By Greg Yee, Superintendent, PacNWC
I trust that your Thanksgiving was special in ways that only 2020 could bring. I hope that it opened up new opportunities; perhaps gave you good moments of reflection, prayer or reminded you in encouraging ways of God’s steady presence.
As we’ve seen the fall-colors explode and now as I stare at my rake for the work ahead, my heart is filled with gratitude for this beautiful place we call home. The Pacific Northwest is flat out gorgeous. This land, these mountains, all of the waters, the weather, and our now-darkening skies that gives us peeks of so many stars above us, all sing the praises of Creator. We are so blessed. Take a walk off of the concrete. Get in and join with creation as its praises the great provider and sustainer of birds, lilies and yes, you.
Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So [we] are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)
I am also filled with thanks for deepening connections and sense of family that has grown during the pandemic. I am meeting weekly with my childhood friends. I’ve gotten much closer to my neighbors. The conference staff has felt like we’ve had more opportunities to connect with our ministers than ever before. It’s also been beautiful to see us live into being a mosaic of churches working interdependently together to transform lives and communities particularly around so much of the unrest and pain. Our national soul has been pierced and we’ve been challenged to better see each other and understand and respond to the differences in our life experiences.
I know it hasn’t been easy. I implore you to continue to lean in. Continue to learn, converse, explore, and embody Christ’s work in your community. What does the Lord require of us? In all of our kingdom diversity, love how God is shaping and forming us in these days. We are living out God’s call to love unconditionally, be faithful, hold out hope, do justice, love mercy, and position our hearts with humility.
We are Mission Friends. We are a family of 74 churches, a team, doing God’s work together. We are churches in very different settings, but we are tied together by our vital need for each other, and our common mission.
OK, I’m going to tie my two seemingly random thoughts together now. I am grateful for the beautiful land we call home in the PacNWC. We recognize that we are guests on the lands of very familiar tribes such as the Swinomish, Nisqually, Yakama, Spokane, Chinook, Tillamook, and Blackfeet. As our sense of family and togetherness grows, I want to introduce part of the work that is coming to Gather 21. Sharing it now is also fitting as we conclude Indigenous Peoples Month.
We will have an opportunity to vote on a new resolution that will be an official declaration by the Covenant Church to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery (DOD). It is something that we have been working on for several years but now have the opportunity to make official. This work has been done by several other denominations and have had a profound affect on their indigenous members and their communities as a whole. We are stewards of the good news of Christ. We believe that this kind of work is right at the center of gospel that heals, renews, and transforms. Our years of work on this resolution are serendipitously concluding during a year that we are understanding the importance of understanding history and the affects of how we’ve seen and treated each other in this country.
I know the DOD is not familiar to most of us. This is a good time to introduce it as a primer to learn more as you send delegates to the ECC’s annual meeting.
In short, the Doctrine of Discovery is a set of legal and theological principles derived from a series of papal bulls issued by the church in the 15th Century. These official church documents permitted explorers to go to new lands and “capture, vanquish, and subdue, put into perpetual slavery” and “take all their possessions and property” indigenous people. A pattern of dehumanization and genocidal conquest was launched in the name of Christ through the church. As we know this has had overwhelming affects on Native peoples, we, as the church are now led to do this redemptive work as a denominational family to repudiate it.
My colleague in Alaska Superintendent Curtis Ivanoff, was recently featured here on this topic. He also put me onto this page that helps us understand the DOD better and our response as the Church. I encourage you to also explore the following as we begin this journey together:
- President of the Covenant’s Indigenous Ministers Association (IMA), T.J. Smith introducing Indigenous People’s Month.
- Beautiful March/April Covenant Companion featuring our very own Lenore Three Stars (Immanuel, Spokane) and Jim Sequeira (Cascade View, Vancouver, WA).
- Cov Sparks discussion guide for the Covenant Companion issue above.
- Unsettling Truths by North Park’s Milton B. Engebretson Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism Dr. Soong Chan Rah.
More resources produced by the denomination are forthcoming to help us prepare for this year’s vote and additionally in how we can realize this work together. The final version of the resolution itself will also be released soon. I’m excited that we can be part of this important and beautiful work of bringing light instead to chase away darkness, trust to replace broken promises, and respect instead of alienation and silence. This is the way – right?
May the Lord bless us as we continue to share the good news of Christ with all that he might bring across our paths. May the Lord bless us as we continue say yes to his invitation to join him in establishing his kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven.
Advent blessings, Family. May the hope, peace, joy, and love of Christ sink deeply into your soul as you walk these days. Make wise choices these holidays to keep yourself and others healthy and safe. Stay fervent in prayer. Stay watchful. We cover you in prayer.