The Southeastern Jurisdictional Agency on Native American Ministries (SEJANAM) was created by Native Americans and established by the 1984 Jurisdictional Conference to help create: Awareness and Dialogue, New Congregations and Ministries, Leadership Enlistment and Training, Inter-Tribal Witness/Sharing, Cross Cultural Witness/Sharing, and Sensitivity to Inclusiveness. SEJANAM serves the fifteen annual conferences of the SEJ, twenty-three Native American churches, three ministries of the SEJ, and seeks to serve approximately 210,000 Native Americans of the nine southeastern states of the SEJ.
Mission Statement
National Native American Team Travels the Gulf Region
Bolivia Mission Project (Click here for article)
A Bolivia Work-Team Experience (summer)
Governors Commission on Community Service (click here)
NC Commission of Indian Affairs (click here)
Triangle Native American Society (click here)
National Congress of American Indians (click here)
Native American Clergy and Laity Retreat
Native American Clergy and Laity Retreat Gathered at SEJ
Jacobs leads retreat |
Lake Junaluska, N.C.: SEJANAM, the Southeastern Jurisdictional Agency for Native American Ministries held its annual Ministers and Laity Retreat February 7-9 at Lake Junaluska.
The gathering brought pastors and laypersons together from six of the nine states in the Southeastern Jurisdiction.The final part of a four part series, this year’s retreat entitled “Walking in the Spirit of the Creator” set the tone for study, worship, and reflection for ministers, lay persons and youth throughout the Native American churches and ministries comprising the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church.
Workshops focused on opportunities for church spiritual growth, healing and leadership development.
“Excitement was in the air about this year’s retreat and training,” Rev. Myles Pierson, President of SEJANAM said. “We were ecstatic with the amount of representation from six of the nine states. I believe bringing this number together reflects the vital need for this event.” Pierson also said that this is a special time of educational and vocational training, spiritual strengthening and renewal for our Native clergy and laity that they otherwise would not receive.
Leo Jacobs, Florida Annual Conference, was a first time attendant. He was excited about the event.
“The speakers were great and very inspirational. This event is a wonderful opportunity to learn, share and talk about issues that face Indian Methodists and churches. The event was truly inspirational and I can’t wait to get back and share this experience with our CONAM members!” he said.
SEJANAM Executive Director Darlene Jacobs said she hopes all who attended the event will be implement the knowledge gained and experiences afforded by the retreat and apply it in our church planning for the present and the future.
SEJANAM is the advocate for 23 Native American congregations and three other ministries in the Southeast Jurisdiction. For more information, contact Darlene Jacobs, Executive Director, at 828-454-6697.
‘Prayer’ highlights Native American Ministers’ and Laity Retreat at Lake Junaluska
LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. – Meeting under the theme “A World in Need of Prayer!” clergy, laity, and youth all gathered to join SEJANAM for its 9
th Annual Ministers’ and Laity Retreat February 18-20. Opening the event off was retired Bishop William Morris with the Tennessee Conference who gave a powerful teaching from Luke 11 on “What is Prayer?” Bishop Morris holds a Doctor of Ministry from Vanderbilt University and was awarded Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degrees from Colleges and Universities across the Southeast Jurisdiction.
“The Native American Ministers’ and Laity Retreat provides a unique opportunity and environment for education and guidance on deepening one’s understanding of what is the purpose of prayer. The event offered participants tools to heighten awareness and understand the impact and belief in the power of prayer from a holistic perspective, and ways to better embrace and strengthen one’s prayer life,” said Darlene Jacobs, Director of SEJANAM>
Leading a seven session series on ‘Prayer’ was Dr. J. Gordon Henry of J. Gordon Henry Ministries. He captivated the audience with wonderful, powerful, and great scriptures, teachings and stories on the intricacies of prayer, noting that there were over 650 recorded prayers in the Bible. The majority of these teachings came from Isaiah, Psalms, Matthew, John, Mark, Luke and Hebrews. He encouraged all the participants to make an effort to really assess their own prayer life and “establish a time to meet the Lord early every morning, consistently!”
Bishop Richard Looney, Episcopal Director Emeritus for the Foundation for Evangelism and Pastor of Telford UMC gave a very moving and vivid teaching on Psalm 40. “Isn’t it wonderful that the Creator of the Universe, the creator of you and me, leans toward us because what I say is important to Him? He pulls us out of a pit and sets our feet upon a rock!” Bishop Looney concludes by saying that “He evens puts a new song in our heart. How incredible is that!”
Former SEJANAM Director, Rev. Ken Locklear taught on the five elements of Prayer, with a focus on Jabez’s Prayer. “People sometimes don’t know the history of Jabez’s Prayer which was written in the Old Testament,” stated Rev. Locklear. “We are living under the New Testament and sometimes we don’t know what to pray for, but know God can put it together.”
Other key leadership speakers included lecturer Rev. Dr. Garry Revels, Chaplain for Healthkeeperz, who spoke so compassionately on the varying levels of death and dying
A special track for our youth was designed that focused on spiritual formation and personal exploration. Leading the native youth track was Akwiasdi Revels of the Western North Carolina Conference. She stated that “the SEJANAM Ministers’ and Laity Retreat changes the lives of Native youth. It gives them opportunities to grow, to learn, and expand their knowledge of a God who loves them unconditionally. It nurtures them to ride the highest wave, stand upon the tallest mountain and to dream without fear! That is what changes lives and the life of the Church.”
The retreat helped people understand how to pray in a manner that will accomplish God’s will and expand the leadership skills and abilities of our women, men and young adults as Christian leaders according to SEJANAM President Rev. Myles Pierson. “This is a wonderful and educational experience for all of us who are called to carry the Gospel. The task for us will be to implement the knowledge gained and experiences afforded by this retreat and apply it in our churches.”
SEJANAM is the advocate for twenty-three Native American congregations and three other ministries in the Southeast Jurisdiction.
For more information about the Native American Ministers’ Retreat, visit www.lakejunaluska.com/native-american-ministers.
How Will your Church Celebrate Native American Ministries Sunday?
“And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” Acts 2:2-4 NRSV
The people spoke in many tongues but with a common word, to celebrate the grace of God, the Creator. Representing many tribes and nations, they praised the Creator’s holy name for gifts of healing and life, for the joy of doing God’s work, and for being a child of God every day and in all places.
Native American Ministries Sunday, one of the six special Sundays of our denomination, was established in 1988 at General Conference to ‘honor those who first called this land home.’ It is a call for concerned persons to become acquainted with their Native American brothers and sisters, to learn some of their history, and to begin to build bridges of understanding between cultures. United Methodist gifts on this church-wide special Sunday are used to::
· Develop and strengthen Native American ministries within the annual conference and expand the number of target cities in the Native American Urban Initiative program of the General Board of Global Ministries, and
· Provide scholarships for Native Americans attending United Methodist schools of theology and seminaries.
Today there are about 20,000 Native Americans who are members of the United Methodist Church. Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference has about 100 churches. Here in the Southeastern Jurisdiction, we have 23 congregations and four ministries, including the Mississippi Choctaw and the Cherokee of North Carolina.
Fifty cents of every dollar you give remains in your conference to support Native American ministries close to home. What a way to express our heartfelt commitment to the Christian faith and make a world of difference!
Be sure to celebrate Native American Ministries Sunday, April 18, or on any Sunday in 2010. Your Conference Office can supply the name of the chair of your Conference CONAM and the SEJANAM office is also an available resource to help in your preparation for Native American Ministries Sunday, 2010. (828.454.6724) djacobs@lakejunaluska.com
Darlene Jacobs, SEJANAM Executive Director