The General Commission on Archives and History has created a series of videos to educate United Methodists and others about the horrific tragedy of the Sand Creek Massacre. The series of five videos explains the denomination's long and complex history with Indigenous Nations, dominated by a legacy of intense harm and tragedy.
The complicated history dates back to the 1735 when John Wesley traveled to Georgia to serve as a missionary to Indigenous Peoples in the area.
The history details the establishment of Methodist missions and the formation of Indigenous Boarding Schools. While missions and schools were intended as spaces to provide spiritual guidance and providing basic education, at the heart of this intent is a colonialist understanding that white, Christian, European education is best and necessary to be "civilized." Boarding schools became sites of mass cultural genocide.
When the Sand Creek Massacre occurred in 1864, the event was largely ignored by the church, despite the murderous rampage being led by a Methodist minister-turned-miltary-officer, John M. Chivington. And it took another 132 years for The United Methodist Church to attempt an apology, one that was rife with misinformation and which appeared insincere.
Now, the General Agencies of The UMC are calling upon annual conferences, districts and local churches to join in solidarity, specificially thoughout the months of October and November, in a contemplative healing run to cumulatively walk, run or bike 173 miles. Also, United Methodists are encouraged to reach out to local Indigenous nations and listen to their stories. The work of healing is work we cannot and should not do alone. Join us. Learn with us. Heal with us.
In this first in a five-part video series hosted by Dr. Ashley Boggan, viewers learn how the founder of Methodism traveled from his home in England to the colony of Georgia, where he hoped to serve as a missionary to Indigenous peoples. The trip, while brief, and by all accounts, unsuccessful, was a chapter in a much larger history, one of cultural exchange, misunderstanding and resilience. Wesley's legacy, and that of Methodism, would continue to evolve, shaping both European and Indigenous lives in ways even he could not have foreseen.
In this second in a five-part video series hosted by Dr. Ashley Boggan, viewers learn how, in the early 19th century, Methodism spread across America in a complicated story that highlights the intersection of power, faith, land and displacement. The complex history includes the establishment of Methodist missions and the formation of Indigenous Boarding Schools.
In this third in a five-part video series, viewers learn about the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864, a scene of genocide and one of the most horrific events in Methodist history.
In this fourth in a five-part video series hosted by Dr. Ashley Boggan, viewers learn what occurred in the years following the Sand Creek Massacre, decades of debate, misinformation and a lack of remorse with the Church.
In this fifth in a five-part video series hosted by Dr. Ashley Boggan, viewers learn what a call to healing may encompass, from conversations with Sand Creek Massacre descendents to participating in a healing run.
This content was created by the General Commission on Archives and History on May 20, 2025. Contact is Crystal Caviness.