Navajoland Area Mission facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Navajoland Area Mission |
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|---|---|
| Location | |
| Ecclesiastical province | Province VIII |
| Statistics | |
| Congregations | 10 (2021) |
| Members | 757 (2021) |
| Information | |
| Cathedral | None |
| Current leadership | |
| Bishop | David Bailey |
| Map | |
 Location of the Navajoland Area Mission |
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| Website | |
| ecofnavajoland.org | |
The Navajoland Area Mission is a special part of the Episcopal Church in the United States. It's also called the Episcopal Church in Navajoland. This mission helps serve people in the Navajo Nation. It is part of Province 8 of the church. The main offices for the mission are in Farmington, New Mexico.
The Navajoland Area Mission was created in 1978. This happened at a big meeting called the General Convention. The mission covers parts of the Navajo Reservation. It also includes areas in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.
Even though it's called an "Area Mission," it works a lot like a diocese. A diocese is a church district led by a bishop. The Navajoland Mission gets a bit more guidance from the church's main leaders. Before 1978, the church's work with the Navajo people was managed by three other church districts. These were the districts of Rio Grande, Arizona, and Utah.
Leaders of the Mission
The first full-time leader for Navajoland was Bishop Frederick W. "Fred" Putnam. He started in January 1979 and served until January 1983. He was 61 when he began. Bishop Putnam really wanted to help local Navajo leaders grow within the church.
After Bishop Putnam, Wesley Frensdorff became an Assisting Bishop. He also served as Bishop of Nevada at the same time. Bishop Frensdorff sadly died in a plane accident in May 1988. Then, William "Dub" Wolfrum became the interim bishop until March 1990.
Steven Plummer was chosen as the next bishop in March 1990. He was the first bishop to be elected by the mission itself. He was also the first Navajo person to hold this important position. Bishop Plummer helped bring stability to the mission. He also helped it become more self-reliant. He passed away in April 2005 after a long illness. Rustin Kimsey then served as an Assisting Bishop from June 2005 to July 2006.
Mark MacDonald was appointed Assisting Bishop in July 2006. He also became the National Indigenous Bishop for the Anglican Church of Canada. He worked in both roles until September 2009. He then left Navajoland to focus on his work in Canada.
On October 17, 2009, the Navajoland mission held a special meeting. They elected Canon David Bailey as an interim leader. He was later elected as the next Bishop of Navajoland on March 24, 2010. He officially became a bishop on August 7, 2010.
List of Bishops
- The Right Rev. Frederick Warren Putnam (1979–1982)
- The Right Rev. Wesley Frensdorff (Assisting Bishop, 1983–1988)
- The Right Rev. William H. Wolfrum (Interim Bishop, 1988–1990)
- The Right Rev. Steven Tsosie Plummer (1990–2005)
- The Right Rev. William C. Wantland (Interim Bishop, 1993–1994)
- The Right Rev. Rustin Ray Kimsey (Assisting Bishop, 2005–2007)
- The Right Rev. Mark Lawrence MacDonald (Assisting Bishop, 2007–2009)
- The Right Rev. David Earle Bailey (2010–present)
