Navajoland is now a self-determining diocese of the Episcopal Church!
Today, the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church formally acceded to the Constitution of the Episcopal Church in Navajoland. This formal recognition of the Diocese reflects the long-standing relationship that has been lived out for many years. Members of Navajoland were able to join the Executive Council via Zoom this morning to watch the vote by acclamation. Below is a Partial Sermon (on Luke 1:47-80) to the Executive Council this morning by GJ Gordy.
“For decades, our elders, our mentors, our clergy, and lay leaders have dreamed of this moment—of Navajoland becoming a diocese in its own right. A Church grounded in the rhythms of our people, our language, our culture, our land. A Church that reflects both the Gospel and our sacred ways.
I think of our past leaders who prayed, worked, preached, and served on the land long before many of us arrived. They never stopped planting seeds. They believed in the voice of the Diné people. And they spoke that vision even when it was still far off.
They taught us that leadership is not about control, it’s about commitment. And they remained committed.
Many of them did not live to see the day Navajoland would be named a missionary diocese. But they carried the dream. They cleared the path. They prepared the way, just as John did.
And like Zechariah—who waited a lifetime to hold his son in his arms—these elders remind us that sometimes, even when we don’t live to see the promise fulfilled, the promise still comes.
Their voices are in ours.
Their prayers are in this moment.
Then, in 2024, when Navajoland was named a missionary diocese, I believe something in us opened. Not just structurally, but spiritually.
Our mouth was opened. And our voice was heard.
In Diné culture, voice is medicine. We pray for creation and balance. We sing healing into bodies. We speak peace into homes. We name the world not only as it is, but as it should be.
So this moment in our Church is more than a milestone. It’s a moment of return to Hózhó, the Beauty Way. A moment when we are not only recognized, but respected for the wisdom of our elders, our prayers, our rhythms, and our ways.
We are grateful for every bishop who came to serve us.
We are grateful for the journey that we are now on. And we are joyful not just for what has been, but for what is still to come. Because, like John, the child in this story, our voice isn’t just for ourselves. It is to prepare the way for healing, for peace, for the rising light of Christ.
If you remember just one thing, let it be this:
This is not just our celebration. It is the Church’s celebration.
Because when one part of the body finds its voice, the whole body is stronger.
So I invite you to celebrate with us, not as outsiders looking in, but as kin walking beside us. Remember the ones who waited, the elders in your life who dreamed and prayed before you could see it. Speak your truth – whatever voice God has given you, may it rise like Zechariah’s: with blessing.
Today, we invite you to continue walking in hózhó with us as we live our full lives as the Missionary Diocese of Navajoland.
Ahe’hee’ — thank you.”
Beautiful. Powerful. A blessing. And a joy. Thank you for sharing. This is a blessing for us all.