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UNY represented at NAMC Annual Meeting

November 8, 2016 / By UNY Communications

Wheeling, West Virginia, hosted the Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Jurisdictional Native American Ministries Committee (NAMC) on Oct. 6 – 8. Upper New York was proudly represented by Kae Wilbert, chair of the Upper New York Committee on Native American Ministries (CONAM), and Sharon Schmit, member of CONAM and newly elected treasurer of the NEJ NAMC.

CONAMs throughout the Jurisdiction gathered to connect with resource representatives who work in Native Ministries, receive updates on native issues, review the past year, plan for the new quadrennium, and share fellowship with one another.

Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball of West Virginia welcomed the group as it gathered.  Bishop Peggy Johnson (Philadelphia Episcopal Area and Council on Bishops representative to NEJ NAMC) assisted in worship each day. An all-women drumming group, Mother Earth Beat, joined the group on Thursday night when new officers were installed. 

Friday, the group traveled to the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville, West Virginia. In addition to committee business, two plenaries were held. The first was titled Building Relationships and Advocacy through Social Justice and Native American Ministries. The second was titled Increasing Participation of Youth and Young Adults.

Sharon Schmit shared, “This is a vital gathering to not only share our work and set new goals, but to also be revitalized as we worship and fellowship through our love of Native ministries.”