We are thrilled to be joined by these highly experienced and insightful leaders at First Third Ministry Leadership Conference Anti-Racism Work & Action!
APRIL 4-6, 2024 Vancouver BC
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​Adele Halliday
Anti-Racism and Equity Lead, The United Church of Canada

• Introducing The United Church of Canada’s Anti-Racism Curriculum “I Am a Changemaker”, and speaking on Towards becoming an Anti-Racist Church 

The Rev. Hyuk Cho, Th.D.
VST Professor and Director of United Church Formation and Studies Associate Professor and Director of United Church Formation and Studies at Vancouver School of Theology (VST)

• Theological Grounding for Anti-Racism Work and Action 

Hyuk was born in the Republic of Korea and grew into adulthood during the democratic movement for the unification of Korea. In his university years, he was deeply influenced by Korean liberation theology, minjung theology. Since moving to Canada, he has been working to imagine and live out a Canadian version of it. He is currently preparing a monograph on intercultural theology. His research interests include the history and theology of the United Church, interreligious dialogue, missiology, ecumenism, pneumatology, and liberation theologies.

Hyuk’s most recent pastoral charge was West Point Grey United Church, Vancouver, BC., where he has served the congregation since 2018. In his teaching at VST, he brings rich pastoral experience from various pastoral charges, including Toronto Korean and churches in Southwestern and Central Ontario. Through his work, he seeks to share persistent hope in times of discouragement, daring faithfulness when overwhelmed by disinformation and radical love to embrace differences. In his leisure time, he loves working with wood and recently built a West Greenland kayak with Alaskan yellow cedar. He is a member of the Central Committee (2022-2030) of the World Council of Churches (WCC). 

Handel Kashope Wright
UBC Professor and Director of Centre for Culture, Identity & Education

• ​​Talking About Race with Children and Youth 

Handel Kashope Wright is Senior Advisor to the President on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence https://antiracism.ubc.ca/ Director of the Centre for Culture, Identity and Education https://ccie.educ.ubc.ca/ and Professor of Educational Studies https://edst.educ.ubc.ca/ at the University of British Columbia.  He is co-editor of the book series African and Diasporic Cultural Studies (University of Toronto Press) and Associate Editor of the journal Critical Arts. Prof. Wright has published extensively on continental and diasporic African cultural studies, cultural studies of education, antiracism, multiculturalism, and qualitative research, including being author of A Prescience of African Cultural Studies (Peter Lang, 2004), and co-editor of Precarious International Multicultural Education (Sense, 2012) and Nuances of Blackness in the Canadian Academy (University of Toronto Press, 2021). His work in progress includes a co-edited book on Black British Columbia (Fernwood, forthcoming) and his community engagement includes service on the City of Vancouver External Advisory Committee on Equity and Diversity and the BC Minister of Education’s Community Roundtable on Anti-racism. 

The Rev. Tony Snow
Indigenous Minister, Chinook Winds Regional Council, United Church of Canada

• Blanket Exercise 

Tony Snow is a member of the Stoney Nakoda First Nation and grew up on Treaty No. 7 land at Morley, Alberta, where his father Dr. Rev. Chief John Snow Sr. attended the Morley Indian Residential School. Tony is a Day School Survivor who now works as the Indigenous Minister of the United Church of Canada’s Chinook Winds Region. As a Traditional Knowledge Keeper, minister and consultant, Tony has worked for decades in public engagement and government relations, bringing awareness and healing to communities of faith and Indigenous peoples, as a continuation of his father’s work and his grandfather’s work. Tony is Director-at-large with Calgary Climate Hub. 

The Rev. Kimiko Karpoff
Worship Leader

​My name, Kimiko, means child of joy and beauty. Ki ~ 喜 = joy; Mi ~ 美 = beauty; Ko ~ 子 = child. This inspires me to bring joy and beauty to what I do. I am a writer, photographer and energy healing practitioner with a background in communications and community ministry. I am also an diaconal minister in the United Church of Canada and part of a new expression of Christian community in New Westminster exploring how ancient, pre-Christiandom roots of our faith can inform a modern expression of church." I am particularly drawn to the intersection of story, community and healing.

Becca Whitla
St. Andrew’s College Professor of Pastoral Studies

• Action In and Through Worship ​

Becca Whitla is the professor of practical ministry and the Dr. Lydia E. Gruchy Chair in Pastoral Theology at St. Andrew’s College in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where she teaches worship and liturgy, preaching, religious education, and practical theology. Her book Liberation, (De)Coloniality, and Liturgical Practices: Flipping the Song Bird was released in December, 2020 (Palgrave McMillan). From her White Euro-Canadian settler perspective, she examines ways to decolonize liturgical practices, especially community singing. She worked in Toronto for many years as a music director in both Anglican and United Churches (Church of the Holy Trinity, and Trinity St Paul’s United Church). She also co-directed Echo, a 70 voice women’s choir, and worked in the trade union movement developing leadership through choral singing.

Bruce Harding
Recording Artist and Worship Leader

Bruce Harding is a singer, songwriter and intercultural song leader from New Westminster, BC whose ministry with congregations and church gatherings across Canada and beyond inspires people to sing with spirit and conviction. He has a PhD in the development of hymn tune repertoire in The United Church of Canada, and he currently serves as Music Editor for Then Let Us Sing!, the new online hymnal project for the national church. In the Vancouver area, Bruce leads music with the communities of Crossroads United Church and Living Interfaith Sanctuary, he teaches at the Naad Intercultural Centre for the Arts, and he is a member of the North Indian fusion ensemble, Indian Standard Time, www.indianstandardtime.band. His worship music, available for free download at www.evensong.ca, is sung in congregations around the world.

Registration Opens Soon!