Father, it’s time. Display the bright splendor of your Son. So the Son in turn may show your bright splendor. You put him in charge of everything human so he might give real and eternal life to all in his charge. And this is the real and eternal life: that they know you, the one and only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent. John 17: 1-3 The Message
Greetings!
The Vision
It has been said, “Native Americans are not unreached people groups; they are mis-reached people.” After 500 years it is estimated that only 2-5% of Indigenous people profess to be believers.
It is Mission to North America’s commitment to build meaningful and strong relationships with our Native American and First Nation brothers and sisters. We are looking to plant churches in urban, reservation and rural centers that have strong Native populations. We advocate for a call to reconciliation and common story identity among our churches and presbyteries that lead us to a fresh, deeper love and respect for our “First Neighbors.”
Historically, our government and its representatives have consistently broken treaties and trust with Indigenous Nations of this land. Many atrocities and injustices have been endured, often committed in the name of “Christianity.” Why should they now consider the “religion” of these that have not kept their word? Walls of anger, hurt, and mistrust must be broken down and replaced with trust and acceptance to make way for reconciliation and the message of hope. This takes time; this takes humility. We must be willing to listen and listen more and to learn—something we failed to do in the past. It is a two-way street for we need them speaking into our lives.
We are asking God to reshape our thinking…
We pray that churches and men and women in our churches will share this vision and begin to seek relationships with Native American/First Nations people and communities across this continent….even if only one person at a time.
We encourage you to: PRAY!
There is no way this can be overemphasized.
Pray…
- for the Nations. Pray for specific Tribes or Bands or communities.
- for the PCA—to pursue the vision of reconciliation.
- that God will raise up indigenous pastors/leaders and churches.
- that God will call out men and women to bring this vision to life.
- that the King and His Kingdom will come to all Nations.
- how God will use you and your gifts in this outreach.
We encourage you to: Give
You can make a tax-deductible contribution to this ministry online. You can also mail contributions, made payable to Mission to North America, to:
Mission to North America
PO Box 890233
Charlotte NC 28289-0233
Designate: Native American/First Nations Ministries
For additional information, contact Jeb Bland
Cell: 610-823-4308
Email: jebland@pcanet.org
Jeb Bland
Native American/First Nations Ministries Coordinator