The Holy Spirit is Alive and Well in Native American Reservations

Jesus reduced all Ten Commandments down to two tenets of true Christianity: to love God above all others and to love one another. Pretty simple, right? Theory and practice are too often mutually exclusive in Christianity today, but they should be one and the same.

On Saturday, March 13th, Pastors Lori and Gary McAfee from Wings As Eagles Ministries spoke about their ministry to the Native American Tribes of South Dakota at our 7:00PM Saturday evening service at the Sheraton Hotel in Hauppauge. These two dedicated Christians told us of how they put themselves where their hearts lie. That is, in the thick of South Dakota, where they strive daily to bring true Christianity to the people of several Native American tribes. Amid squalor, poverty, the cultural inroads of witchcraft, drug abuse, alcoholism, despair and spiritual death, stand God’s people, Lori and Gary. As beacons to those adrift, they shine the light of Jesus Christ.

Theirs is a ministry that meets and defeats all manner of ungodliness. For several years, Lori would depart every weekend from her Monday-to-Friday travel agency business to travel three hundred miles to minister to the seriously needful indigenous people of the South Dakota Badlands. Eventually, economics and the Lord put it on her heart to serve them full-time.

Lori and Gary have been chased out of services, threatened, ridiculed and spat upon in their quest to bring real life to a dying people caught between the old and new worlds. That the McAfee’s have borne the brunt of such anger is a testament to their Christian walk. Their vision for the future for these people is what sustains them in the disorder and disappointment of everyday life on the reservations.

They see the big picture as Paul the apostle saw it. They offer themselves as living sacrifices to better the lives of others. Just as Paul, the Apostles and all the true Christians in history have done and continue to do, the McAfees know the Truth of not just agreeing with Jesus, but actually living the lives that Jesus commanded. Their truth is in their living. It is their lifestyles that have set them free to disciple others for Christ. In all they spoke of, the Pastors fully acknowledged the hand of God in their lives and in those they touch.

The thrust of Pastor Lori’s talk centered on the effort to “seed” the people, not just on reservations but everywhere, with the hope of Jesus Christ. She feels that the Church must change. “What are you doing for Jesus?” The question comes as a wake-up call and not an indictment. Contending that instead of seeking to convert multitudes, we should be discipling them for Jesus. “We are to teach others to be like Jesus,” she says resolutely. There is just “too much commercialization of Christianity.” Pastor Lori criticizes the televangelists who insist that so many hundreds of people became saved at this or that event. But out of these “multitudes”, how many become disciples as Jesus required? Except for a few, most go back to their old worldly ways. The implication is that if we, declared Christians, take up our crosses and endure to bring others to Christ, our outlook would not be as bleak. May we take heed and act on our sister’s loving advice.

The ultimate goals of the McAfee’s are to build churches for worship and to improve the living conditions and hope of our fellow citizens of South Dakota through faith in our Savior.

Together with Pastors Lori and Gary were a married Native American couple, Darryl and Sonia, whom the pastors have discipled to do the Lord’s work. Hearing their testimonies of conversion to Christianity was stirring and made all in attendance realize the abundance God has poured out on the rest of our nation.

Nearly two thousand dollars were raised to further the McAfee’s worthy ministry that night, as it was decided to give all our tithes to Wings As Eagles. As Pastor Lori said, “Let us be one as Jesus and the Father are one.” Then, like Pastors Lori and Gary, we will know what it is to die to ourselves and to live to our Savior.

If you would like to join us in donating to Wings As Eagles, please contact us at 631-664-1822 or email us at David@TheArkNY.org for information.

Send mail to david@TheArkNY.org with questions about the church or comments about this site.
Last modified: 03/20/04