About

Indigenous Ministers Association (IMA) exists within the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) to support and uplift Indigenous pastors, leaders, and communities across the Covenant. For decades, Indigenous ministers have been gathering, encouraging one another, and seeking faithful ways to lead their people with both cultural integrity and spiritual care. What began as a regional effort in Alaska has grown into a wider movement of connection, support, and shared vision.

The roots of the IMA trace back to the formation of the Alaska Ministers Association around November 2015. Superintendent Rev. Curtis Ivanoff sparked the initial idea after noticing that, at annual ECC gatherings, various groups gathered for meals and fellowship, but there was no dedicated space for Alaska Native Ministers to connect. That spark led to a new table of relationship and renewal.

The first leaders of the Alaska Ministers Association included Rev. Nathan Toots, Minister Hugh Forbes, Representative Trisha Ivanoff, and Rev. TJ Smith, all faithfully serving in Alaska. Their leadership laid the foundation for what would become something larger: a space for Indigenous ministers across the denomination.

Even before the Alaska group officially formed, Alaskan Native voices were helping shape the ECC. As early as 2004, leaders Joel Yumick and Hugh Forbes participated in formative conversations that helped create the denomination’s Fivefold Test for multiethnic ministry (now the Sixfold Test). These early contributions reflected the insight and advocacy Indigenous leaders were offering long before formal structures were in place.

In 2020, the Evangelical Covenant Church officially recognized the Indigenous Ministers Association, building on the faithful foundation established by the Alaska Ministers Association. The IMA emerged from years of relationship, leadership, and gathering among Indigenous ministers, first in Alaska, and then more broadly across the Covenant. While Alaska remains a foundational part of our story, the IMA now includes Indigenous leaders from many nations and regions, each bringing their stories, wisdom, and presence to this shared work.

Since that formal beginning in 2020, Rev. Tamara Ravelo of the East Coast Conference has served as the IMA’s first elected president. Her leadership reflects a new chapter of growth, collaboration, and vision for the road ahead.

The IMA continues to be a space of community and advocacy, grounded in Indigenous-led ministry, and committed to healing relationships between the Church and Indigenous peoples. From its beginnings in Alaska to its national role today, the story of the IMA is one of prayer, persistence, and shared leadership. We honor where we began, and we remain committed to where we are going, together.