Dismantling Racism in Canada

Racism looks different in Canada. Anti-racism resources that work for U.S. churches don’t always translate well into the Canadian context--but that doesn’t mean the call of the Church to be ministers of reconciliation in the Body and in wider society is any less important. ORR Canada offers contextualized resources to resource and support churches and ministries in the work of racial reconciliation in Canada.

We walk alongside and coach churches and church members in Canada to help you develop and maintain a healthy multi-ethnic church community. Together, we’re learning to live into Revelation 7:9:

“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.”

Our staff and lay leaders are ready to walk alongside you by:

  • Facilitating community learning conversations and small group studies
  • Hosting racial reconciliation field trips
  • Offering training workshops
  • Providing relevant and contextualized resources
  • Journeying with congregations and leaders (coaching)
  • Supporting the formation and maintenance of regional race relations committees

Going Deeper

Are you ready to take the next step in obedience to the call to be a minister of reconciliation? Take a deep dive with these resources.

Our Top Five

Cracking Open White Identity Towards Transformation: This resource from the Canadian Council of Churches is a very useful discussion tool for white people who are seeking to learn about their privilege and how to follow Christ’s example of self-emptying (Philippians 2).

Colour of Poverty, Colour of Change: This network provides excellent information about the intersections between poverty and race in Canada.

Report to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination: Various Canadian NGOs presented this report in 2017 detailing Canada’s record on Indigenous rights, anti-Black racism, racial discrimination, and human rights and advocating for government action. 

CRC Canadian Indigenous Ministry Committee: This lay committee, made up of both Indigenous and settler people, provides leadership to the CRC on Indigenous issues. Check out their Month of Prayer for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women or their Lent prayer campaign around the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Intotemak magazine: This publication from the Mennonite Church in Canada is a great resource for churches or groups looking to dive deeper into themes of faith, truth and reconciliation, and Indigenous rights in Canada.

Listen in on the Conversation

Watch this video of a diverse group of Canadian CRC leaders and members discuss these questions: Is the CRC's acceptance of people of colour "lukewarm", as Calvin College​ prof Mark Mulder writes? What about in Canada?

What Other Church Members Are Saying

Cylinta Hasfal
“The work of the Office of Race Relations on racial reconciliation and race relations is important and necessary. In an age where many churches and its surrounding neighborhoods are becoming more diverse and multiethnic, it is refreshing to know that the ORR is addressing these changes in a biblical and practical manner.”

Israel Cooper
“Graduating from school last year, I left with a degree in hand and no idea what to do with it. I came across an application to be a youth ambassador for reconciliation through the CRC Race Relations. The position granted me the opportunity to go up north and live on a First Nations reserve for a week, and experience a tiny bit of their lives. This is something I will always remember. Coming back from the trip and sharing my experience, people around me have been super interested and the feeling of community this has created is part of what I'm looking for in my life post-grad. The Race Relations committee has helped me express and share these experiences with advice and support from its members. I am excited for what the future holds as I continue to work with my congregation for reconciliation!”

Sandra Williams
“I’ve always been passionate about justice and not leaving anyone behind. In my job, I advocate for childrens and families. I went to the multi-ethnic conference with Faye Dundas—that was a turning point for me. I heard Revelations 7:9 and realized that what the CRC was preaching and what was happening wasn’t always matching up.

We need to have authentic conversations, as the CRC, about what’s needed to move us forward. We need to get diverse people to the table, and really hear them. This is God’s church, entrusted to us. It’s not a church for white folks only. What affects one of us affects all of us—we have to be our brothers’ keepers.”