"Methodist BIPOC Experiences in the American West" is the theme when the 10th Historical Convocation met Sept. 10-13, 2024, at Bozeman United Methodist Church in Bozeman, Mont. 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 and History and the Mountain Sky Commission on Archives and History.
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. She is the author of "Black Indians and Freedmen: The African Methodist Episcopal Church and Indigenous Americans, 1816-1916." In 2024, the "Oxford Research Encyclopedia of African History" (Oxford University Press) published her article, “The African Methodist Episcopal Church in Africa.” Dickerson has also had work published in "Ethnohistory and Methodist History." She currently serves on the editorial board for "Methodist History" (Penn State University Press).
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." Though assimilation had a multi-pronged approach, boarding schools emerged as one of the most prominent and popular means of forcing Native communities to assimilate to Anglo-American culture. Smith's book, "Capture These Indians for the Lord: Indians, Methodists and Oklahomans," was the 2015 Saddlebag Selection from the Historical Society of The United Methodist Church.
Dr. Amanda Hendrix-Komoto 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. The presentation also included a discussion on how Japanese Methodists experienced incarceration and the role Japanese American churches had in reforming Japanese communities following World War II.
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. The University of Nebraska Press published her book "Imperial Zions" in 2022. 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. He has worked in HR management for a variety of companies within a variety of industries, including financial services, IT and software services, and manufacturing.
Following a day of lectures, an awards banquet was held. On Sept. 11, 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. Optional activities on Sept. 12 and 13 included excursions to Virginia City and Yellowstone National Park.