By Joey Royal
THE Anglican Church of Canada has long affirmed its commitment to racial reconciliation. That commitment is evident in several ways – for instance, in the public apology to residential school survivors, accompanied by good faith attempts to ensure such historical errors are not repeated. Additionally, the Church’s leadership is trying to make governance structures more diverse and inclusive, as shown in some of the “pathways” that will be considered at this summer’s General Synod in London.
And yet, I have some concerns. These are not primarily about the intended goals, but about how the Anglican Church of Canada intends to achieve them. I want to ask two questions: First, whose vision of reconciliation are we pursuing? Second, by what spirit are we being led? These are foundational questions that every Anglican needs to consider seriously.
We’ll start with the first question – whose vision we’re pursuing. I began to have concerns about this a few years ago when I attended a session on racial justice at a Council of General Synod (CoGS) meeting. A guest speaker introduced us to ideas like “intersectionality,” “micro-aggressions” and “racialization” – concepts drawn from the modern university. The talk was well-meaning but was expressed entirely in secular language, with no attempt to show whether it aligns with the teaching of Scripture.
I wondered then, and still wonder now, why the Anglican Church of Canada’s leadership decided to use secular theories when we have tremendous biblical and theological resources at our fingertips. It was as if we were being fed a steady diet of fast food when our pantries were full of nutritious, quality ingredients.
That doesn’t necessarily mean these modern ideas have nothing to offer. Maybe they do. But using them uncritically, unmoored from any scriptural anchoring, means they take on an exaggerated authority – as if the tangled knot of human sin can be undone by a few sociological insights. But that’s not how sin works, and that’s not how the gospel works.
A genuinely Christian vision of racial reconciliation needs to be grounded in the gospel – particularly in the convicting, converting and transformative work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit not only empowers lasting change but always does so in agreement with Scripture. Without that we may have good ideas, but we do not have good news.
The event of Pentecost (Acts 2) offers us not only a rich theological resource for racial reconciliation but also divine empowerment to pursue it. The biblical account is remarkable: it begins with a dizzying variety of people divided by difference, and it ends with those same people united in one purpose – to show forth God’s good news in Christ through the harmonious and sacrificial beauty of their corporate life. And this was accomplished only by the Holy Spirit’s unifying power.
The CoGS meeting I referred to above seemed to move in the opposite direction: it started with some degree of harmony but ended in dissonance, as the presentation had the effect of sectioning us off into adversarial categories – oppressed vs. oppressor, white vs. people of colour, privileged vs disadvantaged. Again, that’s not to say there isn’t some truth to these characterizations, but this splintering effect was less Pentecost and more Babel.
If, in our efforts toward racial reconciliation, we looked less to the surrounding culture and more to the apostle Paul, we would realize the church has been here before. The early Christian community in the first century grappled with the same kinds of division – Jew vs. Gentile – with a level of distrust and antagonism not unlike what we see today. But Paul addressed these issues through the lens of the gospel. He argued that faith in Christ – not ethnicity, not law-keeping – is what unites people to God and to one another, gathering us under Christ’s authority as one new humanity, empowered and sealed by the Holy Spirit. Not assimilation, but true reconciliation. We would do well to follow the apostle’s example here.
That brings me to my second question – by what spirit are we being led? Because if we are not being led by the same Spirit who inspired Paul and who confirms the truth of Scripture, then we risk exchanging gospel reconciliation for something else entirely.
Unfortunately, it seems the disorientation is not merely rhetorical. There is a profound spiritual confusion in the Church, as reflected in a trial prayer that was approved at General Synod 2019 which begins like this:
“Scandalous God,
you sow weeds among the crop,
raise bread with impure yeast…”
These words should concern every Christian. In Jesus’ parable, it’s not God but “an enemy” who mixes weeds with the wheat (Matt 13:28). Jesus later identifies this enemy as “the devil” (Matt 13:39). The “impure yeast” in Jesus’ teaching refers to religious authoritarianism and hypocrisy (Matt 16:16). There are dark forces invoked here, forces that work against human flourishing. We must ask a hard question: If a church not only approves such a prayer but actually prays it, should we be surprised that our reconciliation efforts are often thwarted?
Scripture tells us that Satan – the ruler of this world (2 Cor 4:4) – wants human fragmentation. He wants that for individuals, as we see in the story of the Gerasene demoniac, a man possessed by demons causing isolation, self-harm and a loss of identity, whose very humanity was disintegrating (Mark 5:1-20). Satan also wants fragmentation for the people of God corporately. Take the Corinthian church: they were divided by allegiance to human authorities – “I follow Paul…I follow Apollos” (1 Cor 1:12) – leading to a factionalism which eroded the Church’s unity. We see also many scriptural warnings against false teachers who introduce doctrinal confusion, moral compromise and communal disunity (1 Tim 4:1; Jude 18-19). In this and other matters we must heed the apostle’s instruction – “resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
As I write this, General Synod is about a month away. Racial justice will be on the agenda, and perhaps new programs or policies will be proposed. Some may be helpful. But my appeal to delegates is this: discern the spirits (1 John 4:1). Test the ideas – not according to cultural acclaim or academic pedigree, but by the Word of God. Let Scripture be our plumb line (Amos 7:7-8). Remember: not everyone who speaks with conviction speaks the truth. As Jesus warned us, we must be wise as serpents but innocent as doves (Matt 10:16).
If we truly desire reconciliation – not just surface-level harmony, but a deep, durable and strong bond wrought by God’s grace – then we must return to first things: the gospel of Jesus Christ, which convicts, converts, reconciles and renews. Apart from this gospel, even our most well-intentioned efforts will falter and fragment. But with it, the Church can again be what she is called to be: a sign, an instrument, and a foretaste of God’s coming Kingdom – where every tribe and tongue, reconciled in Christ, will live and serve together as one. TAP
Note from Sharon: Bp. Joey mentions the “Pathways” themes coming up at General Synod (June 23 to 29). Communion Partners (Canada) has produced a series addressing many of these topics – go to communionpartners.ca/generalsynod2025 to find essays by Gene Packwood, John Bowen, Bp. Bill Cliff, Dane Neufeld, Bp. George Sumner, Bp. Ann Martha Keenainak, Chris Dow and others on topics like evangelism, discipleship, and renewal, the role of the Primate, racial reconciliation, and inclusion of youth and Indigenous delegates.
Your TAP team will be hard at work throughout June to provide you with coverage of General Synod. This is an extra expense for our team – would you consider a donation (large or small) to support this work? Donations are tax-receiptable, and may be made by phone (902-368-8442), mail (The Anglican Planet Office, 11 All Souls’ Lane Charlottetown PE, C1A 1P9) or online through the CanadaHelps.org page for St. Peter Publications (please designate “Anglican Planet Project” in the message box).
Thank you for partnering with us! From the TAP team, may God bless you with a relaxing and refreshing summer.
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THE Anglican Church of Canada has long affirmed its commitment to racial reconciliation. That commitment is evident in several ways – for instance, in the public apology to residential school survivors, accompanied by good faith attempts to ensure such historical errors are not repeated. Additionally, the Church’s leadership is trying to make governance structures more diverse and inclusive, as shown in some of the “pathways” that will be considered at this summer’s General Synod in London.
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THE Anglican Church of Canada has long affirmed its commitment to racial reconciliation. That commitment is evident in several ways – for instance, in the public apology to residential school survivors, accompanied by good faith attempts to ensure such historical errors are not repeated. Additionally, the Church’s leadership is trying to make governance structures more diverse and inclusive, as shown in some of the “pathways” that will be considered at this summer’s General Synod in London.
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