By, Rev. Margaret Johnson, Assist. to the Bishop
The idea of hosting Region-Wide Gatherings has been on my heart for about six months now. I believed it would be beneficial to gather together and articulate our purpose as the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference, as well as share what the Book of Discipline and our journals convey about a missionary conference, along with our conference’s history. I was particularly keen on understanding the sentiments of our churches, especially regarding the question, “What has OIMC done for us?”
After much prayer and collaboration with the District Superintendents, dates and times were set for each region. The Rev. Donna Pewo would present the available programs from the conference office, while the Rev. Julienne Judd would discuss the upcoming training for Trainers for the Confirmation Class.
The first gathering was held at the SW Region Ministry Center on March 18, 2024. There was no set agenda other than to share our purpose as the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference. Attendees spoke from their hearts, with the main topic revolving around the lack of communication from the conference office to the local churches, particularly concerning churches currently without an appointed pastor. It was a fruitful session of sharing and learning about our identity as the Oklahoma Indian Missionary
Conference.
The Rev. Donna Pewo, Director of Connectional Ministry at OIMC, presented the available programs such as Safe Sanctuary, the Native American Children’s Fund, and work teams. She also inquired if any churches were interested in hosting a work team to conduct VBS. The Rev. Julienne Judd discussed the Confirmation Class training, with a date, place, and time set for the region to gather.
On April 13th, the SE Region met at the SE Region Ministry Center, continuing the positive trend of open discussion and sharing. Similar topics were revisited, including communication issues and the various ministries being undertaken by churches. The Mini Strategic Plan was discussed, emphasizing the importance of celebrating the accomplishments of churches during the first six months of the year, which will be observed during the Annual Conference session.
The Northern District’s NE Region is scheduled to gather on May 15th at the NE Region Ministry Center at 6:00 pm, and the Central Region will meet on May 23rd at Mary Lee Clark at 6:00 pm.
My guiding principle has always been that “we are all in this together.” Hearing directly from the people in our regions truly made my day. We are blessed with our OIMC, and it is our duty to fulfill our purpose of reaching our Native Brothers and Sisters with the good news of Jesus Christ, thereby transforming the world through the United Methodist witness.
