After months of work, the Episcopal Council of Indian Ministries (ECIM) adopted a framework in late October for a new Indigenous Theological Training Institute to provide culturally sensitive leadership training for laity and clergy.

"This institute with its far-reaching modules will be the ark for passage of native peoples into the 21st century," said Bishop Steven Charleston, a Choctaw and trustee of the innovative training model.

ECIM was founded in 1989 to ensure a "comprehensive, coordinated model for Native American ministries," but "the comprehensive training prototype has heretofore eluded us," Bishop Charleston said.

The project got a significant boost when the Anglican Indigenous Network, a coalition of indigenous peoples who are now minorities in their homelands, met in 1995 in Alaska. "It was then that we, more or less, took the bull by the horns," Bishop Charleston said. Further impetus came at Wintertalk in January, 1996, when 50 native persons from 17 United States dioceses and three Canadian dioceses agreed to take bold steps toward shouldering responsibilities for their own vision of ministry.

Four-pronged plan

The four-pronged plan that has emerged over the past year would: 1. bring together institutions and organisations which are presently involved in native theological training and diocesan officers responsible for coordinating native training; 2. determine the suitability of United Theological Seminary in Minnesota as a site, and test new models of training in cooperation with the Minnesota committee on Indian Work program; 3. offer training programs for dioceses; 4. affirm Winter Talk, the annual gathering of Episcopal native ministries leaders, as essential to the new institute.

The emerging Minnesota connection has received enthusiastic endorsement from Minnesota Bishop James Jelinek. "I see myself championing what you are about," Bishop Jelinek said. "I see myself advocating for canonical changes, ways of adapting cannons. I see myself searching for endowments."

The training institution is incorporated in Oklahoma, which has the largest Indian population in the nation.

Article from: ENS - Episcopal News Service