Greensky Hill
Encyclopedia
Greensky Hill Indian United Methodist Church is located east of Charlevoix, Michigan
Charlevoix, Michigan
Charlevoix is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,994. It is the county seat of Charlevoix County....

 at the junction of U.S. 31 and CR 630. On March 16th 1972, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

. The church has been preserved with all of the original woodwork and can only seat about 50 people.

History

The church was founded by Peter Greensky, a Chippewa chief who had been converted
Religious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...

 to Christianity and became a preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...

. He decided to build a Protestant mission where he could preach and convert his Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...

 brothers and sisters to Christianity. According to the historical marker at the church, the first services were held in makeshift buildings of bark and boughs until the 1850s, when a church was constructed from lumber brought by canoe from Traverse City and then ported two miles to the site of the present day church. Around the church was a circle of "council trees" where the Indian chiefs could meet in peace to discuss tribal issues.

Today

The original church is still used by a racially mixed congregation that celebrates both Christianity and Native American customs. In regular attendance are Peter Greensky's descendents: his great-great-grandson, Ray Greensky and Ray's son Brayden Greensky and daughter Isabelle Jean Greensky.
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