NEJ joins NAIC Call to Prayer & Donations for St John UMC
Historic Native American Church, St. John UMC in Bridgeton NJ, vandalized by apparent hate crime.
St. John United Methodist Church, Bridgton, New Jersey Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape by Raggatha Calentine
We are asking for prayers for the lost souls who feel it is OK to attack our Native American church, which means they have also chosen to attack our people.
We are a people who honor our ancestors. Continue to seek their wisdom even after they have walked from this place to place beyond. Our church celebrates its 180th anniversary in September with this dark shadow cast over us.
Elders are afraid to visit the graves of their loved ones. Neighbors are nervous and have a right to feel frightened. But we will fight back. We will not be made invisible ever again.
Someone desecrated nine graves chose to drive a truck purposely into a specific cemetery area. This person or person has caused thousands of dollars of needed repairs within the cemetery. Another group decided to flatten our Veterans' memorial, which was just dedicated in May 2021, to honor the many Tribal soldiers who have served and fought for their country and had connections to the church. Flagpoles, flags, flowers, monuments, all of it flattened, but not our hearts. Our hearts beat to give us the strength to repair and replace it immediately. If it happens, we will repair and replace it again and again if necessary.
Is this a hate crime? Yes, we know for sure it is because a very vile email appeared coincidentally to the Bishop of our Conference on the day of the destruction of the Veteran's Memorial. A second one went to the Chief via the NJ Commission on Indian Affairs.
We are asking for prayers for the lost souls who feel it is OK to attack our Native American church, which means they have also chosen to attack our people.
We are a people who honor our ancestors. Continue to seek their wisdom even after they have walked from this place to place beyond. Our church celebrates its 180th anniversary in September with this dark shadow cast over us.
Elders are afraid to visit the graves of their loved ones. Neighbors are nervous and have a right to feel frightened. But we will fight back. We will not be made invisible ever again.
Someone desecrated nine graves chose to drive a truck purposely into a specific cemetery area. This person or person has caused thousands of dollars of needed repairs within the cemetery. Another group decided to flatten our Veterans' memorial, which was just dedicated in May 2021, to honor the many Tribal soldiers who have served and fought for their country and had connections to the church. Flagpoles, flags, flowers, monuments, all of it flattened, but not our hearts. Our hearts beat to give us the strength to repair and replace it immediately. If it happens, we will repair and replace it again and again if necessary.
Is this a hate crime? Yes, we know for sure it is because a very vile email appeared coincidentally to the Bishop of our Conference on the day of the destruction of the Veteran's Memorial. A second one went to the Chief via the NJ Commission on Indian Affairs.
| naic_st_john_vandalism.pdf |
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We commit to challenging unjust systems of power and access.
We will work for equal and equitable opportunities in employment and promotion, education and training; in voting, access to public accommodations, and housing; to credit, loans, venture capital, and insurance; to positions of leadership and power in all elements of our life together; and to full participation in the Church and society.
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