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IMCO Beginnings by Bill Lottis
Was it possible to think that the job we had started—of reaching Native peoples for Jesus Christ—could ever be completed? What would it take to finish the job? This is what I was asking myself. The conclusion I reached was—first of all—it would never be done by our little mission. Our mission was just one of several. I thought to myself, I wonder if it would be possible for us to collectively put our efforts to this task, so we could pray together, plan together, train together, and coordinate our efforts so that we could maximize the total skills, talent and capabilities of all of the ministries that I knew of that were working among Native peoples? Upon arriving at home I got on the telephone and I began phoning the directors of a number of the missions that now make up IMCO. One of the exciting things about a vision is that it goes no where until people agree with it and start to make it happen. Each of the men I called representing the various mission agencies working among Native peoples responded positively and with excitement about the idea. The response was, “Let’s do something together—let’s see if we can band ourselves and start working shoulder to shoulder, arm in arm, instead of at a distance, a little fearful. Am I stepping on his toes? Will he step on my toes? . . . a bit of suspicion and unease.” We started meeting together and we chose the name, Inter-Mission Cooperative
Outreach, to represent the idea that, maybe, if we can cooperatively and
strategically partner in Native ministry, perhaps it will facilitate our actual
completing the job, to finish the task that God had given us to do among Native
peoples. This vision has grown little by little through meetings and gatherings. Each of the directors became a part of this vision and owned it as much or more than even I did. The directors have changed over the years, but today’s directors carry forward the same vision of strategically working together so that someday we’ll be able to say, “We’ve completed the task! Where will we go next?” May God be glorified for what He’s accomplishing through a group of men who believe that we can be more effective by working together to complete the task! August, 2002 |
Since
its beginnings in the early 1970s the signature activity of IMCO has been its
nearly annual
IMCO
leadership meets each May and November. The IMCO association is currently
undergoing metamorphosis as a result of the maturing of Aboriginal leadership
across North America. This is in keeping with the IMCO agency directors’ desire
for proper composition
of leadership
A
number of years ago I drove all night from Los Angeles to Portland, and I began
to ask myself questions.
just
as hard as you’re working, praying just as hard, needs our support and
encouragement, so that we can collectively build momentum towards a completed
task.