Committee On Native American Ministries (CONAM)
Chair: Raggatha Calentine
Our Mission:
The mission of the Peninsula Delaware Committee on Native American Ministries is to serve God, the Creator, while being a resource, advocate and educational body for Native American Ministries within the Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Currently, one of its primary roles is to continue to engage the Annual Conference with the Conference's ongoing commitment to the 2016 Act of Repentance. Likewise, the work of the Committee frequently is directed to supporting local Tribal activities, needs and opportunities to bear witness to the love, mercy and justice of Jesus Christ. Additionally, it manages and decides on distributions from the NAMS Special Offering money received within the Pen-Del Annual Conference.
The committee is composed of both UMC members and community members who are Native American or have a commitment to supporting local, national and international Indigenous and Tribal events, concerns and legislative advocacy. SIGNIFICANTLY, the Chairperson of the committee is required by the original Pen-Del CoNAM charter to be a Native American person actively involved with a local Tribal community. This requirement was established to maintain the integrity of the ministry given that the Pen-Del Annual Conference has within its bounds, two active and organized Tribal entities. This means that Chairpersons are not bound by term limits sometimes required for other committee positions.
When We Meet:
CoNAM meets monthly on the second Tuesday of each month, alternating one month in person at Grace UMC in Georgetown, DE 10am-12pm and the next month virtually via Zoom at 7pm. In this way, we continue the value of meeting in person with accommodating folks who may have daytime work commitments or are unable to travel to Georgetown.
Commitment and expectation from members:
Members participate actively in the educational and advocacy efforts by faithfully attending meetings, serving on task teams, helping to coordinate events and nurturing relationships with each other, their congregations, local Tribal communities and the wider UMC related Native American Ministries (Northeastern Jurisdictional Native American Ministries Committee and the Native American International Caucus of the UMC). Officers are elected within the committee and serve as they are able.
Quick Links:
Peace Tree Ceremony story by Rev. Vicki Gordy-Stith
Peace Tree Ceremony, Nanticoke member Bonnie Hall Responds
From the Boarding Schools to the Border
Native women make history in US House of Representatives
Albuquerque recognizes tribal sovereignty