Forum for Intercultural Leadership and Learning (FILL)

intercultural leadership development & ministry learning

www.interculturalleadership.ca

Current Program Priorities (2018-21)

Training for Transformation

In locations across Canada we gather people to design, discern, train in, and experience transformational education, pedagogy, and facilitation. We offer intensive week long programs, shorter workshops, tools and resources, webinars, and other experiences to resource intercultural ministry, ministry across diversity, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and other ways to understand and address intersecting experiences of power, privilege, and resistance focusing on Canadian Church contexts.

Gathering and Networking

We bring people together; support networking national, locally, and ecumenically; and provide opportunities and safe spaces for conversation, dialogue, and learning. We engage the margins and provide alternative models of leadership rooted in the experiential and contextual.

Theology and Research

We are a Canadian centre for well-done theologies, research on, an sharing of resources for intercultural ministry and racial justice.

Collaboration across Institutions

We work ecumenically, encourage collaboration between institutions such as theological colleges and learning centre and we are a resource to these institutions. We support regional ecumenical networks and racial or ethnic group caucuses.

Racial Justice

While our work engages multiple axes of power and privilege, we have a particular focus on racial Justice. FILL houses the Canadian Ecumenical Anti-Racism Network (CEARN). The mandate of CEARN is to accompany churches and church organizations in Canada who are working toward racial justice, racial reconciliation, and peace, to transform themselves and their communities.

In June 2019, we offered our “Engage Difference!” program for academic credit through Wycliffe College and the Toronto School of Theology.

May 27-31, 2019 (Sandy Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, Beausejour, MB) DUIM program

Nov 23-25, 2017 (Engaging Others Intercultural Ministry Facilitator Training)

Group picture of participants in our first French language only program in Montreal, “Célébrons nos diversités! Le défi de l’interculturalité dans nos ministères: de Babel à la Pentecôte”

Participants in our first French-only DUIM program in Montreal (Sep 2019)

Recent Highlights and Resources from FILL

Play

We house the Canadian Ecumenical Anti-Racism Network (CEARN)!

This network is an expression of Canadian churches working together to support anti-racism programs and educators who are working in member churches, sharing resources and learning among anti-racism educators, and supporting long-term change in Canadian churches and church organizations.

Learn more about CEARN

racial justice

Purpose of the Forum for Intercultural Leadership and Learning

A reference group of the Council, the Forum for Intercultural Leadership and Learning (FILL) is an ecumenical Christian partnership through which Canadian Churches work toward intercultural leadership development and ministry learning in Canada and globally.

Through FILL, Canadian churches:

Come together for biblical and theological reflection on issues of contemporary intercultural mission and ministry;
Provide innovative educational resources and programs for intercultural learning, leadership development and ministry in Canada and globally, with special emphasis on cultural awareness and identity;
Participate in learning and dialogue with church members and wider communities of faith about a society that fully honours diversity and God’s unequivocal welcome; and
Network and support persons directly engaged in ministry across cultural and other differences.

Current Members of FILL (2021-24)

Niki Andre, Member at Large
Reuben Garang, Anglican Church of Canada
Dianne Hope, United Church of Canada
Binu Korah, Mar Thoma Church
Harry Lafond, Member at large
Mary Anne John, Mar Thoma Church
Néstor Medina, Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
Bill Millar, Member at large, coordinating group
Lloyd Nyarota, Member at Large
Carmen Ramirez, Member at large
Maureen Scott Kabwe, Member at large
Kathy Toivanen, Member at large
David Tin, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
Kim Uyede-kai, CEARN representative
Emo Yango, United Church of Canada

Members from The Canadian Council of Churches

Chung Yan 林頌恩 (JoAnne) Lam, Council Vice president
Maria Roman, Council Youth Governing Board member
Deivit Montealegre, Council staff
Nadia VanderKuip, Council staff
Jonathan Schmidt, Council staff
Peter Noteboom, Council General Secretary (ex officio)

Observing

David Allen, CCC Faith & Witness liaison
Greg Sinclair, CCC Canadian Interfaith Reference Group liaison

Last updated: January 2022.