Church, Lewis W.
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12 Michigan Christian Advocate • August 5, 2002
The Rev. Lewis White Eagle Church
was advocate for Native Americans
The Rev. Lewis White Eagle
Church, 84, a retired pastor,
died on July 6 in Allegan,
Mich. He was a distinguished
and widely-known Native
American leader.
Mr. Church was born Aug.
12, 1917, in Salem Township,
Mich. He began a long
career as a minister in
the United Methodist
Church in 1935. He
served
the West
Michigan Conference at the Salem
and Bradley Indian
Missions in several
capacities from 1947
through his retirement
in 1990.
He also worked for
North American Rockwell in
Allegan, Mich., for 35 years.
Throughout his career of
service, he touched the lives of
countless people serving as a
counselor, leader, and personal
example for those around him.
He worked tirelessly in support of Native American communities and congregations
across Michigan and beyond.
Mr. Church led the United
Methodist Indian Workers
Conference as it sought to set
up solid leadership among the
mission churches. His son,
Bill, said that at one point he
was one of only six American
elders in the Native UMC.
For a long time he served
as chair or "chief" of
the Grand River
Band of Ottawa
Indians, which includes about 150
people in Allegan and Ottawa
counties.
Mr. Church
served as a liaison
between the band
members and the
government, starting
in 1946. He filed claims
for
property
and
payments
promised
long
before by treaties, but n ever
d elivered, family members
said.
Mr. Church often shared
the wisdom of Ecclesiastes
12:1, " to remember thy creator
in the day of our youth," before
the difficult times in life come
that bring less pleasure such as
the feebleness of old age.
Mr. Church suffered from
Alzheimer's disease.
Surviving are his wife,
Gladys (Mamagona) Church;
a brother, Leonard of Dorr;
four children: Robert Lewis
(Liane) Church of Kentwood;
William
Loren
(Cheryl)
Church of Wyomipg; Richard
Mark (Mary) Church of
Gaithersburg,
Md.;
and
Frances Elaine (Tom Pratt)
Church ofWyoming; 14 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
The funeral service was held
at Salem Indian UM Mission
on July 19, with the Revs.
Joseph Sprague and Calvin
Hill officiating.
Memorial
contributions
may be made to the Salem
Indian Mission or to Wings of
Hope Hospice.
/
Condolences may be s.ent to
Mrs. Gladys Church, 2856
!28th Ave., Allegan, MI
49010.
Some of the information for
this article was taken from a
Tanda Gmiter piece in the Grand
Rapids Press, July 9, 2002.