The 10th Historical Convocation convened in September at Bozeman UMC in Bozeman, Montana. The theme was "Methodist BIPOC Experiences in the American West."
The event was sponsored by the General Commission on Archives and History (GCAH), the Historical Society of The UMC, the Western Jurisdiction Commission on Archives taand History and the Mountain Sky Commission on Archives and History.
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Lectures from leading historians combined with field trips to area sites comprised the multi-day event.
Dr. Christina Dickerson, assistant professor of history at Quinnipiac University presented on "The African Methodist Episcopal Church in Indian Territory, 1870-1916." The presentation explored the complex history of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, an historically Black denomination, and the Five "Civilized" Tribes of Indian Territory, giving particular attention to Annie Keel, the Black Indigenous woman who initiated contact between the A.M.E. Church and the Freeman communities in Indian Territory.
The Rev. Dr. Chebon Kernell, an ordained Elder in the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference of The UMC and Director of The UMC’s Native American Comprehensive Plan, and Dr. Ashley Boggan, GCAH general secretary, presented on "The United Methodist Church and Indigenous Boarding Schools." Boggan's report, the first of its kind, described Methodist involvement throughout history, with Kernell issuing a call for repentence and next steps. Kernell is member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and is of Muscogee Creek heritage. The full report is available at this link.
Dr. Benjamin L. Hartley, professor of Contextual Education, Mission and Methodist Studies at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, spoke on "Early Methodism on the Columbia River, 1838-1844 and suggestions for further research." Hartley has engaged in research on Native American history and attended tribal events to get better acquainted with the region.
Dr. Tash Smith, Interim Academic Dean at Bethany College and associate professor of History, presented on “19th Century Methodist Indian Missions and the Boarding School Question” In the presentation, Smith traces the expansion of Methodist Indian mission through the 19th century and its increasing connection to a federal policy turning toward assimilation to answer the "indian questions."
Dr. Amanda Hendrix-Komoto is an associate professor at Montana State University, where she researches the intersections of race, sexuality, and religion in the American West, especially in the Mormon tradition. She and her husband, Jordan Komoto, presented on "Remembering Minidoka: Methodism and Japanese American Incarceration." The presentation included a general history of Methodist missionary work, its intersections with American colonialism, and why Japanese Americans were attracted to the church.
Jordan Komoto is the Director of People and Culture for West Paw, a Bozeman-based manufacturer of durable, sustainable pet toys. Originally from Eastern Oregon, he grew up in a Japanese Methodist Church founded in the aftermath of incarceration.
Following a day of lectures, an awards banquet was held. In-person convocation participants traveled to Butte, Mont., to learn about Methodism in the area. The convocation activities ended with closing worship at Bozeman United Methodist Church.
General Commission on Archives and History website
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