The dedication ceremony of the Simeon Cummings / Tom Queen Native American Room in the Bethea Welcome Center is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday, June 25, 2011.
The Cummings-Queen Native American Room will be furnished with art and crafts representative Native American people in the southeast, and honors Rev. Simeon Cummings and memorializes Tom Queen, two Native American leaders who made a tremendous difference to SEJANAM (the Southeastern Jurisdictional Association for Native American Ministries) and Native American Ministries of The United Methodist Church.
“SEJANAM is a unique treasure in The United Methodist Church, and particularly the southeast,” commented Rev. Roger Dowdy, Director of Ministries at Lake Junaluska. “SEJANAM is a vital spiritual, communication, and advocacy network for Native Americans across the United States.”
Rev. Simeon Cummings and Tom Queen were highly involved in their local churches and respective Annual Conferences. Among his many accolades, Rev. Cummings was the first Director of SEJANAM, the first Native American Assistant to the Cabinet of the North Carolina Annual Conference, and the first Native American elected delegate to the General Conference of The United Methodist Church. Tom Queen was elected the first Chairman of the Board of Directors for SEJANAM, served as the first mission director for Cherokee UMC, and has served on both the Commission on Religion and Race and the General Council on Ministry.
The dedication ceremony will take place during the 2011 Native American Summer Conference. For a complete schedule of the conference or for more information about the dedication ceremony, visit www.lakejunaluska.com/sejanam.