Last week Rev. Curtis Ivanoff was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award from North Park Theological Seminary (NPTS) at the Midwinter Conference in Denver, Colorado. Ivanoff currently serves as superintendent of the Alaska Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church. He is a fourth-generation Covenanter in Alaska and graduated from the University of Oklahoma before attending NPTS. Prior to his election to superintendent in 2011, Ivanoff served at his home church, Unalakleet Covenant, as associate pastor, then at Alaska Christian College as campus pastor and director of admissions.
Rev. Dr. Dennis Edwards, dean of the seminary and vice president of church relations, introduced Ivanoff to present him with the award. “Curtis is a shepherd for the churches of Alaska,” said Edwards. “Curtis is a storyteller and reminds us of the faith and fortitude of many in this denomination, especially those from Alaska, even before it was a state. He represents not only Alaska well, but our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Ivanoff began by thanking his wife, Kristi, the rest of his family, and his hometown of Unalakleet. “It’s a little uncomfortable to be up here,” he said, noting that in his tradition one doesn’t elevate oneself over the rest of the community. “I give thanks to God for my community and my church that raised me.”
Ivanoff also mentioned those who came before him, specifically paying tribute to his great-grandfather, who made a similar journey early in the 20th century to be trained in the ministry of the gospel, taking a boat from Unalakleet, then a ship to Seattle, then a train to Chicago.
Ivanoff noted Ephesians 2, previously quoted by North Park President Mary Surridge, remarking that God made us alive in Christ and created us for good works. He concluded by highlighting the role that previous Covenanters have played in helping to form our current multiethnic mosaic.
“There was a man from Sweden who knew no Eskimo, no Inupak, no Cup’ik… just Swedish and Russian. He met people who knew our Eskimo language and Russian. There was linguistic connection, and God’s Spirit moved.”
According to Ivanoff, “When our last traditional chief died in 1942, a man named E.B. Larson wrote [about the chief] in his journal… ‘He received the missionaries with kindness, and they remained friends.’”
He also expressed hope for the future, highlighting the other Indigenous believers in his circle and the strides they are making, including his sister in faith Tamara Ravelo, who is slated to be the first Indigenous woman ordained by the Covenant this summer.
“I rejoice and give thanks to God for the way that God is shaping our church to reflect the mosaic of his kingdom, to give a representation to the world of hope, of life, and how walls can be torn down.”
