Fast Facts
Monte Church travels more than 120,000 miles every year to visit far-flung Native groups throughout the NPUC.
There are 17 Native churches and companies in the NPUC, with nearly 2,400 members.
Three new Native church buildings have been built since last constituency session.
Mission
To become a partner with Northwest Native groups in seeking to better their lives physically, mentally and spiritually by grooming and mentoring leadership for them.
To promote Native American evangelistic outreach via Bible workers, evangelistic meetings and revivals and to provide tools for outreach slanted toward Native culture for workers and members.
Summary
The NPUC has a unique approach to Native ministry. The challenges of reaching Native groups in the vast reaches of the Northwest are enormous. Isolation can create difficulties for maintaining active church groups and Native workers. Yet, Native members make up some of the staunchest parts of the Northwest Adventist mission.
What’s Been Accomplished
LEADERSHIP TRAINING — Encouragement and training of Native workers in fulfilling their mission to Native populations on a one-on-one basis and arranging for them continued education training.
NATIVE NEW DAY VIDEOS — Finished 26 video evangelistic outreach videos, which are being used across the nation as well as in foreign countries. It is likely every Native person baptized in the last four years has been touched in some way by these videos. Interestingly they are used in many locations by other denominations as a primary outreach tool. Three of these pastors as well as their members have now become Sabbath-keepers.
BIBLE WORKERS — Our department has helped to provide Bible workers specifically for the Native populations within our local conferences.
CAMP MEETINGS — Our department has continued to provide additional coordination and programming for conducting seven annual Native camp meetings. These are a tremendous boost in outreach to Native people in remote areas.
The Challenges Ahead
NEW VIDEO TOPICS — We are in the process of raising funds to produce another 13 Native New Day videos on topics related to Native lifestyle issues. Five episodes of this new series have already been financed and produced.
COORDINATION WITH NAD — We will continue to increase coordination of the Native work across the country in cooperation with the North American Division leadership.
MENTORING NEW LEADERSHIP — A new ministry assistant, Steve Huey, has come aboard the NPUC Native ministries office this year to be mentored for future leadership.
Monte Church, director
Steve Huey, ministry assistant (part time)
Marella Rudebaugh, administrative assistant
