Following our coverage (July 23 WN) of the racial healing weekend in Pasadena, we have received comments about our failure to include Native Americans in our discussions. One person commented: "I read with some gratification the article in the WN about racial healing. With our years of belief that white Americans are Israel, the chosen people of God, this kind of reconciliation is needed.
"I would like to point out something, however, that always seems to be missed. In lists of minorities targeted for bigotry, I seldom see Native Americans listed, and this was true of the racial healing conference."
We assure all members that we had no intentions of being exclusive. We fully recognize and apologize for the negative, mean-spirited comments that have been made about Native Americans. To justify such comments on the basis of the Bible, and to represent such behavior as being in concert with the will of God, is reprehensible.
On the other hand, we hope that everyone will recognize the difficulty of being all-inclusive when certain subjects are addressed. We are preparing an article about the reconciliation we all have because of the cross, specifically highlighting Native Americans.
We are planning to publish an interview with Tom Claus, president of CHIEF, Inc., in Phoenix, Arizona.
Tom is a Native American pastor to Native American pastors. He believes that the best way to reach Native Americans with the gospel is through the tribal leadership. Tom is therefore reaching out to tribal leaders with the good news that God is reconciling us all to himself, because of the atoning work of Jesus Christ.
Tom is becoming known because of his work with Promise Keepers. At the Promise Keepers Clergy Conference in Atlanta in February, more than 90 Native American tribes were represented.
We are planning to publish this interview, by Joel Rissinger, pastor of our congregations in Hartford and New Haven, Connecticut next spring or summer.
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