June 22, 2010
by Chris Meehan

The sky, which had been dark and ominous only hours before, was filled with sunshine and white clouds as a group of Native Americans crossed a pedestrian bridge over the Grand River and approached leaders of the newly formed World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) who waited at the other end.

Dressed in tribal regalia, including a fur hat, Mike Peters told the ecumenical leaders and George Heartwell, mayor of Grand Rapids: "On behalf of the Three Fires Alliance and Native Americans from the four directions we want to welcome you officially and to celebrate with us in the spirit of unity." Peters is a pastor and member of the Odawa tribe, which is included the Three Fires Alliance.

The officials from the WCRC offered greetings in return and followed Peters in a procession to Ah-Nab-Awen Park on the banks of the Grand River.

In a show of solidarity, the Native Americans escorted the ecumenical leaders back across the bridge to the nearby park to a celebration getting underway to the pounding of a sacred drum. The outdoor event was a featured element of the programme of the Uniting General Council (UGC), a meeting of church representatives from 108 countries in the Midwestern American city of Grand Rapids. 363 delegates have gathered for the founding meeting of the WCRC, formed from the merger of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Reformed Ecumenical Council.

The welcoming ceremony was followed by a Reformed Worship service led by Native Americans and Canadian First Nations peoples from WCRC member churches.

The first world Pow Wow ever held in Grand Rapids followed the worship service. The Grand Entry of dancers in ceremonial regalia to begin the Pow Wow was accompanied by the award-winning drumming group, Chippewa Travellers. The music group from Canada is fresh from winning the Pow Wow Idol competition as best Native drum group in North America.

Hundreds of UGC delegates, many in traditional dress from their home countries, joined Native Americans in a dance that began in the four corners of the park, representing the four directions of the earth.

Earlier in the day at Calvin College where the UGC is meeting, Richard Twiss, a member of the Lakota Sioux tribe, was the keynote speaker.

A tall man with long black hair and dressed in soft leather tribal clothing, Twiss spoke passionately about his love for Jesus Christ and his distrust of the Christian Church that was brought to the United States by northern Europeans. He said that the church joined with the United States government to dominate and to wipe out millions of native peoples after they arrived in North America 400 years ago.

"The direction that the new World Communion of Reformed Churches (of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples) is taking is the direction we need to go," he said. "I'm so grateful we have been given a role in its initial stage ... A lot of hard work, pain, grieving, and compromise is in front of us. But today is a wedding feast. "

Asked later if the event in the downtown park reflected what he was talking about in his keynote address, he said simply, "Absolutely ... We are taking small steps today."

The Uniting General Council 2010 in Grand Rapids, United States (June 18-28) marks the merger of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Reformed Ecumenical Council to form the World Communion of Reformed Churches.

Uniting General Council 2010