#001 GS2010: The Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples Report
Download report #001 GS2010
Download Appendix A
The General Synod in 2001 agreed to commit itself to walking in partnership with Indigenous Anglicans in Canada and commended the Working document — Plan of Anglican Work in support of a New Partnership Between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Anglicans — A New Agape to dioceses for their study, reflection and action. See attached document of A New Agape.
ACIP with the assistance of the Indigenous Covenant Implementation Commission (2004–2005) prepared a discussion document for The Anglican Indigenous Sacred Circle in 2005 and ACIP has been working toward the following goal:
A New Agape’s Goal One: Self-determination:
Strategies 1. A self-determining Indigenous Anglican Community
- Move forward with consultations and discussions/ workshops and resources to implement the Covenant and establish a self-determining Anglican Indigenous Community.
- Move forward with consultations, discussions and resources the Act of General Synod 1995 as stated, “support and encourage the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples as it works at redefining the role of Indigenous Anglicans in the Church, and specifically encourages the exploration of: a) the establishment of the office of a national Indigenous Bishop who will work in partnership with the national church and dioceses; b) the development of Indigenous forms of church government and decision making; c) ways for the Indigenous congregations to move toward self-sufficiency.”
- Work to change Anglican canons and constitution, as appropriate.
When the Anglican Indigenous Sacred Circle met in August 2005, in Pinawa, Manitoba the gathering unanimously accepted the Elders’ request for a National Indigenous Bishop within one year, and asked that ACIP work on this with the Primate. ACIP developed the job description, the vision, and carried out the selection process then provided their recommendation to the Primate in 2006.
In January 2007, Archbishop Andrew Hutchison, Primate, with the Co-Chairs, Sidney Black and Gloria Moses, made the announcement that The Rt. Rev. Mark L. MacDonald is the National Indigenous Anglican Bishop. We welcomed him and his family during the 2007 General Synod in Winnipeg where he was installed as the NIAB. Friends from our Ecumenical Indigenous Ministries Network in Canada, and the Anglican Indigenous Network (international) gathered to celebrate this installation.
Since last General Synod, and the Sacred Circle in 2009 much of ACIPs attention has been on the discussions and development of the Structure for the National Indigenous Ministry being presented to this General Synod by the Governance Working Group. ACIP supports this resolution to enact Canon XXII.
Another priority has been our support for the regional consultations for Indigenous Ministries that have taken place in Northern Manitoba – Brandon and Keewatin Area Mission; Northern Ontario Region Ministry in Keewatin who have elected Lydia Mamakwa in March to be their Bishop; Saskatchewan Native Area Mission/Ministry; and the Anglican First Nations of Caledonia Diocese. You will be hearing more about these initiatives during this General Synod.
In March 2010 we convened a consultation on the Non-Stipendiary Indigenous Ministry with national leaders in our Canadian Church. This issue was first raised at the 1988 National Native Ministry Convocation, then to the 1989 National Executive Council who referred it to the national House of Bishops, and same referrals again in 2001/2002. We agreed that this issue will come before the national House of Bishops once again; explore the financial implications i.e. compensation, training, travel; collate data collected by the Council of the North and from other dioceses who have Indigenous Ministry; provide Philanthropy with proposals on initiatives and priorities.
The Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples is a 20 member Council who reports to the Council of General Synod and to General Synod. We also enjoy our ‘Partner’ relationship with the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska. We were pleased to learn that at the Council of General Synod earlier this year our ‘ACIP partners to CoGS’ will now have vote.
We seek Indigenous participants for standing committees of General Synod and its Ecumenical work such as the:
Non-Stipendiary Indigenous Ministry Working Group,
Indigenous Justice Working Group with EcoJustice,
Healing Response Committee,
Faith Worship Ministry,
BC and Yukon Provincial Synod’s Standing Committees,
Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund,
KAIROS-Indigenous Rights Committee,
Anglican & United Church Dialogue,
Governance Working Group,
The Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples has worked within the General Synod’s priorities of the last triennium in strengthening our mission and partnerships outside Canada. We continue to work with:
- The Episcopal Church’s Indigenous/Native American Ministries and participate in the Winter Talk annual training gatherings that have been held in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Alabama. We also attended other events such as the Oklahoma IV Gathering in Sewanee, Tennessee in May to review the past decade on Remembrance, Recognition, and Reconciliation and explored their vision for Indigenous/Native American Ministries.
- the Indigenous Theological Training Institute coordinates several educational events for Laity and Clergy’s continuing education. We have one person serving as a Member on the ITTI Board of Directors, on their Personnel Committee, and Scholarships Committee.
- support and contribution to the ITTI’s publication of the First Peoples Theology Journal and we look forward to Volume 5 in 2010, God is Still Red: A Memorial to Vine Deloria Jr. A special Edition has just been published on Remembrance, Recognition, Reconciliation and Reclamation. Two contributions to this Journal were written by Bishop Mark MacDonald on the Doctrine of Discovery; and by Donna Bomberry on Reclamation.
- the Anglican Indigenous Network whose members are from Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia and Torres Strait Islanders, United States including Hawai’i and Alaska, and Canada. We continue to work on emerging common issues and priorities for Clergy, Women, Youth, Elders and Theological Education. Our six member delegation will be attending the next AIN gathering near Sydney, Australia in May 2011. We are pleased to inform you that the Secretary General for the AIN is Donna Bomberry who will be assuming her position in 2011 in Australia when Malcolm Naea Chun retires.
We dedicate our work in Memorial for our Elder and friend, Gladys Cook, Dakota from Sioux Valley, Manitoba who passed away during this past triennium. We were fortunate to have worked with Gladys for many years on the Anglican Healing Fund and on ACIP.
Submitted by:
The Ven. Sidney Black, Calgary
The Rev. Gloria Moses, Anglican Parishes of Central Interior BC
Co-chairs, Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples
The Rt. Rev. Mark MacDonald, National Indigenous Anglican Bishop