About

About NAIM

We are a community of believers serving Jesus Christ in a variety of capacities throughout British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan in Western Canada, and Washington State, Montana, and New Mexico in the USA. An increasing number of staff are First Nations Native believers.

Mission Statement

NAIM is a multicultural team that exists to glorify God through building the Church by making disciples among North American Indigenous peoples, to reach the world for Christ. Although the words “evangelism” and “discipleship” are not in our mission statement, “making
disciples” is all about evangelism and discipleship. This is the bread and butter of who we are.

Vision Statement

NAIM is committed to the growth and maturity of the First Nations Church, resulting in vibrant ministry to its community and beyond. We desire to see strong healthy First Nation/Native American believers connected to strong healthy local churches. In some areas, the local church will have a distinct First Nations identity – in other locations, the identity may be more multicultural. Equipping and supporting First Nations people to engage in ministry near and far is very important to us.

History

In 1949, Cap Stabbert and his peers met at a local coffeehouse in Seattle, Washington. Their friend, Willis Shank had recently died in a plane crash while visiting isolated villages in northern Alaska. Now his passion was becoming theirs: reaching the First Peoples of this land for Christ. North America Indigenous Ministries was formed as a non-profit organization and religious charity in 1949. Ministry began with a restored World War II minesweeper traveling along the British Columbian coast. Teams would evangelize in small Native villages.

Over time, NAIM transformed from an itinerant coastal boat based ministry to a community based/relational long-term ministry of evangelism and discipleship. Through long term commitment to communities NAIM could better model who Jesus Christ is and provide a healthier relationship between the Church and the Native community.

Today, the indigenous church is increasingly sending its people to other Native communities and across the world. NAIM is focused on partnering with First Nations believers to reach out to communities that need the Gospel. As more Native believers join us, we see God strengthening our outreach.