A Woman of God is a Woman of Substance



Encountering Diversity – A general overview

Background:

c.f. Colossians 1: 17 (15-23)

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Current events, e.g. death of George Floyd, train/tube racial tensions, PHE report: disparities in risk outcomes-covid19. {see a) under sources below}

Issues:

1. Understanding diversity and “its complexities”

2. Relating to “new people” from other areas/countries

3. Language dynamics and cultural learning/teachings

4. Racial / colour differences & how they influence attitudes towards each other ([un]conscious bias)

5. Differing knowledge of being church & doing church

Opportunities:

( Sharing good practice

( Identify and build upon “working” fellowships

( Consult/visit churches experienced in multicultural encounters within the district / circuit(s)

( Choose to intentionally learn (together) how to become a truly inclusive, undivided & diverse church

Actions: (in order of priority)

a. Immediate: (Year 1)

➢ Diversity training for all district officials, CLT’s, Society stewards, & circuit staff members

b. Short-term: (Year 2)

➢ Diversity training for district, circuit & church councils

➢ Identify and connect like-minded groups/teams/ congregations to share good practice models

➢ Offer pastoral care to discern way forward for those churches hurting from the negative effects of encountered diversity

c. Long-term:

➢ Setup circuit/district multicultural monitoring group

➢ Circuit multi-Faith group

➢ Offer approaches & liturgies to multicultural worship

➢ Encourage “story-telling” as a way of healing the wounded and share the stories widely

➢ Differing identities can co-exist; share information on living with difference so that all feel they belong

➢ Urge congregations/individuals to participate in diversity training/encounters

d. Important factors to consider:

➢ For diversity training to be successful, it’s crucial that external trainers/practitioners are approached.

➢ The need to learn to become a “reconciling Church” so that such issues are not missed.

➢ Diversity (injustices) issues are not as “cut & dried” as we may sometimes think; e.g. they can too be “black on black” as well as “white on white”, gender based and disability related.

By: Revd Dr Jongikaya Zihle (Revised August 2020)

Some possible sources:

a) Longstanding inequalities exacerbated by COVID-19(Page 6 of the report): )

b) Multiculturalism, diversity and racial justice commission: British Journal of Social Work, Vol. 38, Issue4 - June 2008.

c) Michelle Alexander, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, 2010, New York, New Press: pp.11-17 By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use,

d)

e) Lindsay, B. (2019): “We need to talk about race – Understanding the Black experience in White Majority Churches”; SPCK Publishing, London SW1P 4ST.

f) Diangelo, R. (2019): “White Fragility” – ‘Why it’s so hard for White People to Talk About Racism’; Clays Ltd, (Allen Lane)Great Britain,

g) Eddo-Lodge, R. (2018): “Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People about Race”; Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, London WC1B 3DP, UK.

h) Leonard, D. (2003): “Your Best Days are still Ahead – ‘Moving Beyond Yesterday’s Pain’” Whitaker House; New Kensington, PA 15068.

i) Montefiore, Simon Sebag (Introduced); Speeches that Changed the World; Quercus Publishing Ltd, London WC1A 2NS

j) AKALA [Kingsley Daley] (2018); “Natives – ‘Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire’”; Two Roads Books, London EC4Y 0DZ

k) Barna, G. & Hatch, M. (2001): Boiling Point – “It only takes one degree; Monitoring Cultural Shifts in the 21st Century”; Regal Books; Ventura, CA.

l) Bauer B. L. {Article} Christian Worship and Cultural Diversity – A Missiological Perspective.

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