Sto:lo
Jim and Sue FlomAgassiz, British Columbia, Canada
After twenty years serving East Coast suburban and urban congregations, mostly in youth ministry, in February 2004 Jim and Sue moved to British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, where Jim serves as pastor of Mountainview Community Church. Agassiz (pron. AG-ah-see) is a town of about 3,500 lying one and a half hours east of Vancouver. It shares the region with the Sto:lo First Nation, an aboriginal people having more than forty reserves in southern British Columbia, only one of which is reported to have any kind of Christian witness. There are five reserves within half an hour of Agassiz alone.
While the Floms devoted much of their ministry to racial reconciliation out East, First Nations ministry was completely new to them. Even the terminology was new: In Canada “Indian reservations” are native reserves; “Native Americans” are people of the First Nations, aboriginal, or natives; “tribes” are bands. Since early on, the Lord has been opening doors to build relationships with residents of the Seabird Island Band, a reserve five minutes from town. God has sent to Mountainview members with a background in and a heart for First Nations ministry.
In winter 2005, Mountainview sponsored a workshop on First Nations culture. The workshop took place on Seabird Island at the Kwelaxtelotiya Cultural Centre and even drew representatives from the local school district. The speaker was Joe Alec, a Sto:lo nation “respected person” and son-in-law of noted author, Academy Award nominated actor, and BC native, the late Chief Dan George. Mountainview has developed a long-range plan, trusting God to establish an indigenous ministry at Seabird. Mountainview continues offers a parenting course that draws participants from the native community and are discipling a woman who recently joined Mountainview. The church’s first-year objective is to establish a core group on the reserve.
The Floms celebrate their twentieth wedding anniversary this year and have four children: “A.J.” (eighteen), Hannah (fifteen), Abbey (twelve), and Kate (nine).
You can contact Jim at mountainview2@shaw.ca or
Jim Flom
Mountainview Community Church
6800 Pioneer Avenue
Agassiz, BC VOM 1A1
cell phone: 604-796-2429
The following are not PCA sites but will provide you with more information about the Sto:lo First Nations people:
Sto:lo Nation Lands Department
Aboriginal Relations & Reconciliation
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New Release from Bruce and Linda Farrant: Bridges of Reconciliation: It’s All About Grace
For centuries Indigenous Nations and people endured a holocaust of unimaginable proportions, much of the suffering and betrayal coming from those who claimed to be representing the Christian God. If we desire reconciliation and friendship with Native people and Nations, how do we build those bridges? Click here to learn more.
