I was there at the PAOC General Conference in Ottawa (2012) when General Superintendent David Wells said:

We, as the leadership of The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC), have a deep desire to be in right relationship with our Aboriginal ministries leadership and Aboriginal community serving the Lord together with mutual love and respect . . . We acknowledge that there have been times when we were insensitive to the pain and suffering of the Aboriginal community. We are sorry and regret this insensitivity. (213)

Wells continued to explicitly apologize and ask forgiveness for a series of issues including discrimination, derogatory words, failure to speak about residential schools, and perhaps most significantly, “For not entrusting with responsibility when appropriate” (213). Indigenous representatives accepted the apology, extended forgiveness, and asked for forgiveness in return. It was a weighty moment in the history of our fellowship.

In The Holy Spirit and the Eagle Feather, Aaron A. M. Ross tells the story that led up to this moment, identifying themes and relational challenges that will clearly continue past that official moment of repentance and reconciliation.

The story of indigenous ministry aligns with the story of broader pentecostalism: entrepreneurial and pragmatism writ large. From the days of John Spillenaar flying his Cessna to indigenous communities in Northern Ontario and Quebec to the institutionalization of the Northland Mission, Canadian Pentecostals had a “ready, shoot, aim” approach to indigenous ministry.

The most tragic element of my fellowship’s indigenous ministry is the dissonance between policy and action. Our stated goal was to empower indigenous ministers to lead indigenous ministry. This did not happen. Ross documents the structural barriers that ensured indigenous leaders would not meet the criteria for senior leadership positions. Lack of reflexivity resulted in the perpetuation of a colonial mindset, undermining the freedom of the Spirit to raise up leaders of every nation.

Ross’s work is meticulously researched and documented. He drew on archival material, conference proceedings, and personal interviews to ensure a faithful picture. Like any good historian, Ross neither glamorizes nor demonizes the people and situations that led us to Ottawa in 2012 and beyond. The Holy Spirit and the Eagle Feather is a clear-eyed gift to our fellowship. May we learn from our past.

Ross, Aaron A. M. The Holy Spirit and the Eagle Feather: The Struggle for Indigenous Pentecostalism in Canada. McGill-Queen’s UP, 2023.