Wind River Reservation, Wyoming – Every Sunday, members of Foundations for Nations Church gather to pray inside a steel‑sided sanctuary while a growing group of Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone protesters stand outside. The standoff began after Pastor Sarah Lucas delivered a sermon in July calling the tribe’s sundance ceremony “idol worship,” a statement she says reflects her biblical convictions and is constitutionally protected.
Pastor Lucas stands firm on religious liberty
Lucas, who does not claim Native ancestry but owns the private parcel on which the church sits, told reporters that “Jesus is the chain breaker” and that worship should be directed to the one true God. She argues that her interpretation of Scripture obliges her to speak out against practices she believes conflict with biblical teaching.
“The Bible makes it very clear to only worship one God,” Lucas said. “We are called to stand for that truth, even when it is unpopular.” She added that she regrets the sharp delivery of her remarks but not the underlying message.
Tribal leaders demand the church’s removal
Arapaho Chairman Keenan Groesbeck and members of the American Indian Movement have organized regular protests, stating that the tribe no longer welcomes the pastor or her congregation. “We brought in our ceremonial elders. We heard them loud and clear,” Groesbeck said. “They don’t want them here no more.” The tribal councils of the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone passed ordinances in July requiring religious groups to obtain tribal approval before operating on the reservation.
Tribal officials argue that the church’s presence undermines cultural preservation and reopens wounds from a painful history of forced assimilation. “It’s an irony of colonialism, the degree to which Native people have remade Christianity according to their own values,” said Michael McNally, a professor of religious studies at Carleton College.
Legal battle over jurisdiction
Lucas has retained Liberty Counsel, a conservative Christian legal organization, which maintains that ownership of private land shields the church from tribal jurisdiction. “The law of the land on our reservation is clear,” said a Liberty Counsel attorney. “Non‑Native property owners retain their constitutional rights, including the free exercise of religion.”
Legal scholars note that while tribes have broad civil authority over non‑Natives on tribal land, jurisdiction over privately owned parcels within reservation boundaries is contested and often decided case‑by‑case. University of Nebraska law professor Jessica Shoemaker warned that “cascading effects” from 19th‑century land policies continue to challenge tribal sovereignty.
Impact on the community
Foundations for Nations has long provided social services such as a food bank, clothing giveaways, and after‑school programs. The church’s outreach has been praised by some residents, including Mary Rose Goggles, who said the church helped her grandchildren. However, attendance has fallen, with Lucas reporting Sunday turnout down from 150 to about half that number.
Recent tribal ordinances have forced the church to suspend youth programming because it can no longer transport children across the reservation. The church’s 21,000‑square‑foot building now sits largely empty, while construction on a neighboring tribal youth center proceeds.
Looking ahead
Both sides say the dispute will likely move to the federal courts, where any tribal enforcement of the new ordinances on private land would face a high bar for proving a threat to tribal well‑being. In the meantime, Pastor Lucas remains resolute, stating, “God would not have us build this and provided all of it to empty it out.”
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
