1210 Locust St., St. Louis, MO 63103  ·   (314) 231-1220  ·     Contact Us

Episcopal Diocese of Missouri
  • Welcome
    • About Us
    • Episcopal Beliefs
    • Diocesan History
    • Governance
    • Bishop & Staff
    • Find a Church
    • COVID-19
  • Ministries
    • All Ministries
    • Creation Care
    • Evangelism, Formation & Discernment
    • Pastoral Care & Spirituality
    • Social Justice
    • Women's Ministry
    • Affiliated Ministries
  • Clergy
    • Priests
    • Deacons
    • Supply Clergy
    • Retired Clergy
    • Clergy Resources
    • Clergy Job Openings
  • Resources
    • Bishop's Annual Appeal
    • Lent 2023
    • 2022 Diocesan Convention
    • Strategic Visioning
    • Financial
    • Forms
    • Parish Leadership
    • Worship
    • All Resources
  • Connect
    • Communications
    • News
    • Events
    • Calendar
    • Branding & Logo
    • Diocesan Shop
    • Strategic Visioning
    • Lay Job Openings
  • Give

Land Acknowledgement

The following statement was crafted by the Rev. Leslie Scoopmire, Missioner for Indigenous Ministry Engagement, and the Rt. Rev. Deon Johnson, Bishop of the Diocese of Missouri. The Standing Committee approved the updated acknowledgement on September 22, 2022.

We encourage our parishes and ministries to use this text during their worship services and other public events.

HISTORICAL LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
FOR THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF MISSOURI

In humility, we recognize and acknowledge that we in the Diocese of Missouri worship and live on the traditional ancestral lands of the Osage Nation, the Illiniwek/Peoria Tribe, the O-Gah-Pah (Quapaw) Tribe, the Otoe-Missouria Tribe, and other First Peoples. We recognize our mutual dependence upon and benefit from this land; we proclaim our solidarity with and our debt to the Peoples who first claimed and improved this land as their home. We acknowledge our complicity in the process of colonization that dispossessed the First Peoples from their ancestral lands. We affirm our commitment to stand with indigenous communities today and henceforth as they seek justice and resist continued threats to their sovereignty and humanity.

We are also cognizant that the history of The Episcopal Church is intertwined with the history of colonialism and slavery in the United States. More than four centuries ago, the first Africans were brought to the Americas and enslaved. Two centuries ago, enslaved and indigenous persons contributed to the exploration of this state by Lewis and Clark. Our state’s history is entangled with both the Missouri Compromise making this state officially a slave state, and the cases of Scott v. Emerson that petitioned for Dred and Harriet Scott’s emancipation. We acknowledge the tragic legacy of slavery in our diocese, and the blood, sweat, and tears of enslaved people that soak the earth beneath our feet in Missouri. This legacy persists today as we continue to work towards racial justice, equity, liberation, and community, here in Missouri and across The Episcopal Church.

--lbs revised Sept. 22, 2022


Tags: Indigenous Ministry Engagement / Parish Leadership

The Rev. Leslie Scoopmire
Rector, St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Ellisville
314-435-5485 

    The Rev. Leslie Scoopmire

    Rector, St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Ellisville
    314-435-5485 |

    © 2023 Episcopal Diocese of Missouri
    1210 Locust St. · St. Louis, MO 63103
    (314) 231-1220
    Privacy Policy · Powered by Membership Vision

      View Entire Post

    Service Times

    Location

    Episcopal Diocese of Missouri
    1210 Locust St.
    St. Louis, MO 63103

    Contact Us
    (314) 231-1220

    Newsletter Signup

    Welcome from Our Bishop Find a Church Diocesan Calendar Clergy Resources

    We believe in a loving, life-giving and liberating God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe God loves you -- no exceptions!

    We invite you to be a part of our faith journey.

    The Rt. Rev. Deon K. Johnson is the leader of our diocese. He was elected as our bishop on Nov. 23, 2019, and ordained on June 13, 2020, at Christ Church Cathedral in St. Louis.

    Learn More

    Approximately 10,000 people throughout Eastern and Central Missouri find their faith home with us. About three-quarters of our members are in the metro St. Louis area, but our diocese reaches much farther than St. Louis. You will find more than 40 Episcopal churches, missions and faith communities as far north as Kirksville, as far west as Columbia, and as far south as Poplar Bluff (and many points in between).

    If you are looking for a church home or a just a faith community to visit, we invite you to explore The Episcopal Diocese of Missouri.

    Find a Church


    Detailed Calendar

    Suggest an Event

    Specifically of interest to the ordained clergy canonically resident or licensed in this diocese.

    • Diocesan Forms Library
    • Diocesan Clergy Directory
    • Current diocesan supply priest list
    • Missouri Clergy Association email list

    Do you have a question or need more information?

    Send a message to the Offices of the Bishop and we'll get back with you soon!


    Contact Us Bishop and Staff Find a Church