St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Ottawa offered abundant gifts to help observe Black History Month in February — an eloquent guest speaker for each Sunday of the month, a panel discussion, a fashion show, as well as a feast and a live band on the final Sunday. All of the services were live-streamed and there are links to them on the St. Mark’s website.
Guest speaker Paul Mugarura complemented and thanked St. Mark’s on its efforts. “There are many people in this country and all over the world who use religion as a way to divide our countries and sow division and fear. And there are times that I find my feelings of hope just challenged by this reality. But every time that I feel a sense of despair, I run into congregations like yours that are willing to have the hard conversations. Did you know that congregations that observe Black History Month are not the norm? They are an anomaly. You are an anomaly, but you are an encouraging anomaly. Thank God for you.” — LA Williams
Paul Mugarura who leads a Sunday afternoon worship service at Trinity Anglican Church on Bank Street, offered a reflection on Feb. 4. He is also part of the team leading the diocesan effort to increase Anglican parishes involvement in contextual mission and new worshipping communities.
Mugarura spoke about the history of colonialism in Uganda where he spent much of his time growing up and where his father was an Anglican priest. “We have to, with humility, accept the fact that the church has been complicit in many troubling events over the centuries,” he said. He held up the Apostle Paul as an example of someone who did not expect people to give up their cultures and languages to conform, but someone who “tried to be all things to all people” as he preached the gospel in their context.
Yolande Parsons, immigrated to Canada from St. Vincent in 1982 and quickly got involved in the Winnipeg Black community and issues of the time, such as marches and efforts calling for the release of Nelson Mandela. She later was also a part of the National Black Committee on Aids (NBCoA) in Manitoba and Ontario.
Yolande is a graduate of Heritage College & Seminary and is now tracking for pastoral ministry with the Free Methodist Church in Canada (FMCiC). She is the women’s ministry coordinator and chair of the Board at Arlington Woods Church.
On Feb. 18, Parsons spoke of the early history of Black people in Canada and the Underground Railroad and a few of the important figures in the struggle for freedom and equality. She then focused on how all people were created in God’s image and how Christians “as ambassadors of Christ in his kingdom, … are called to be people of reconciliation.”
The Rev. Dr. Anthony Bailey is the coordinating minister of Parkdale United Church. He has degrees in social work, theology, philosophy of religion and ethics and culture. He has studied and worked in countries such as Barbados, the USA, Kenya and Jamaica. He provides multicultural, diversity and anti-racism workshops and training to churches, schools, community agencies, media, government departments, police services, and other community groups.
Speaking at St. Mark’s on Feb. 11, Bailey began by illuminating some Black (Cushite) people in the Bible that are not widely known to be Black, such as early church leaders Simeon and Lucius and later focused on important Black figures in more modern history. He also spoke of the way the concept of race was invented as a way of categorizing people by Europeans, including philosopher Immanuel Kant, in contrast to the way God’s people are presented in Revelation as “a great multitude from every nation.”
Vergeneas Alfred Gray was born in the Bahamas and became a teacher and a lawyer. First elected to Parliament in 1987, he was a minister of several departments in the Cabinet for 10 years, as well as the executive chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas. Mr. Gray was appointed as High Commissioner of the Bahamas to Ottawa, Canada in October 2022. He serves as a minister at the New Destiny Baptist Church in Nassau.
Speaking at St. Mark’s on Feb. 25, Gray highlighted the accomplishments of important figures in Black history, some well known such as South African president Nelson Mandela and Dr. Martin Luther King, but also individuals who are not household names such as Dr. Patricia Bath, who developed laser surgery for cataracts, and astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison. Gray made a donation to St. Mark’s on behalf of the High Commission.
St. Leonard, Rockingham — Deanery of the Northwest