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Some Dioceses have chosen by practice or canon to allocate a portion of revenue or property sales to Indigenous Ministries. This is not the approach that has been recommended by Indigenous members of the Diocese of Huron, who rightly want to have a place at the centre of all Diocesan initiatives and activities.
The development of an Indigenous Ministry plan is currently being led by the Archdeacon for Reconciliation & Indigenous Ministry and the Indigenous Ministries Missioner.
Four areas of focus in recent years will form its basis. First is an effort to understand the past and present financial and administrative supports for indigenous ministry through the construction of historical budget and survey. Second is a focus on creating opportunities for parishioners to connect with members of the community who are not part of the church. Such “mission products” largely take place at times other than Sunday morning and provide opportunities for engagement, discussion, and evangelisation. Education and outreach is the third area of focus and is directed principally to those others in the Diocese who are not part of the Indigenous community. Finally team building and development has been attended to as well as the fostering of a less hierarchical ethos for the work.
The Indigenous Ministry plan, while an offshoot, is closely related to Turning to Grace. While perhaps not to be expressed in its language, nevertheless the work does tie in with all three pillars of the Diocesan Plan. There is a clear focus on learning and development, an emphasis on reconciliation and justice, and a desire to expand and enhance the existing diversity within the community and the Diocese as a whole.