WHO WE ARE:
The North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies (NAIITS) is a mission-focused institution seeking to provide for the mentoring and training of aboriginal leaders in the area of contextualized evangelical missions. NAIITS is a partnership-based consortium of people and institutions convened for training, and for dialogue on methods and means of mission in Native North America, and by Native North Americans.
PURPOSE:
The symposium, designed to address topics of present concern in Native North American ministry, mission and theology related to evangelism, discipleship, and leadership development, is clearly evangelical yet fully contextual in its approach. NAIITS is an international institute dedicated to the development of an increased capacity in the Aboriginal evangelical community to research, develop, articulate, educate and write about mission and theology from a Native North American perspective.
GOAL:
The primary goals of NAIITS are to create a body of work which could serve as a foundation for further development of indigenous theological thought; to create a written theological foundation for the visioning of new mission paradigms to reach indigenous peoples with the Gospel; to create a training approach to theology and biblical study that comports more clearly with Native learning styles and world-views; to develop theological partnerships with the other cultural communities of Christian faith including, by way of example, African American, Hispanic, Asian and European which will ensure the voice of Christ is heard in all ways and ensure biblically faithful praxis in all things.
To this end, NAIITS focuses its energies on the development of mentored theological and biblical research, writing and study programs that address the mission, theological and biblical issues, and thinking of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Christians in their communities. It does so cooperatively with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal partners including colleges, universities, seminaries, mission societies, Native ministries, and other like-minded parties in Canada and the United States.