Episcopal Press and News
Native Americans Affirm New Directions
Episcopal News Service. October 23, 1986 [86228]
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (DPS, Oct. 23) -- The largest group of Episcopalians involved in Native American ministries ever gathered met here to produce a new Covenant to guide their work and launch a new network of clergy support.
Entitled "Oklahoma II," the weeklong event brought together 81 bishops, priests, deacons and laity -- including 50 Native Americans -- under the sponsorship of the National Committee on Indian Work and Coalition-14 for a vigorous scrutiny of their mission and ministry. The Covenant that emerged will be a major vehicle in developing the role of Native Americans in Church-wide leadership, cross-cultural understanding, education and serve as a tool in the continuing fight against racism.
The new coalition has already begun work with Church Center staff to enhance and support professional ministry among Native people.
Summing up the tone of the gathering, Owanah Anderson, staff officer for Native American Ministries at the Episcopal Church Center said, "We came, many of us, burdened by old mistrusts... Our Primate laid before us an example of bridge-building, and, throughout the week, Native American and non-native Episcopalians identified issues, sought viable responses and set about building our own bridges across the chasm of mistrust to wholeness and interdependence. In my opinion, we each left Oklahoma prepared to 'learn the dance of the life cycle. Tomorrow dances behind the sun... in sacred promise of things to come for children not yet born...'"
The Conference drew representatives from 26 dioceses and involved not only the leadership of both the National Committee and C-14 but 13 bishops, representatives of Province VIII and Seabury-Western Seminary.
Planning for the meeting began early this year with a document from the 1984 "Oklahoma I" conference, which had called for a revitalized Native American ministry modeled on the C-14 structures of openness and sharing. A design team developed a series of questions dealing with church identity, ministry, leadership and theology, which potential participants were asked to share with members of their communities. The results of these grass-roots sessions were brought to this early-October meeting here.
Added to this mix were opening remarks by Presiding Bishop Edmond L. Browning in which he spoke not only of his role as a bridge but theirs: "I'm not the only bridge. We need to learn this from one another -- so ministry might truly be enabled. This affirms the importance not only of my being with you these hours, but more importantly, that you continue to listen to each other in order that the objectives of this gathering might become a reality and blessing for you as well as for the whole Church. My challenge to you is to ask how you engage yourself in the servant ministry of inclusiveness... how can you be more inclusive?"
One issue the Presiding Bishop raised was that of racism and its continuing presence in the Church. His promise to his hearers that he would do more personally to address the issue and eliminate its effects was echoed in both the covenant and the document forming a new ministry association that emerged from the gathering.
The clergy caucus vowed to be, among other things, "a support and advocate for common concerns of injustice and racism" and the covenant, calling racism "a hideous reality" asserted that when "we face this ominous reality...the process of redressing the damage it causes will be grace-filled and powerful."
That statement sums up fairly the avowedly positive stand that the consultation seemed to produce as reflected by participants and their closing document. (Eds: Text attached.) Anderson, in talking about the feelings of the group and the results, said: "The strong point of this gathering was being able to contribute to their coming together, their network building. This is an assertion of strength, an affirmation of positiveness over against so much of the negativeness that pervades their every day lives."
We wish to characterize the spirit of our second meeting in Oklahoma City -- the one we now call "Oklahoma II" -- as one of hard, yet Joyous work, in the context of renewal, expectation, and celebration.
For the first part of our meeting, our Presiding Bishop was with us, not only as a leader in the traditional sense, but equally as a listener. This, we are learning, is where all sensitivity and the collaboration from which it springs must begin. All parts of the Church must know, feel, and respond to pain in other parts of the Church.
The Presiding Bishop spoke of himself as being a bridge; and he calls us to be a bridge also. The bridge that we are challenged to be is one that, on one side compels us to articulate our needs, and recommendations for responding to those needs; and, on the other side, allows us to bring our unique gifts to the rest of the Church, and indeed, through her, to the world.
We find that relationships built upon mistrust, even when there has been ample historical justification for it, always foreordain separation; but, as trust grows, so also does hope, and with that hope, the opening of vast potential for reconciliation, healing, and wholeness.
We wish no longer to express our needs in negatively constructed terms, but rather in a positive context. Building upon this, we would like to tell the larger Church what we need, share some thoughts as to how these needs might best be met; and, in addition, even now say what we feel we have to offer the Church.
We fully recognize that racism is still a hideous reality in our midst, and we know that there will always be elements and remnants of this among us. But, we know also that when we acknowledge and face this ominous reality, and continue to engage it, the process of redressing the damage it causes will be grace-filled and powerful. We commend our Primate for the steps he is contemplating in the inclusion of our voice in addressing the issues of racism in the leadership of our Church on the national level. We expect our Church, not excluding the diocesan level, to keep the reality of racism before it, and continually work toward vanquishing it. We acknowledge prejudicial tensions within and among our communities, and we pledge ourselves to recognizing and going beyond these.
We recognize that the Church has an existing structure. This is a reality, and is not undesirable, per se. However, we feel these structures must be challenged vigilantly in order that they become and remain open and participatory. We therefore expect our Church, on the national and diocesan levels and in local communities, to look at all structures, including the administrative and financial, related to the work in, of, and by Indian and native peoples, and make certain that these are accessible and widely participatory, especially on the part of those affected by such ministries.
We recognize that the Church needs leadership. We, as Indian and native peoples, need a leadership emerging from, affirmed and supported by, and responsive to our communities. Leadership development needs to be enhanced in both lay and clerical areas. We therefore expect our Church to help us design clear, well-grounded curricula and processed, endorsed and backed by recognized authority, for the nurturing of leaders in, for, and within, our Indian and native communities.
We recognize that our common baptism into Christ obligates us to a ministry of evangelism and education, for the joy of the Gospel-way-of-life is spread by the handing down, sharing, and redefining of knowledge, in both informal and formal ways. Our educational needs are great, with respect to both children and adults. We therefore expect our Church to help us develop educational materials and ministries geared to our particular needs.
We recognize that we have an obligation to minister to and serve one another within our own communities, and we rededicate ourselves to this in a new way. We feel that our traditions already have a wonderful stream of generosity and sharing flowing through them. We hope that this tradition can be made a deeper part of our own Christian commitment. Further, we have seen the tragedy called "burnout" in many of our finest and best leaders. We resolve to do our best to eradicate this plague from our midst, and bring forward models for well-being.
Much in our consultation has revolved around our particular Indian and native spirituality. We claim this spirituality as being deep and abiding. We seek the means more profoundly to proclaim this spirituality. And, we offer it to the whole Church for her renewal and refreshment. We no longer will ask for our voice to be heard -- this echoes paternalism. Rather, we will raise our common voice in full confidence that the Holy Spirit, the wind, the breath of God, will carry it forward.
We cannot, however, speak of spirituality in a vacuum. Spirituality thrives upon wholeness. The larger Church has resources of a kind that will aid and assist us, particularly as these relate to the devastating multitude of social problems we are facing regarding family life, health, substance abuse (such as alcoholism), and injustice. Above all, the most treasured and treasurable resource we have within our Church is its peoples, of all ages, including children, with all languages, cultures, and diversities. For this reason, we have celebrated with joy the presence of a native Hawaiian at our consultation. We recognize that our Church is not the only communion facing enormous social problems. We will work, in every way, on an ecumenical basis, in the direction of the resolution of these vital concerns.
Noting that a great part of the Church's witness is not to permit the avoidance of painful issues, we submit the following as actions needing to be taken. We count on the whole Church to participate in bringing them into reality.
- The continued including and empowering of Indians and native peoples in the decision-making apparatus of the Church.
- Exploration and experimentation with, in the very near future, alternative modes of Church governance and structure.
- Consultation in all programs of the national Church designed to combat the evils of racism.
- Assistance in the development of a variety of media especially designed to foster cross-cultural appreciation and understanding.
- Assistance in the design of materials and programs for the training of indigenous Church leaders, both lay and ordained.
- Assistance in the design of educational curricula for adults and children, addressing both Church and broadly social needs.
- The exposure of the whole Church to native spirituality, and the encouraging of native communities to offer this spirituality to the whole Church.
It was Jesus' prayer that we all be one. We finish on a note similar to that upon which we began -- the word our Presiding Bishop left with us. He said he hoped he would hold up the unity of the Church as the primary vehicle of the Church's accomplishment of its mission.
We pray that native and non-native peoples alike may be called into the fullness and unity of Christ, and the grace of reconciliation, through the offering and sharing of their respective God-given gifts with one another.
Given at Oklahoma City October 10, 1986 by the participants of Oklahoma II in unanimous consent.
The Rt. Rev. Craig B. Anderson, The Rt. Rev. Robert Anderson, Mary Ellen Baker, George Baldwin, Norman Blue Coat, The Rev. Gary Cavender, The Rev. Steve Charleston, Lydia Conito, Virginia Doctor, The Rev. Thomas Doyle, Lorraine Edmo, Gaye Leia Ezzell, The Rev. Virgil Foote, The Rt. Rev. Wesley Frensdorff, The Rev. Hal Greenwood, The Rt. Rev. Harold Hopkins, Jr., Thomas Jackson, The Rt. Rev. C.I. Jones, The Rt. Rev. Rustin Kimsey, Lloyd LeBeau, The Rev. Gerald Mason, Mary Ellen Meredith, The Rev. Edward F. Ostertag, Helen Peterson, Howard Anderson, Uberta Arthur, The Rev. Joe Bad Moccasin, The Rev. Henry Bird, The Ven. Noah Brokenleg, Paul Chalk, Blue Clark, John L. Danforth, The Rev. James H. Dolan, James Eckels, The Very Rev. Clyde Estes, The Rev. Andy Fairfield, Duane Fox, Sr., The Rev. Canon Patrick Genereux, The Ven. Robert Herlocker, The Rev. Barney Jackson, Rosella Jim, Gladys Kassionas, Gard Kealoha, Gordon Kitto, Monte Littlefield, The Rt. Rev. Gerald N.McAllister, Alonzo Moss, Sr., Donald Peter, Duane Pinkerton, Elsie Pitka, The Rev. Ruth Potter, Mark Raymond, Marie Rogers, Dean Mark Sisk, Michael Taylor, Bessie Titus, Mary Jo Turgeon, Lillian Vallely, The Rt. Rev. William Wantland, The Rt. Rev. Roger J. White, The Rt. Rev. Steward Zabriskie, The Rev. Steven Plummer, Christine Prairie, The Rev. Canon Victor Richer, Buford Rolin, Tim Tall Chief, Marilyn Teiken, The Rt. Rev. Richard Trelease, The Rev. Gary Turner, Erma Vizenor, The Rt. Rev. James D. Warner, Kathleen Williams, Blanche Zembower
The Most Rev. Edmond L. Browning, Presiding Bishop
Owanah Anderson, Staff Officer, Native American Ministry
The Rev. Richard Chang, Administrative Deputy to the Presiding Bishop
The Rev. Richard Gary, C-14 Liaison
Carol Hampton, Field Officer, Native American Ministry
Barry Menuez, Senior Executive for Mission Operations
The Rev. Earl Nell, Executive for National Mission in Church and Society
Whitney Smith, Video and Audiovisuals Producer
Oklahoma II Consultation -- October 6-10, 1986 Jointly sponsored by the National Committee on Indian Work and Coalition
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