"Campbell is the most common surname in Jamaica and it is said that there are more Campbells per square acre in Jamaica than in Scotland."
On Saturday afternoon, at our Presbytery meeting, we heard from Very Rev Sally Foster-Fulton on the work of Christian Aid. As their UK and Global Church Ambassador, she is keen to hear from us as to what Christian Aid can do to work in partnership with us, as a Presbytery and as local congregations. She shared how the work of Christian Aid has developed to ensure that local communities around the world take the lead in terms of articulating what they need and there was a discussion about what 'decolonisation' and 'privilege' mean in the context of this work. It was a thought-provoking presentation, particularly given the fact that many of us will undertake activities throughout the year to raise funds for the organisation.
Sally got us to think about this question:
What global justice resources or forms of engagement could Christian Aid offer/develop that would be most useful to your congregation or community as we evolve together?
And she wants to hear your responses. Her email address is SFoster-Fulton@christian-aid.org and if you have suggestions following conversations on Saturday or having given the question more thought, please do get in touch with her.
Sally and Mirella Yandoli went on to speak on the topic of 'Legacies of Slavery'. Both had spent time in Jamaica and shared, in a very powerful way, the impact of that visit. They introduced us to the work of the Churches' Reparations Action Forum (Jamaica) and the ways in which the enslavement of people continues to adversely affect communities today - from health inequalities, to violence, from land ownership to identity. I was particularly struck and chastened by the comment that Campbell is the most common surname in Jamaica and it is said that there are more Campbells per square acre in Jamaica than in Scotland.
It was an informative and sobering session, which opened up the importance of language and action. The discussion came back to local churches and learning more about the ways in which we have benefitted from the enslavement of others.
More information on the topic
We wanted to follow up the session by sharing more information with the Presbytery and arranging a facilitated discussion at one of our meetings later in the year. I suspect many of us need a bit of time to digest what we heard and think about what our response could be. Please check out the report and links and share it with others within your congregational/ministry setting.
Link to Churches' Reparations Action Forum (Jamaica) and its seven-point plan - https://www.crafja.com/
Link to the Church of Scotland's Legacies of Slavery Report Summary
Link to Church of Scotland's page on Legacies of Slavery - https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/about-us/equality-diversity-and-inclusion-group/legacies-of-slavery
Link to the Church of Scotland's Theological Forum's paper on Apologising-for-historic-wrongs-final-version
It does raise a question as to what being 'outward looking' means. This is one of our values as a Presbytery.
We are missional and have broad horizons, serving the purposes of Christ through engagement with our communities and wider world. We will do this in partnership with others wherever possible.
We aspire to be cognisant of the wider world in which we live. But how can we learn from the work of Christian Aid and the work around the legacies of slavery, to ensure that any partnership we enter into honours the other participant and avoids the mistakes of our past? How can we 'get out of the way' when necessary and ensure that those who we are working with are treated with dignity and with equity?
Perhaps this is a good example where our values need to work together. Respecting others - listening to and learning from others - has a big part to play in ensuring our partnerships are 'Christlike'.
Rev Stella