Amid conversations on faith, justice, and the evolving mission of the Church at the WCRC 27th General Council, a compelling workshop presentation reminded participants that authentic discipleship calls not just for reflection, but for courageous repentance and meaningful reform.
Speaking on behalf of the Council for World Mission (CWM), Rev. Dr. Roderick Hewitt of the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands issued a stirring call for The Onesimus Project—often known simply as TOP—to evolve into a global movement of transformation and healing.
“We never forget the rock from which we have been hewn,” Hewitt said, invoking the deep and often painful legacy of mission history. “The Onesimus Project asks what the Church is called to be and do in this moment.”
He followed an introduction by Dr. Natalie Lin, CWM Moderator from the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, who described TOP as “the most inspiring” of CWM’s programs. “It encourages our 36 member churches to work together as continuing witnesses to the kingdom of God’s ministry,” she said.
Reclaiming the Story of Onesimus
The project draws its name and vision from Onesimus, a slave whose story is told in Paul’s New Testament letter to Philemon. “Paul’s letter offers a biblical perspective on enslavement, release, confession, and discipleship,” Hewitt explained. “Onesimus means ‘useful,’ and he became a vibrant spokesperson for the power of the gospel.”
For Hewitt, that story serves as a mirror to the Church’s own history—one that includes complicity in systems of oppression, yet also holds the potential for radical transformation.
Facing the Uncomfortable Truths
A word that often provokes discomfort—“reparations”—stands at the heart of the Onesimus Project. Hewitt did not shy away from it. “Embarrassment alone will not bring about transformation,” he told participants. “We try our best not to soften it, but to face it. Reparations are gospel-inspired—a form of repentance. How can we fold our arms?”
The project focuses on four key areas of engagement:
- Legacies of Slavery: Encouraging acts of apology, repentance, reparations, and scholarship to uncover historical truths.
- Modern-Day Slavery: Identifying and combating ongoing forms of exploitation. “About 50 million people remain enslaved around the world,” Hewitt said. “No one asks who pays the cost so that I can live the way I do. Modern-day slavery is real. Economies embrace these forms of dehumanization.”
- Education for Liberation: Promoting advocacy, alternative theological education, and community development. “In Jamaica, that includes our music,” Hewitt added, quoting Bob Marley: ‘Emancipate yourself from mental slavery.’
- Transformative Ecumenism: Calling for radical renewal in relationships among churches. “If the church is to be a sign of hope in the world,” Hewitt said, “we must change how we work together.”
Walking the Walk
To turn conviction into action, the Council for World Mission has launched three dedicated funds — the Reparatory Justice Fund, the Healing of Memories Fund, and the Modern-Day Slavery Fund. “CWM is prepared to put its money where its mouth is,” Hewitt emphasized. “This is the time to do things — to walk the walk.”
“Mission comes through risky engagement with the vulnerable,” he continued. “Are people brave enough to do this work? Prepare the plan, mobilize our people, and see what resources are available.”
A Garden of Healing
For Hewitt, the call to action is not abstract. In his home context of Jamaica, a small group sought a tangible way to teach young people the history of enslavement and the resilience of their ancestors. Their response was the creation of a healing garden — a living memorial and educational space.
“The garden tells the story of the journey our people have made — a lest-we-forget kind of approach,” Hewitt said. “When we’re gone, how will the story be told?”
Planted within a local school, the garden is cared for by students and teachers, ensuring the story continues to grow — literally and spiritually. “It is a small but significant way this has been passed on to those on the ground,” Hewitt reflected.
From History to Hope
The Onesimus Project, born out of painful remembrance, is not simply about looking back. It is an invitation to the global church to reimagine mission — not as charity, but as solidarity; not as heritage, but as hope.
Or, as Hewitt might say, it is a reminder that to be “useful” — like Onesimus — is to be a witness to the liberating power of truth.
