Oklahoma Indian Missionary

What Oklahoma Indian Missionary does

The Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference (OIMC) is a non-profit missionary conference within The United Methodist Church, founded in 1844 to serve Native American communities across Oklahoma. It operates through three regional ministry centers (Northeast, Southeast, and Central/Southwest) and provides spiritual leadership, pastoral care, youth ministry, scholarship programs, disaster relief, and cultural-preservation initiatives to tribal communities within its jurisdictional boundaries. The conference is governed under the UMC connectional structure, currently led by Resident Bishop Laura Merrill (since September 2024) and supported by an Assistant to the Bishop, a Director of Connectional Ministries, three Regional Superintendents, a Youth Coordinator, and an Administrative Assistant — five listed employees in total.

OIMC's product and program portfolio includes the Native American Children's Fund (clothing grants and senior support), the OIMC Memorial Scholarship Fund (for undergraduate students), the OIMC Immersion Experience (educational visits to tribal areas, the First American Museum, Washita Battlefield, and Standing Bear Park; priced at $225-$300 per person), the annual Benefit Gala and Silent Auction (tables at $1,000, individual seats at $125), Wild Onion Dinners, Native American Ministries Sunday, and recurring Annual Conferences (184th session held June 2026). Underlying technology consists of standard church management and communication systems, with no proprietary platforms, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities disclosed; the organization uses its website (umc-oimc.org), Facebook page, online giving portal, and digital newsletter to reach constituents.

Revenue mechanics rely on a mix of UMC apportionments, congregational tithes, designated Advance Project donations (Construction #583633, Parish Partners #583634, Native American Children's Fund #583581), event and registration fees, and endowment income from a pastoral leadership endowment that grew to approximately $2.3 million in 2019. Financial figures are not publicly disclosed because OIMC operates under the umbrella of The United Methodist Church rather than as an independent reporting entity.

Name

Oklahoma Indian Missionary

Legal name

Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference

Website

https://umc-oimc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1844

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference is a non-profit missionary conference within The United Methodist Church that serves Native American churches, congregations, and youth across Oklahoma through three regional ministry centers, providing pastoral care, scholarships, disaster relief, cultural-immersion education, and denominational governance programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference provides faith-based ministry, spiritual leadership, pastoral care, and culturally integrated worship services to Native American communities across Oklahoma. It operates scholarship programs for Native American students, organizes cultural immersion experiences, traditional dining events, and fundraising galas, and coordinates disaster relief and emergency response in partnership with tribal nations. The conference is supported by donations, endowments, and ticketed events, and is administered through regional ministry centers under the governance of The United Methodist Church.

Product overview

The Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference (OIMC) offers a portfolio of ministry programs and services centered on serving Native American communities within The United Methodist Church. The organization provides educational experiences (OIMC Immersion Experience), youth ministry programs, disaster response services, scholarships (OIMC Memorial Scholarship Fund, Native American Children's Fund), and community-building events (Wild Onion Dinners, Benefit Galas). Key digital services include an Online Giving platform, Church and Clergy Directories, Video Resources, and various forms for ministry coordination. The conference operates through regional ministry centers and advance projects supporting construction, parish partnerships, and children's assistance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OIMC Immersion Experience A paid educational program providing history, context, and unique perspective on Native peoples in The Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference, including visits to tribal areas, the First American Museum, Washita Battlefield site, and Standing Bear Park. Registration is $225-$300 per person covering meals and entry fees.
• Benefit Gala & Silent Auction Annual fundraising event celebrating Native American heritage and raising funds for the pastoral leadership endowment. Tables are $1,000 for eight persons; individual seats are $125. The 2019 gala raised more than $75,000.
• OIMC Memorial Scholarship Fund Scholarship program for full-time undergraduate students enrolled at accredited colleges or universities, supporting Native American students pursuing higher education.
• Native American Children's Fund Program providing clothing grants for Native American children who meet income guidelines and supports graduating seniors. Advance Project #583581.
• Wild Onion Dinners Annual traditional Native American dining events featuring traditional dishes including wild onions with fried scrambled eggs, serving as cultural and community-building fundraisers.
• Online Giving Platform Secure online donation platform enabling contributions to support OIMC ministries and Advance Projects including the General Budget, Construction Project (Advance #583633), Parish Partners (Advance #583634), and Native American Children's Fund (Advance #583581).
• Native American Ministries Sunday Special Sunday observance supporting Native American outreach within annual conferences and across the United States, including special offerings and Miracle Sunday.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• National Indian Education Association: National organization advocating for Native American education and culturally responsive programming. Comparable to OIMC's education and scholarship programs including the Memorial Scholarship Fund and Native American Children's Fund.
• Inter-Tribal Council of Oklahoma: Consortium of tribal governments in Oklahoma serving member nations. Comparable because OIMC partners with tribal nations across Oklahoma and serves an overlapping Native American community population.

Others

• National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers: Organization supporting tribal preservation and education efforts. Comparable through OIMC's cultural preservation mission including the Seeley Chapel dedication and historical site engagement (Washita Battlefield, Standing Bear Park).

Broad incumbents

• Native American Ministries (General Board of Higher Education and Ministry): UMC-wide body supporting Native American ministries including scholarships, recruitment, and advocacy. Comparable as a broader institutional stakeholder within the same UMC ecosystem that OIMC operates in.

Regional players

• Oklahoma Conference of Churches: Ecumenical body of Christian denominations operating in Oklahoma. Comparable as a regional faith-based organization serving Oklahoma communities with similar outreach and advocacy programs.

Direct peers

• Arkansas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church: UMC annual conference also under Bishop Laura Merrill's oversight. Comparable as a peer regional UMC body with similar governance, apportionment, and ministry programs, co-governed with OIMC.
• Oklahoma Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church: Sister UMC annual conference also overseen by Bishop Laura Merrill and serving Oklahoma. Most directly comparable to OIMC as both are UMC regional bodies operating in the same geography with similar governance and ministry programs.
• Alaska Missionary Conference of the United Methodist Church: UMC missionary conference serving Alaska Native communities. Directly comparable to OIMC as both are specialized missionary conferences within the UMC structure focused on Indigenous ministry across geographically dispersed regions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/OIMCUMC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oklahoma-indian-missionary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Oklahoma Indian Missionary