Richard Twiss (Taoyate Obnajin): "He Stands with His People"

Richard Twiss (Taoyate Obnajin): "He Stands with His People"

1954-2013

I had hoped to someday meet Richard in this life but thank God that I will have all eternity to get to know him better.  Richard was a Native American Christian who advocated the idea that indigenous people could follow Christ according to their cultural patterns of worship, dress and the arts.  He also worked to help strengthen the North American indigenous community, both Christian and non-Christian.  All believers, both western and indigenous, would do well to reflect on his writings and words (regardless of whether you agree with every point).  His books include: One Church, Many Tribes: Following Jesus the Way God Made You, Culture, Christ, and Kingdom Study Guide, and Rescuing Theology from the Cowboys: An Emerging Indigenous Expression of the Jesus Way in North America.  

I deeply admired Richard's faith and ministry and truly think that he has been a great and godly example for many who call Jesus savior. I praise our Father in heaven for how He has used this man to advance His kingdom and bring blessing and healing to so many people!

For other (and more eloquent) reflections on the impact Richard had on the lives of others, read here and here.  And be sure to check out his organization's website, Wiconi International.  Below is a video of Richard discussing the need for the American church to embrace their indigenous brothers and sisters as co-equals in Christ.

November is Native American Heritage Month; New Book by Richard Twiss

Native american youth wearing a mixture of contemporary and traditional clothes.
Photo by thaths, 2011.

In case you didn't know, November is Native American Heritage Month:

Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges (ncai.org).

And on that note, it's also great to mention here for those of us interested in Christian missions and indigenous communities, that Richard Twiss of Wiconi International has written a new book titled Rescuing Theology from the Cowboys: An Emerging Indigenous Expression of the Jesus Way in North America.  Twiss, the author of One Church, Many Tribes: Following Jesus the Way God Made You, says that the new book was the basis for his Doctor of Missiology Degree dissertation for Asbury Theological Seminary.  He is self-publishing it (for now at least) and making it available online for $20.

I haven't read it yet, so if any of you read it before I get a chance, please let me know what you think.  I'm sure it will be an eye-opening and heart-searching book.  Here is Twiss' description:

My new book, Rescuing Theology from the Cowboys, is based on my reflections, research and experiences over the past 24 years as a Lakota learning to walk on the Good Red Road as a follower of Jesus. It is also the story of many of us Native leaders who have been walking this Jesus Road together in community since the late 1980s.  

It is a close examination of the inter-connectedness between European colonialism and Christian missions among the tribal nations in North America. It is a redemptive look toward a preferred future, informed and inspired by the good, bad and ugly of the past... 

I believe you will find it educational, helpful, challenging and hopefully inspiring. I truly hope it empowers you to discover what it means to be more fully human as a lover of our Creator, our relatives in Creation, yourself and your neighbors in the spirit of Jesus as we all work and live for the well-being of Seven Generations!

One reviewer at goodreads.com writes that the book "is an excellent codification of important movements of the Holy Spirit both in the Americas and globally over the past 20yrs."