Huron, South Dakota

Alissa and I have decided that I will accept a nomination for a pastoral position in Huron, South Dakota. That means that some time in July (perhaps the 12th or the 19th) we'll go there and I will preach. After the service, the congregation will hold a special meeting and vote on whether or not to call me as their associate pastor. Assuming they say, "yes," I then have to arrange for the presbytery (regional grouping of pastors and elders) to examine, ordain, and install me. It's very possible that the formal examination/ordination would occur after I begin at Huron -- it can take some time to get enough folks assembled and I've already met with the local presbytery "Committee on Ministry," which oversees the relationships between pastors and churches.

This congregation (400 members) is in a smallish eastern South Dakota city (12,000 pop -- making it the 9th largest in the state). Wow; I just realized that one out of every thirty people will be church members. The position is three-fold, focusing on Christian Education, Visitation, and Evangelism.

The first "tine" is Christian Education. Huron formerly hosted a Presbyterian college for many decades, and the influence of this center of learning made Christian Education a high priority for the congregation. While the college finally closed its door in the late 1990s (after having gone through 3 or 4 hands in that decade), this congregation still values a solid Christian educational program, involving Sunday School for all ages, LOGOS (Wednesday night kids club that involves a family meal, learning 'worship skills,' and Bible lessons), Sr. High Youth Group, VBS, and special programs. The children and youth programs are well-established, with dedicated church-members serving as Sunday School superintendent and youth group leaders. They are looking for help in organization, evaluation, envisioning, and implementation.

The second and third "tines" involve leadership in Visitation and Evangelism. As in many churches, the Deacons here at Huron visit the elderly, the sick, and the shut-in, but there is a desire for training and co-ordinating their efforts, as well as increasing follow-up with visitors/seekers. Pertaining to seekers, this congregation -- like most mainlines -- had been content to open the doors and wait for people to come in for the past fifty years. In their recent discernment process, they realized that they needed to have a more proactive approach and are interested in new ways to share the gospel with their community.

The folks we met have all seemed very practical, easy-to-work-with folks with a love for Jesus and desire to see his kingdom furthered there in Huron. The church also has a reputation for being very musical, which is a plus for us! The senior pastor and his wife are West Virginia natives; this is his fourth call; he has served as an associate pastor in the pastor; he is theologically traditional and I think we could work well together.

I know that job descriptions always change a bit once you get started, but this is what it looks like right now. We're looking forward to beginning life and ministry in South Dakota and we'll keep you all posted.