4th Annual Conference
Click above for Conference Details and Registration Form
SHELDON WOLFCHILD, MARK CHARLES, ANNAMARIE HILL, JIM BEAR JACOBS, JIN S. KIM
Join us this “Columbus Day” weekend, October 10th and 11th, at Church of All Nations in Columbia Heights, MN for a conference confronting the theological roots of European colonialism, along with its legacy and ongoing effects today.
Description:
Christian faith in America has always been thoroughly colonized. The US was birthed out of colonization of the land and the genocide of its peoples, and it was Christian theology’s “Doctrine of Discovery” that served as its rationale. This doctrine continues to shape America’s national laws and our neo-liberal policies that are destroying local communities and the environment across the globe.
Church of All Nations is hosting a two-day conference to confront the legacy of this ‘gospel’ of conquest. Our questions include: How did a faith with roots in navigating the underside of imperialism become so complicit in the colonization of the globe? How does the church today repudiate this heretical gospel, exorcizing its demons from our common life and witness?
We invite pastors, theologians, seminarians, community activists, congregational leaders and young adults—those indigenous to the land and its subsequent settlers—to join in exploring how the church might take responsibility for our history, and move the church forward. Our aim is to work actively for the decolonization of our own traditions, communities, and the land that we now live on, that we might all find healing and salvation.
Speakers/Leaders
- Sheldon Wolfchild, a member of the Lower Sioux Indian Community, is an actor, filmmaker and producer. He will screen his documentary, “The Doctrine of Discovery,” Friday night, followed by a discussion.
- Mark Charles is a speaker, writer consultant, and founder of 5 Small Loaves from Fort Defiance, Ariz., located on the Navajo reservation.
- Annamarie Hill is an enrolled member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians and serves as Executive Director of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council.
- Jim Bear Jacobs is a member of the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican Nation, serves as parish associate at Church of All Nations, and is convener of “Healing Minnesota Stories.”
- Jin S. Kim is founding pastor of Church of All Nations and most recently founder of Underground Seminary, which focuses on decolonizing Christian leadership.
Schedule
Friday Oct 10
- 12:00 Registration opens
- 1:00 Plenary I: “Sacred Sites Tour” with Jim Bear Jacobs. (See Below)
- 5:30 Dinner
- 7:00 Welcome & introductions by Jin S. Kim.
- 7:30 Plenary II: “The Doctrine of Discovery” viewing, followed by discussion moderated by Jin S. Kim & Jim Bear Jacobs
- 9:00 Fellowship
Saturday Oct 11
- 8:30 Coffee and light breakfast
- 9:00 Workshops I
- Seeking Justice while Standing on Stolen Ground with Marque Jensen
- Repentance, Restitution & a Firm Purpose of Amendment with Father David Smith
- 10:30 Plenary III: The Doctrine of Discovery & the Church with Mark Charles.
- 12:00pm Lunch at CAN
- 2:00 Workshops II
- Decolonizing Our Lives & Christian Communities by Mark Charles
- Doctrine of Discovery & the African American Experience by Ebony Adedayo
- The Old Testament & the Doctrine of Discovery by Edwin Schenk
- 3:30 Plenary IV: Why Treaties Matter & the MN Indian Affairs Council with Annamarie Hill.
- 5:00 Plenary V: Panel discussion with plenary speakers moderated by Jin S. Kim.
- 6:00 Dinner
- 8:00 End of conference
Optional Sacred Sites Tour:
Jim Bear Jacobs will lead a “Sacred Sites Tour” Friday afternoon beginning at 1:00pm, when the group will leave from Church of All Nations. This tour features local American Indian sacred sites from the Dakota perspective. It will cover Pilot Knob Hill, a traditional Dakota burial ground, and Fort Snelling State Park, the site where 1700 Dakota women, children and elders were held in brutal conditions during the winter of 1862-1863, before their deportation. This local history will help frame the rest of our conference conversations.
There is an additional $25 fee for those who plan to go on this tour.
“Disavowing the Doctrine of Discovery”The conference is part of the Saint Paul Interfaith Network (SPIN)/Healing Minnesota Stories fall series titled, “Disavowing the Doctrine of Discovery: Acknowledgement, Dialogue, and Opportunities for Action.”The Goals for the Fall Series are:
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Conference Sponsors
This conference has been made possible by the Vital Worship Grants Program at the Calvin Institute of Christian worship; United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities; and the Kaleo Center.
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Registration:
The fee is sliding scale. This includes dinner Friday night, and lunch and dinner Saturday. Consistent with the theme of this conference, those of Native descent are welcome as honored attendees at no cost. You may pay online, at the door, or mail a check.
