Intercultural ministry

Building vibrant communities in culturally diverse settings

By Sr. Frances Brady
May/June 2013

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Canadians are blessed to be living in one of the most multicultural countries in the world with many ethnic groups represented and numerous languages spoken within our nation’s borders. We know that with this blessing comes responsibility—to welcome, to be open to differences, to make the effort to understand and communicate. Religious and church groups are among those constantly looking for ways to live with greater sensitivity and appreciation of the cultures that make up their particular area of the mosaic.

Scarboro missioner Fr. Dave Warren and Adele Halliday, core facilitators of the Understanding for Intercultural Ministry (DUIM) program. Scarboro missioner Fr. Dave Warren and Adele Halliday, core facilitators of the Understanding for Intercultural Ministry (DUIM) program.

One group responding consciously and actively to Canada’s diversity is the Canadian Churches Forum for Global Ministry. The Forum is an ecumenical partnership of the Anglican Church of Canada, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, the Presbyterian Church of Canada, the United Church of Canada, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto, and Scarboro Missions. Since its founding in 1921 the Forum has assisted member churches to prepare people to engage in ministry outside of Canada and to reintegrate back into Canadian culture.

The Forum has 90 years of experience preparing people for ministry in intercultural settings. It recognizes that the privilege of living in a country with a rich cultural diversity compels an active response from our churches. It is aware that effective ministry in our Canadian churches requires training that is faith based as well as culturally sensitive. These elements have come together to inspire the development of a new program, Developing Understanding for Intercultural Ministry (DUIM).

The DUIM program has been launched to assist leaders in church ministry to build vibrant communities in culturally diverse settings. The six day (or three weekend) residential program focuses on mutually respect-ful relationships across cultural differences. It provides theory and practice and draws on the skills and experience of the participants as well as those of resource persons. The facilitators are experienced in intercultural ministry and are themselves representative of the ecumenical and intercultural community.

Training session for the ecumenical and diverse team of facilitators and designers of the DUIM program. Training session for the ecumenical and diverse team of facilitators and designers of the DUIM program.

DUIM is open to persons engaged in some aspect of church ministry who wish to respond more effectively and with greater appreciation for cultural diversity. This program is valuable for clergy and lay leaders, foreign born clergy, and persons preparing for ministry or engaged in pastoral care, and will be beneficial for anyone involved in organizations serving a culturally diverse community. Having begun in Toronto and conducted in English due to availability of resources, it is intended that the program will expand to other parts of Canada and be offered in other languages.

Canadians are blessed. We have what we need to build a truly vibrant intercultural society that celebrates diversity and respects differences, that brings people together as a microcosm of the global community. Our churches, as communities committed to respect for all of God’s creation, can guide us in this endeavour. The Deepening Understanding for Intercultural Ministry program is an expression of hope as well as a significant movement toward the reality.

More information about DUIM is available on the Forum website: www.ccforum.ca.

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