BRIDGE BUILDING TASK FORCE

The Bridge Building Task Force was created in 2017 in response to the Northeastern Minnesota Synod Resolution 17.1, our synod’s commitment to partner with our Ojibwe neighbors as we repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery. 

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The Bridge Building Task Force carries out its mission by:

• Leading our Synod to better understand settler colonialism and its continuing impacts on Indigenous Peoples.

• Leading the continuous and ongoing process of repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery.

• Developing resources to increase understanding about the negative impact of the Doctrine of Discovery and its consequences for Indigenous Peoples in Northern Minnesota.

• Encouraging the development of a renewed strategy for ministry and partnership with Indigenous communities.

• Working to ensure commitment to long-term stable funding of Indigenous ministries in the ELCA.

• Working with the Synod leadership to bridge breached trust with Indigenous communities.

• Increasing partnerships with and between congregations to accomplish the tasks listed above.

• Providing learning opportunities for congregational members of all ages as well as the broader community.