Intertribal Life Newspaper -

We at Indian Life Ministries partner with many ministries across North America that, like us, seek to help restore hope, healing, and honor among Indigenous people in North America. One of these ministries we partner with is NEFC.

Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (NEFC) is an independent, Indigenous Native church society that was officially established in 1971. Now, 52 years later, the original founders of NEFC have passed the baton of ministry onto the second- and third-generation leadership. The executive director, Kene Jackson, is the son of one of the original founders of NEFC.

Throughout changes in leadership or other ministry changes during those decades, many things remain the same. First and foremost, NEFC is committed to staying true to the truth of God's Word. According to NEFC's Executive Director, Kene Jackson, "This is one of the non-negotiables at NEFC!"

The commitment to staying true to God's calling has also remained the same in the ever-changing landscape of today's social dynamics.

NEFC has a two-fold function. First, they function as a fellowship of local, evangelical, Native churches that seek to encourage and support one another. NEFC is a fellowship of evangelical Native churches that want to fulfill the Great Commission among Canadian Indigenous people through evangelism, discipleship, equipping and teaching the Word of God.

Currently, the 18 churches with NEFC are located from British Columbia to Quebec. NEFC challenges their churches to reach out to the people within their communities and beyond.

NEFC also functions as a ministry worker-sending agency. NEFC's goal is to see strong, healthy, Indigenous churches led by Indigenous pastors and elders within Indigenous communities throughout Canada. NEFC recognizes the uniqueness of the various First Nation, Inuit and Métis cultures, customs, languages and lifestyles. And the organization's heritage as Native people provides special inroads to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Indigenous communities. They desire to send more ministry workers to other First Nations, Metis Settlements, and into urban areas where there is very little, if any, witness for Christ.

However, the organization does not practice ethnic exclusivity. NEFC welcomes up to 25 percent non-Native workers, and they welcome people from all ethnic groups into the individual church fellowships.

While NEFC is called to focus on Native ministry, the organization's leaders have always recognized that God never intended for His people to isolate themselves; therefore, they have sought to work alongside various ministry organizations and individuals that share their desire to reach First Nations for Christ. That ministry has also broadened to reach Native Americans in the United States.

Today, NEFC hosts at least four annual conferences each year: The B.C. Native Christian Conference in Kamloops, B.C., is held in April. In July, their general conference is held in The Pas, M.B .; a Gospel Jamboree is held in Thunder Bay, Ont., in early fall; The Reaffirming Truth Conference is held each fall in the Edmonton, Alb., area. These conferences are places where Indigenous leaders can fellowship, seek the Lord, and learn.

In 2001, noting that Native communities were in desperate need of hope and healing from a biblical perspective, Freedom River Counselling Group (FRCG) began under NEFC's oversight to address the temporal and eternal well-being of those in First Nations communities. This outreach includes two- to four-day seminars, which include individual counseling sessions. (https://nefc.ca/freedom-river/)

NEFC

Leaders of NEFC are committed to partnering with churches and others to reach First Nations and Native American people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

NEFC also reaches the Indigenous population of Canada through the airwaves. In 2008, CJTL-FM radio ("Christ Jesus The Lord") launched in Pickle Lake, Ont. The organization now supports 26 radio stations across Canada (learn more at http://www.cjtlradio.com).

In 2017, NEFC entered partnership with Indian Life Ministries. ILM continues to produce Christian media to bring hope, healing and honor to the Indigenous people of North America. You can learn more about Indian Life Ministries at http://www.indianlife.org.

NEFC continues to make Jesus known to the Native peoples in North America. You can stay connected with NEFC as a prayer partner-contact them and ask to be put on the NEFC mailing or e-mail list. You can also partner with them financially (https://nefc.ca/partner-with-us/). And you can learn more about the various aspects of this ministry at https://www.nefc.ca.

We at Indian Life Ministries thank God for NEFC. We couldn't do what we do as effectively without them. Please join us in praying for NEFC!