Dean's Council for Diversity & Multiculturalism

Our faith calls us to live a Jesus-shaped life in all aspects of our lives. It is a process that requires us to be intentional in all facets of our lives. Living fully into the Cathedral’s “Open Doors, Open Hearts, Open Minds” statement requires constant discernment.  Through prayer and holy listening and watching we become aware of new ways God is calling us to open our doors, hearts and minds to be a home for all of God's people.

The pandemic restrictions made us think creatively about open doors and led us to open our doors virtually. Our online presence allowed people who otherwise would not have had contact with the Cathedral to worship, pray and study with us. This included long-time residents who had never visited the Cathedral and newcomers to the city looking for a spiritual home. As we returned to gathering in person, many of these people who discovered us virtually during the pandemic took the next step and joined us in person. As a result, the Cathedral has been enriched by welcoming new members who come from diverse cultural, social and economic backgrounds. 

The Cathedral clergy and leadership have discerned that in this new chapter, God’s call to embrace the diversity of the body of Christ needs the same intentionality we have shown for other acts of radical inclusion that this community has been known for.  To help us live into God’s call to have the Body of Christ at the Cathedral reflect the cultural richness of the Body of Christ in our larger context the Dean’s Council on Diversity and Multiculturalism has been formed. 

Initially, seven members of the parish, from diverse backgrounds, have been invited to be part of this council. The council’s mandate is to help the Dean identify ways the Cathedral’s multicultural reality can be better reflected in the life of this community. The Council will also help identify the best practices and the latest resources for identifying, incorporating and creating opportunities for true and full inclusion of under-represented people in the life and governance of the Cathedral.

Asked why he felt this Council was necessary, Dean Chris said “Jesus calls us to meet him amid the community.  That means making our faith community a welcoming home for all of God’s people. Paraphrasing our recent guest preacher, the Rev. Canon Scott Gunn, when we who profess to be the Body of Christ move through the community around us, if we do not reflect that community in all of its diversity then we do a disservice to that image which we bear.’” 

The members of the Dean’s Council for Diversity and Multiculturalism are: 

Pamela Mehmi
Shehnaz Hozaima Cavey
Ivy Clark
Jay Rajan
Penny Zhou
Simangele Mabena 
Deacon Kevin de la Mare

“I am so grateful to these seven people for saying yes to the invitation to be part of this Dean’s Council. They are offering not just time and talent, but uniquely, they are offering themselves to Jesus. They are bringing their lived experiences to this table to enrich the life of our community,” said Chris.