The Rev. Rosella Jim

First Time Deputy to the General Convention

November 04, 2008 My first General Convention as a lay deputy was at New Orleans.  I am a Navajo, American Indian and a woman and was representative for the new Navajoland Area Mission at the time.  Our first bishop was Frederick Putnam, retired Suffragan Bishop of Oklahoma and our clergy deputy was Steven Plummer.  Driving down to New Orleans was an adventure and seeing roads lined with green trees and bodies of water was a new sight for me.

The first impression to me was the vast numbers of Episcopalians gathering in one place and worshipping as one.  To walk amongst people early in the morning for their first meetings of the day was amazing to me. I recall seeing people with bags, totes and the ever present white notebooks of General Convention to these small meetings and then to gather for worship and then into the large hall for the House of Deputies and a small hall for the House of Bishops.  I walked into the large hall and saw dioceses names on white poles and many tables and chairs and observed these Episcopalians discuss, question, or vote on issues concerning the larger Church.

My eyes have seen the work of the women and men of the Church now for seven Conventions.  I was in the exhibit hall for one convention and the others was a lay deputy and one as a clergy deputy and also served as chair of Navajoland’s delegation.

In 2006 there were 26 legislative committees and all are important but the Program, Budget and Finance (PB&F) is largest and very busy.  All the legislative committees hold hearings as well as meetings and these are posted on a board outside the House of Deputies’ meeting hall.  I have been in Church Structure, Small Churches, Consecration of Bishops and Dispatch of Business during the Conventions I have attended.  You select the committee you are interested in and you are chosen for one committee per Convention.

I reflect back the past General Conventions and remember the actions of the gatherings on the ongoing life of the larger Church and its concerns.  The spirit does move amongst the gathered and assists us in our drive for change and at times we feel the wind of its movement in our lives. 

I am a Navajo Christian woman and have grown up in the Episcopal Church as they sent missionaries to our people and I was baptized in one of its hospitals.  As a young teenager I committed my life to Christ and was confirmed.  During my years in the Episcopal Church I found challenges in its ministries to my people.  In the Diocese of the Rio Grande my people had to learn that they also were responsible for their spiritual lives in their churches.  We had to participate in the whole life of the diocese and learn to stand and speak.

During my formation I worked with youth, attended Episcopal Youth Events, Episcopal Church Women meetings, United Thank Offering meetings and ECW Triennials.  I worked with Episcopal Relief and Development’s under it’s former name.
I have been to several Province Eight events as these called for representatives and hope in their ministries.  Domestic Missionary Partners, the former Coalition 14 group, taught me finances, how to make a budget, challenge and fight for it.  I have had to learn accounting.

In June 2005 I was ordained a deacon and in December I was ordained a priest.
I am a volunteer priest that is not paid to continue the work amongst my people, the Dine’.  I am working in the New Mexico Region of the Episcopal Church in Navajoland and presently am the only Navajo ordained priest.

During my years of finding out how the Episcopal Church works from my congregation and out through the diocese, I found there were opportunities that I needed to get involved in such as the representation of my “mission” and to make it work amongst my people.  I wanted the Church to be Navajo.  Church polity was a hard challenge and I involved myself in all levels of meetings from diocese to provincial and finally to the General Convention.

The Right Reverend Barbara Harris one said, “There is a new wind blowing.”  I felt that wind and I believe it’s the Holy Spirit moving through me and my Episcopal Church.