The fifth annual Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference Gala and Silent Auction held Oct. 17, 2019, raised more than $75,000 for the permanent endowment fund for pastoral leadership.
Organizers are calling the event held at the Reed Center in Midwest City a great success.
“We were pleased with the outcome of this Gala and certainly thankful for the many people who attended and supported the
endowment with their contributions,” said the Rev.David Wilson, OIMC superintendent.
Brent Greenwood, Chickasaw artist and member of OIMC, created a painting live during the event which sold during the auction to a former state senator. The Chickasaw Dance Troupe provided the cultural entertainment and Tara Dawkins served as the emcee for the Gala. Over fifty items were donated for the silent auction which also produced several thousand dollars, Wilson said.
The endowment has grown to approximately 2.3 million dollars which is generating permanent funds for OIMC’s yearly budget. Wilson says the goal is to be able to raise the base salary of full-time OIMC pastors which are the lowest paid in the The United Methodist Church in the U.S.
“The Gala is important because it celebrates the heritage and lives of Native Americans and proclaims a future filled with hope for the churches and people of the OIMC,” Bishop Jimmy Nunn, episcopal leader of the Oklahoma Conference and the OIMC.
Donors of $10,000 or more included The Chickasaw Nation, The Choctaw Nation and Bishop Jimmy Nunn. The Cherokee Nation also supported the gala with a $5,000 contribution.
