Native American Ministries, Committee on (CONAM

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The Committee on Native American Ministries (CONAM) advocates for Native peoples in our churches and communities and educates others regarding the history and current challenges affecting our Native brothers and sisters. CONAM also promotes Native American Ministries Sunday (NAMS) and administers the Conference portion of contributions. NAMS funds continue to assist our three Native American Churches with ongoing ministries and operational expenses. Funds were also used to assist the Native American Outreach Transportation Program (NAOT). NAOT, serving individuals on Onondaga Nation and in the Greater Syracuse area, was identified as an essential service and continued to operate during the pandemic. Each year, grant applications for NAMS funds are available for churches, organizations, and individuals within the UNY Annual Conference. Email CONAM@unyumc.org for details.

CONAM worked closely with the Northeastern Jurisdiction Native American Ministries Committee (NEJNAMC) to develop a plan of action for the 2021-2024 Quadrennium and an inclusion statement for LGBYQ individuals. We endorsed the position paper on full inclusion, sharing the announcement through the UNY Conference e-news. We also supported a letter from the Native American International Caucus to the Council of Bishops calling for a “Day of Truth and Repentance for Our Children” on Oct.- 6, 2021. The result was a five week series of articles reviewing the charges from the Act of Repentance and informing Conference members of the history and ongoing trauma caused by Indian Boarding Schools.

All three Native American churches in the UNY Conference lost many loved ones during the pandemic and all three were closed for a time. The pastors serving all three churches left their appointments in 2021. There is an ongoing need to provide culturally competent spiritual leadership for all of our Native Churches in the Conference.

Members of CONAM are updating training sessions originally offered in 2015 to meet the continued need to educate individuals regarding the history and present effects of colonization on Native Americans and the need to live out the promises made at the 2015 Act of Repentance. The updated program will be offered to individuals, churches, and organizations.

An information table for the 2022 Annual Conference will provide information to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the ongoing discovery of graves at boarding schools. We welcome individuals with a passion for Native ministry and invite all to visit our table at Conference or contact us personally. Every church/charge is required to designate a local church representative to Native Ministries on their church charge conference forms. A list of local church representative contacts is used to communicate with local churches regarding current Native issues and the celebrations of Native American Ministries Sunday, Indigenous Peoples Day, and A Day of Truth and Repentance for Our Children.

Kae Wilbert retired as our able and long-serving CONAM chair and is now an emeritus member on the committee. Present leadership includes: Sharon Schmit, Chair; Brooke Conklin, Administrative Assistant; Blenda Smith, Treasurer; and Kae Wilbert, Secretary. Other members include: Marilyn Anderson, Sue Crawson-Brizzolara, Thom White Wolf Fassett, Carolyn Huston, Rose Kingsbury, Mary Alice Nyhan, Bethany Printup-Davis, and Rosalie Schotanus. In 2021, our CONAM lost Don Washburn, a well-loved committee member and faithful advocate for Native peoples.

Submitted by: Sharon A Schmit, Chair - CONAM@unyumc.org