Pray for Old Crow
Over the last few weeks we have had the opportunity to get into eight of the ten communities plus several others. My next few blogs will attempt to share what we have learned.
Old Crow is located inside Arctic Circle in the northern part of the Yukon Territories less than one hundred miles from Alaska. The community is located along the Porcupine River (named for the large number of porcupines in the area). Most of the 300 people in Old Crow are Vuntut Gwich’in (people of the lakes). The Vuntut Gwich’in have a long history of trapping and hunting this area of the Yukon.
The community of Old Crow is named after a leader named ‘Walking Crow’. Walking Crow in honored for mastering and teaching his people a more efficient method of fishing using nets. Walking Crow began to be referred to as Old Crow in his latter years as a sign of respect.
Old Crow originally grew up around an Anglican Church planted by a Gwich’in man in 1904 and has a long heritage of faith. Many of the elders express a strong Christian faith and look forward their future home with Christ. However, many of the middle and younger generation have only an association with the Church. Some of this disconnect from the Christian faith comes from anger over the damage caused by the residential schools (which were run primarily by the Catholic and Anglican churches). Some to the disconnect stems from a desire to recapture the Vuntut Gwich’in heritage and culture. Some of the disconnect stems from the daily postmodern influences brought into the homes through satellite TV and the internet.
The Anglican church continues to be the only church in town, hosting an average attendance of six or eight. Most in town know of the church but do not attend with the exception of baptisms, marriages and funerals.
Old Crow has a remnant. Please pray that God will draw the hearts of the people to Himself, that God will raise up a righteous generation within Old Crow and God will raise up workers to send into this harvest. Please pray for the people of Old Crow.