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Native Americans seek audience with Council of Bishops

Oct. 10, 2005

NOTE: Photographs are available at http://umns.umc.org.

By David Wilson*

ARLINGTON, Va. (UMNS) - As the National Museum of the American Indian
celebrated its first anniversary, Native American United Methodists met
in the area to discuss promoting the native presence in the
denomination.

Directors of the United Methodist Church's Native American Comprehensive
Plan toured the museum during their Sept. 23-24 meeting in Arlington.
While the museum speaks of the presence and contributions of Native
Americans to the world, the plan speaks to their presence and
contributions to the United Methodist Church, said Ann A. Saunkeah, the
plan's executive director in Tulsa, Okla.

Concerned about the lack of understanding across the church about the
progress and challenges in Native American ministry, directors of the
plan's guiding task force decided to seek an audience with the United
Methodist Council of Bishops in 2006 to present a "State of Native
Americans Ministries" address.

"The Council of Bishops is a body that advocates for all across the
church, and it is our hope that they can help prepare and educate the
church at large concerning native ministry," said Jean Norwood of
Millsboro, Del.

"There is much for the general church to learn, and it is our hope that
the council will allow us time to help them understand more about our
ministries," she said.

During the Arlington meeting, the 19-member task force also discussed
events that are being developed through 2008. The coordinating group
comprises Native American representatives from the church's five U.S.
jurisdictions, the Alaska Missionary Conference, the Oklahoma Indian
Missionary Conference, the Native American International Caucus and the
National United Methodist Native American Center. The group also
includes a youth and a young adult, key players in the plan's focus to
increase the involvement of those demographic groups in church life
during 2005-08.

Created by the denomination's legislative assembly in 1992, the plan
emphasizes Native American spirituality, congregational and leadership
development, and involvement in the life of the church. The United
Methodist Church has 19,000 Native Americans among its 8.3 million U.S.
members, and nearly 63 percent live in urban areas. The denomination has
more than 200 Native American churches, ministries and fellowships in
the country, and 30 are in urban areas.

"We are not a mission, we are in ministry in the United Methodist
Church," Saunkeah said. "We have models and resources to offer to the
general church, and we are anxious to share those models and resources
with others.

"We have a lot to offer to the church at large," she said. "... I think
the general church needs to revisit and look at how Native American
small churches function, especially how we nurture and build community.
The church needs that kind of model, and we have those successful
models."

One of those models is the relationship and nurturing of elders and
young people, who have always been an integral and important part of the
life of native peoples, Saunkeah said. "Our elders have prepared and
trained younger people in the local church, and that is very important
to our lives."

Task force members also made plans for upcoming events that include
training members of committees on Native American ministries in annual
conferences. The training will prepare committee members - many of whom
are not Native Americans - to assist in and strengthen Native American
ministry in the annual conference.

The plan's directors also voted to meet only once a year in order to be
better stewards of the denomination's funds, and it will extend its
yearly meeting an additional day. The 2006 NACP meeting will be in
September in Oklahoma City.

Additional business included:
"	Finalizing plans for an Oct. 21-22 committee training on Native
Ministry in Nashville, Tenn.
"	Planning the third Native American Lay Speakers School,
scheduled for 2006 at the Scarritt-Bennett Center in Nashville.
Beginning and advanced courses will be available and taught by Native
Americans from across the church.

"	Providing funding for transportation assistance for 10 youth and
young adults to attend Exploration 2006 in Jacksonville, Fla.

"	Planning a gathering of Native American clergy and laywomen in
2007.

*This story was adapted from a press release by the Rev. David Wilson,
superintendent of the Oklahoma Missionary Conference and president of
the Native American Comprehensive Plan.

 News media contact: Linda Green, (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
********************

United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org

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