Culture

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Seminoles and Christianity

Tribes of Indians in Oklahoma began to be Christianized mainly through the efforts of the Southern Baptist Convention, Home Mission Board as early as 1846. Baptist missionaries came to the Oklahoma Creek and Oklahoma Seminole tribes in the 1870's.

The Episcopal Church established Glade Cross Mission in the Big Cypress in the 1890's. Another mission of that name was established at Everglade, Florida 1933-1960. Both produced negligable conversions.

In 1907, the first the first Indian missionaries came to the Florida Seminoles living near Indiantown east of Lake Okeechobee. The missionaries were Creek Baptist Indian missionaries from Oklahoma. The northern group of Seminoles were targeted, as like the missionaries, they spoke the Creek or Muscogee language.

One family of Florida Seminoles living at Indiantown (which included a prominent medicine man and bundlecarrier) was baptised in 1920. That family moved to the Dania (now Hollywood) Reservation and formed the nucleous of the small group of Christian Seminoles. Missionary activities continued among the Creek-speaking Seminoles around Indiantown.

The First Seminole Indian Baptist Church was dedicated in 1936 on the Dania Reservation. 1945 saw many conversions at Dania and Big Cypress. By 1946, several Seminole men, Mikasuki-speakers from southern Florida settlements, had enrolled as ministerial students at the Florida Baptist Institute. These converts included a prominent and influential medicine man.

In 1948 a Mission was dedicated on the isolated Big Cypress Reservation. In 1949, mission work was being conducted by a Seminole among the non-reservation Indians along the Tamiami Trail. That same year, a second church, the Mekusukey Independent Church was formed on the Dania Reservation and in 1953, a Mission was organized on the Brighton Reservation.

For more information about the growth of Christianity among the Seminole Tribe please read Betty Mae Jumper's book . . .And With The Wagon Came God's Word, which is available on the Tribe's Marketplace.

 

Churches on the Seminole Reservations in Florida

Churches on Hollywood Reservation

Chickee Baptist Church
First Seminole Indian Baptist Church
House of Prayer Full Gospel Church

Churches on Big Cypress Reservation

Big Cypress First Baptist Church
New Testament Baptist Church

Churches on Brighton Reservation

First Indian Baptist Church of Brighton
Seminole Bible Baptist Church