What is an Affirming church?
Affirming congregations are part of a United Church of Canada Network that commits to inclusivity of everyone including those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, two-spirited persons (2SLGBTQ+); marginalized for any reason, including race or age; economically disadvantaged; developmentally or physically challenged.

Islington United Church became an Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Canada in June, 2018.

What does it mean to be Affirming?
To be Affirming means more than being welcoming. It means we promote awareness and understanding. We work to end discrimination, alienation and ignorance. We affirm by understanding and reflecting, talking and asking questions, listening and praying, and acting and being aware.

Why are we Affirming?
We are Affirming because God calls us to be inclusive, love one another equally, work for justice in the wider church and community, witness without limit or restriction, and act to protect the vulnerable.

Our aim
The Anti-Racism Working Group (ARWG) supports actions by Islington United Church and by church members to educate ourselves and take action on racism within our church, the community and the wider Canadian context. The anti-racism work of the group includes education, advocacy and action toward becoming an anti-racist congregation within the United Church of Canada.

Our objectives

To effect cultural change and address injustices that oppress Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian, and all other people who face racism, we work to

● educate and increase awareness of white privilege and systemic racism;

● learn about the negative consequences of racism on the basic freedoms, health, education, safety, and employment of Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian, and all people who face racism;*

● listen to experiences of racism and reflect upon our participation and complicity in racist systems and actions;

● support greater cultural diversity at Islington United Church in worship services, music programs, and activities and through visual representation;

● extend meaningful hospitality from the church to all persons resulting in a congregation reflective of the diversity in the surrounding community;

● seek and support Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Asian persons in church lay and ministerial leadership positions

*We note that language is ever evolving and complex. Terms that suggest racial identification are intended to facilitate discussions that can lead to the dismantling of systemic racism.

Resources 

Reflections on a Visit to the Apartheid Museum (from 40 Days of Engagement on Anti-Racism)

Music and the Universal Language Myth (from 40 Days of Engagement on Anti-Racism)

UN International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Anti-Racism, The United Church of Canada (anti-racism information and resources from The United Church of Canada)

Ending Racial Harassment (booklet from the United Church of Canada for congregations and people involved in church work)

United Church Anti-Racism Book List (scroll down)

‘Note from Nora’ – Former General Secretary of The United Church of Canada

Emmanuel College Resources (lots of great material on offer, various media)

Wide-ranging Resource document shared by GO Project (Created by Anna Stamborski, M. Div Candidate (2022), Nikki Zimmermann, M. Div candidate (2021), Bailie Gregory, M. Div, M.S. Ed)

It’s time to end white privilege and white supremacy in Corporate Canada (article in The Globe and Mail)

How to be Antiracist (article on Mashable.com)

Racial Profiling by stores, landlords and companies: Are we Racist? (CBC Marketplace YouTube video)

My Teenage Life Being Black in Canada (YouTube video)

The Science of Skin Color by Bill Nye (TikTok video)

Project: The Giving Garden
Since 2012 the Green Team has been cultivating an organic garden on church property, run completely by volunteers, to grow fresh, organic produce that is then donated to our neighbours in need.

Project: Sōl Power
Our 48 solar panels have been connected to the Toronto Hydro electrical grid since October 18, 2011 and since then have been producing clean, “green” energy for our community. We have produced over 112 megawatts of electricity. By using a renewable energy technology, we have avoided the release of close to 79,000 kg of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Project: Honey Bees
In the summer of 2016, we welcomed two colonies of honeybees. We allocated a safe and sunny spot on our flat roof as a home for our bee yard and populated our hives with hardy, but docile, strains of bees, suitable for our urban setting, that can reside year-round on our site.

Raised, using non-industrial, non-toxic, and pesticide-free methods, they create all-natural, healthy and fragrant honey throughout our warm months.

The bees have quickly adapted to our location and have been put to work pollinating and gathering nectar from neighbourhood flowers, sustaining our own flower and vegetable gardens, as well as other plants, flowering trees and shrubs in our Mimico Creek backyard.

The apiary is dutifully watched and nurtured by our registered Ontario Beekeeper Association (OBA) beekeepers. A share of the honey from the hives generates a valuable donation to the operations of the Mabelle (Daily Bread) Food Program.

Project: Green Renovations
When painting our spaces we use one of the most environmentally sound brands of paint available. The paint we choose has low to zero volatile organic compounds (VOCs), yet is of exceptional quality and durability.

Additionally, we have installed seven new low-flush toilets to reduce our water usage as well as our costs. Fluorescent lighting has been replaced with more energy-efficient options. The quality of the lighting in hallways, meeting rooms and offices has been dramatically improved and yet the new lights use much less energy.

Project: Energy Audit
Islington United conducted an energy audit to set a base line for our energy use. From statistics and costs incurred in 2008 we were able to develop an understanding of our ongoing energy usage. With each improvement we make we have been able to demonstrate the energy and cost savings we have achieved since 2008.

Award Winners
Each year Faith and the Common Good presents the Greening Sacred Spaces (GSS) Awards to recognize the contributions of faith communities who demonstrate commitment to the care of the environment through action.

Islington United Church was one of two recipients of the award in 2013. To qualify, faith communities must meet a set of stringent criteria, including completing at least five actions within each of three categories: Spiritual Work, Practical Work and Community Work.

These awards provide a way for people from diverse faith traditions to come together with the shared purpose of affirming and celebrating those who lead the way for all of us in stewardship.

Helping our Neighbours
Our Mabelle Food Program operates in conjunction with Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank to provide a nutritious food package to low income households in our local community.

During the spring and summer months, our Green Team lovingly tends an organic garden on church property, run completely by volunteers, to grow fresh, organic produce that is then donated to the Mabelle Food Program within hours of picking.

Run by Volunteers
The Mabelle Food Program is open every Wednesday in the gymnasium at 49 Mabelle Avenue off Dundas Street near the church. We need volunteers of all ages to help prepare and distribute food packages at the Mabelle Food Program.

More than Just Food
If you’re a knitter, we invite you to join the group that provides handmade hats, scarves and mittens for our clients during the winter months.

The way we witness to God’s love
Mission and Service is the way we as a United Church witness to God’s love, whether it is with overseas partners, in Canadian outreach, in hospital or university chaplaincies, in supporting small congregations, or in assisting new ministers.

Being God’s presence in the world
Mission and Service represents our collective way to be God’s presence in the world — to be the church, to love and serve, to seek justice, to live with respect in creation. It gives us a collective voice in advocating change, justice, and peace, whether through the Canadian government or in work with our ecumenical partners.

Participating together to be the church
Mission and Service ensures that we are participating together in all of this work and more. And every dollar given goes to support mission. All administrative costs are covered through revenue from investment income.

The Refugee Support Committee at Islington United Church, in partnership with the United Church of Canada, has been sponsoring refugee newcomers since 1979 when the government of Canada established private refugee sponsorship to bring “Boat people” from southeast Asia to Canada. Since then, we have sponsored more than 105 people from 13 countries, including Vietnam, Kosovo, Iran, Colombia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Yugoslavia, Peru, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Iraq, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Syria.

Celebrating 40 Years of Refugee Sponsorship: CBC News

How we do it
It takes many hands to sponsor effectively with tasks such as setting up living accommodation, assisting with language and education needs, providing support to find employment, identifying health care professionals, providing social orientation and encouraging engagement in Canadian life, and sharing information about Canadian values and culture. We provide this support for 12 months with the goal of helping the sponsored newcomer begin and settle into a new life in Canada.

The Refugee Support Committee accepts gifts to make our work possible and each year we participate in IUC’s Walk the Walk for Social Justice — as part of the Toronto Waterfront Run/Walk — as our main fundraiser. Funds raised go directly toward sponsoring a family with rent, food, and other needs.

What sponsored newcomers say

Newcomers have expressed their appreciation for the family support, opportunities to practise English, invitations to dinner, tours of the city, special outings, finding their dream job, and the friendships that continue beyond the 12 months. Many have been able to become Canadian citizens within three to five years.

Interested?
Our committee includes both members and non-members of Islington United Church. If you would like to make a difference in someone’s life — give hope and support — or just want to learn more or know how you might be able to help, contact us: ministry@islingtonunited.org

What is reconciliation?
The word reconciliation means “to be at peace again.” The Truth and Reconciliation Commission describes it as a process establishing and maintaining respectful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. 

We aim for reconciliation through …

• invitation
• storytelling
• education
• art
• understanding Indigenous spirituality and culture

Resources

• The United Church of Canada Reconciliation and Indigenous-Justice Initiatives
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action
• Learn more

Our Work to Build Allyship
We are learning how to use our privilege in Canadian society to stand with Indigenous Peoples:

• Have a Heart postcards mailed to our government advocating for equal services for Indigenous children that other Canadian children experience.
• Petitions to urge action on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action in our education system, our justice system and more.
• Orange Shirt solidarity to acknowledge the individual and social impacts of residential schools.
• Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls find the truth from gathering many stories from many people.
• Celebrating – National Indigenous Peoples Day, Moderator Carmen Lansdowne
• Moose Hide Campaign – Support Canada’s Journey of Reconciliation! Work to end gender-based violence.

More on reconciliation
Reconciliation is the process of developing respectful relationships between Indigenous Peoples and settlers across Canada, Turtle Island. It involves working together to overcome the devastating effects of colonization, such as the intergenerational trauma caused by residential schools.

Reconciliation requires working towards justice with Indigenous Peoples by collectively addressing both historical and ongoing injustices including racism. Reconciliation means walking the path of peacemaking and justice – to walk together in a good way.

To achieve this, we join with the Haudenosaunee, who speak of the Two-Row Wampum, a covenant of two peoples travelling down a river, each in their own canoe, allowing one another to be who they are. This covenant leads us to envision two bodies side by side—Islington United Church and Indigenous Peoples.

Together, we will support each other in our efforts to develop respectful relationships, healing, and justice for all. We are committed to acknowledging past injustices and living into the United Church of Canada’s apologies.

Get involved
The Right Relations Circle invites you to join us on a journey toward Reconciliation.

The journey of Living into Right Relations includes learning about Indigenous culture, spirituality, and the significance of being treaty people.

Contact us if you would like more information.