Pictured: Sheri Hostetler, Anita Amstutz and Sarah Augustine advocating for Indigenous rights at the U.S. Senate building.
For decades, author, scholar and activist Sarah Augustine has been devoting her life to dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery. Since answering the call of Dina, a Wayana Indigenous elder, to fight with her to protect her people from displacement and death, she has testified at the Organization of American States Human Rights Commission, organized Indigenous people at the World Council of Churches and advocated for Indigenous rights at Senate offices and the U.S. Treasury — among many places. She has been a leading voice in calling the church to dismantle the structures that oppress Indigenous peoples and deprive them of their lands. In 2014, she, Sheri Hostetler and Anita Amstutz founded the Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery Coalition to call Anabaptist people of faith to do just that.
Sarah has done all of this while working full-time at other jobs. It has long been a dream of Sarah’s and the Coalition’s that she be released do this prophetic work full-time. That time is at hand! First Mennonite Church of San Francisco, where Sheri pastors, is now issuing a $100,000 Challenge Grant to the larger church: For every dollar donated toward Sarah’s salary campaign, First Mennonite will match that dollar for dollar up to $100,000 through Indigenous Peoples Day (October 10, 2022).
We invite everyone to join this joyful work of repair and shalom! Click here to give to us via PayPal or go to the donate page on this website to find other ways to give. Whether you give via PayPal or check, please designate your contribution as going toward the “Salary Campaign.”
Also, if you’d like to host a fundraiser for this Salary Campaign, please check out the many resources here. Resources include a flyer, church bulletin insert, links to a video, etc.