Unity in the Midst of Diversity

“That they may be one” (John 17:22), Ut omnes unum sint are the words on our denominational crest in Latin and Kanien'kéha (also known as the Mohawk language). Inspired by the global ecumenical spirit in the early 20th century, in 1925 our founding denominations, with their diverse ways of being and ministering in the world, came together in unity.  
 
In June of this year, The United Church of Canada kicks off its centennial year – we will spend one year until June 10, 2025, commemorating our history, our legacy, our joys, and our failings as people of God who have gathered together so that “then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:23).
 
We know, sometimes through bitter experience, that ‘unity’ does not mean ‘sameness.’  Our lives, our identities, our communities and contexts, our ministries are a wonderful kaleidoscope across a spectrum of class, race & ethnicity, gender & sexual orientation, education, and political belief.  Because we are fallible and human, sometimes the conversations and conflicts that come from that diverse communion of the people that God loves cause hurt and division, even in the midst of our unity. This, in part, is why we decided nearly 20 years ago to be an intentionally intercultural church. Rather than simply recognizing our unity in diversity, where most people can say “come, be like us,” we have to walk alongside each other with an openness to transformation. That we be willing to be transformed by the presence of those who have different identities and commitments than ourselves.
 
The future as church – reimagining what’s next
 
Like many denominations in the global north, The United Church of Canada is experiencing a demographic shift. The massive swell in membership that came from a young, thriving, healthy generation in the post-war mid-century (the “baby boomers”) perhaps slowed the trend that caused our founding denominations to consider union in the first place. We are returning to a context more similar to a century ago, where our buildings are aging with fewer attendees, and we have fewer young adults and children and youth engaged in Sunday worship.
 
During my term as Moderator, I wanted to engage the church in conversations about what it meant for the world to flourish, to flourish in Canada, and what it meant to flourish in The United Church. These conversations have meant developing or retraining our “muscles of imagination.” Sometimes that looks like church planting, sometimes it’s letting go of what has been to make space for the new. Sometimes it means welcoming new migrant communities to join The United Church family. Futurist and Game Designer Dr. Jane McGonigal writes in her book Imaginable that we need to spend more time imagining the future. We need to imagine the futures we want to see happen, and we need to imagine the futures we don’t want to see happen. When we spend time imagining our best and worst case scenarios, we can develop a sense of agency about the future. The questions she asks her readers to reflect on is: “What are the actions I can take today, that I can be proud of, that will contribute to the future I want to see?  And what are the actions I can take today, that I can be proud of, that will help prevent the future I don’t want to see happen?”
 
I like this idea of preparing for both the best and the worst. Sometimes without imagining the hard things that might happen, we get caught off guard when adverse situations become obstacles to our goals. The future I don’t want to see is one where we have so altered the climate that human life becomes harsh and huge portions of the earth become uninhabitable. Where the world’s wealthiest continue to amass fortunes at the expense of everyone else and the planet.
 
For me, I imagine a church that advocates for our government to take seriously its climate commitments and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. I imagine a church that values equity and justice for those made marginal by society.  I imagine a deeply spiritual church forming bold disciples; disciples who are willing to share their experience and faith but without proselytizing. And that we fully live into our commitments to become intercultural and anti-racist.  That when someone new walks into church, we say “our ministry was designed to welcome you, just as you are.” That is a different message than “You are welcome here” which can sometimes mean “we want you to be like us.” I imagine neighbourhoods with churches who are working towards a world where the worth of every person is celebrated and all people thrive.
 
May it be so.
 
—The Right Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdowne
44th Moderator, The United Church of Canada