRC News: What are some of the highlights?
Arthur: When people commit to being fully present in a learning space, I get to witness the creative and regenerative work of the Holy Spirit in real time! When the Spirit massages hearts so that blind spots are revealed and we become alert to how we’ve missed seeing the fullness of the image of God in another, that’s a beautiful occurrence. It’s a part of the Kingdom breaking through!
CRC News: What are some of the most effective tools and strategies in your work?
Arthur: The most effective tool and strategy is posture – and that is best demonstrated in community. I can say my tool is active listening – which is incredibly important for cross-cultural differences – but if the posture is not humility, then listening is just a tool, right? I can say that a tool is power shifting – learning how to recognize where power exists and intentionally ensuring that people who have been marginalized are able to access it – but again, the underlying posture is love, the ability to love your neighbour as yourself. There are many anti-racism and reconciliation tools and strategies, all which are only as good as the posture of a “broken and contrite heart,” which God promises that He does not refuse.
CRC News: Can you explain why the work of Race Relations is important to you?
Arthur: It’s important to me because I’m a Black, Caribbean-Canadian woman. The struggle for racial reconciliation is intimately connected to the wellbeing of myself and those that I call family and friends. It really hurts when I hear stories of racialized people in dominant culture churches who are experiencing marginalization in various forms – and it’s not always [overt or conscious] but it’s there. There are ways that it’s expressed. It says: “You can come, and you can sit, and we can eat together – but you can’t buy the groceries, and don’t go in the fridge. Maybe you can help cook sometimes.” This needs to change.
There’s no foundation for that behavior in the Bible. If there’s anyone that should be pressing against and unlearning the systems and the ways of this world, if there’s any community that should be looking at how our minds are being renewed in the way that we see each other, not conforming to the patterns of the world, it’s the Christian community. If there’s anywhere where unity and differences should be able to abound, it’s the church.
CRC News: You were recently honoured at the Phoebe Palmer Breakfast as one of Hamilton's extraordinary Christian women. Congratulations! Can you tell me a little bit about that experience?
Arthur: It was really awesome. Oftentimes it is hard to gauge the difference that you’re making when you’re immersed in your day-to-day work. As with most jobs, some days are challenging and others are full of reward, some days you cry and some days you laugh. It was a pleasant surprise to be honoured. It snapped me out of the everyday and allowed me to see a glimpse of the composite. It’s a blessing to have people say thank you for the work that you’re doing. It also acts as an encouragement to keep running the race, to keep doing the “good works that He has planned for me to do.”
CRC News: Is there anything else you would like churches and CRC News readers to know about your work, Race Relations, or the work of the church?
Arthur: The second cohort of the Youth Ambassador of Reconciliation Program is set to leave for Mishkeegogamang Ojibway First Nation in mid-July 2017. We are still looking for young adults (17 and up) to come along with us for this transformational leadership development experience. Here’s another liminal space where you go and you immerse yourself into another context with the hope of experiencing mutual transformation.
If anybody is interested in the work of antiracism and reconciliation sign up for the bi-monthly newsletter or call me. I truly am here to serve and support.
