OIMC Holds 166th Annual Conference Session

Hundreds of Native American United Methodists converged on the outskirts of Antlers, Oklahoma, for the annual meeting of the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference of The United Methodist Church, which is comprised of 89 Native churches in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas, June 5-8, 2008.

Delegates from the churches met to discuss the business of the conference, and to celebrate accomplishments through worship and fellowship. The conference opened with a procession of tribal flags from the states of Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas, which represented the OIMC membership of the Methodist Conference.

The 2008 Annual Conference session with the theme “Giving Our Hearts Away” proved to be a moving experience as the highlights included the inspiring preaching of Bishop Robert E. Hayes, Jr., the creation of a new children’s mission ministries at Clinton Indian United Methodist Church, the recognition of our second US2, our first Deaconess and first Church and Community Worker as well as the continued focus on children in the conference.

We once again had a guest worship leader. Mr. Dayton Edmonds, a retired church and community worker from Washington, who is a well known Native American story teller and who grew up in the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference, returned to be the guest worship leader. Dayton’s parents were both OIMC Clergy.

The Council on Local Church Ministries recognized Mr. Ira Hart of the Oklahoma Conference upon his retirement as Associate Director of Volunteers in Mission. Ira has always been a special friend to OIMC in working with the VIM program. Bishop Hayes was presented the Warm Heart Award that was established in Ira’s name to be presented each year to a particular person that has a heart for mission.

In 2006 a resolution was passed by the conference that due to the loss of some tribal languages our churches would strive to retain the language by teaching our children our tribal hymns and at annual conference these churches/children would be recognized. Therefore Saturday evening of conference is reserved for the children.

This year we had three different churches as well as the combined Conference Children’s Choir that performed at General Conference. The Conference Children’s Choir had children from five different churches. We celebrated the appointment of Rev. Jennifer Battiest as a Church and Community Worker at the Clinton Indian UMC Children’s Ministry. Offerings of $2,165 were received to go to this new ministry.

In other action, members: 1) approved a budget of $1,250,573; 2) raised over $1,000 for YSF; 3) $921 was either raised or donated for Nothing But Nets; 4) in looking at our pastoral support we were able to raise our pastors salary at a higher rate then at any other time. However this will be a one time only rate with next year asking the churches to take more and more responsibility in raising their pastoral support.

A resolution was passed opposing English-only legislation that is intended to declare Oklahoma as an official English state. This resolution calls for: All tribal governments to take actions to formally oppose English-only legislation, informing their state legislators and other officials of their positions and the implementation of a policy requiring that a set percentage of tribally generated monies given for public education through compacts with the state be designated for teaching our tribal languages in the public schools; the creation of a super-fund to support the twenty-four highly endangered and valuable Native American languages still spoken within the state of Oklahoma.

We recognized the first Deaconess, first Church and Community Worker and the second US2 from our conference. One Elder and one Deacon were ordained.