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The Need for Native American Discipleship Training |
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HISTORYLess than 2% of American Indians are Christians after 200 years of evangelism. The percentage is even lower in our urban areas. In a recent survey of West Coast cities, it was found that ONLY .2% were attending any church. There are a number of reasons for this: - Indian wars - where even women and children were massacred i.e. Wounded Knee, Sand Creek, resulting in hatred for the White Man.
- Broken treaties, resulting in lack of trust.
- Reservations - the worst land given and corrupt Indian agents resulting in despair, hopelessness and anger.
- Boarding schools for the purpose of taking the "Indian out of the Indian" resulting in broken families and resentment towards the "White Man's religion" - Christianity.
THE RESULTS- High alcoholism rate.
- Highest suicide rate is among reservation youth.
- High drug abuse rate.
- Broken families.
- Missionaries and weekend evangelism teams have had little effect in helping reach the spiritual needs of the Native American.
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