Navajo Nation formally establishes missionary diocese following endorsement by the Executive Council on their constitutional charter
The Episcopal Church Establishes the Missionary Diocese of Navajoland
The Episcopal Church has taken a significant step in recognising the autonomy of Navajo Nation communities, as it has established the Missionary Diocese of Navajoland. This new diocese, which was previously an area mission created in 1977, now includes parts of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico.
The journey towards becoming a missionary diocese began at least in 2022, when the General Convention sought to empower Navajo Episcopalians to plan for the future of the mission. The 80th General Convention passed a resolution, entrusting Navajoland to establish its own rules and procedures for a process of discernment for the calling of a bishop.
In January 2024, a special convocation in Navajoland voted in favour of the request for missionary diocese status. This was followed by the 81st General Convention, where bishops and deputies authorised the missionary diocese when they gathered in June 2024. The final step in this process was the vote of the Executive Council, the church's governing body between triennial meetings of General Convention, which accepted the missionary diocese's new constitution in its June 24 session, with a round of applause.
The preamble of the new constitution incorporates Navajoland's mission statement into a document that respects Navajo culture and spiritual practices. One of the constitution's articles says that the diocese will strive to adhere in its communications and decision-making to "the historic and sacred traditions of the Navajo people as well as the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church."
Navajo Episcopalians have been working towards sustainability and dreaming of someday calling their own bishop. With the establishment of the Missionary Diocese of Navajoland, they are now preparing to do just that. A search committee has been appointed to begin the process of calling the missionary diocese's first bishop.
The 2025-27 churchwide budget plan includes a three-year block grant of nearly $1.5 million to support Navajoland's congregations and ministries. Additionally, an additional $800,000 was budgeted over three years for the office and staff of the bishop appointed by the House of Bishops to serve Navajoland.
Navajo clergy and elders joined the Executive Council meeting via Zoom to share their gratitude for the establishment of the new missionary diocese. The elevation of Navajoland from an Episcopal mission formalises a reality already felt for years in Navajo Nation communities. This new chapter marks a significant step forward in the journey of Navajo Episcopalians, as they continue to build and strengthen their faith within their own cultural and spiritual context.
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