Two congregations become one community in Covenant Partnership

The Episcopal Diocese of South Dakota’s two oldest churches — St. Paul’s, Vermillion, and Christ Episcopal, Yankton — joined together on Sunday (March 19) to become the Episcopal Community of Southeast South Dakota.

The two congregations, both founded in 1860 by Missionary Bishop William Hobart Hare, signed a Covenant Partnership, enabling both to share a full-time priest, and to work together in all aspects of congregational life.

The Covenant Partnership, a new endeavor of the Diocese, is “marked by the agreement to work together toward a common goal, which is to spread the Good News of God in Christ Jesus,” according to the partnership agreement.

“We look forward to the opportunity to work together to spread the Gospel in all ways,” it reads, “celebrating together every good thing and mourning together every hard thing, thereby allowing the mission of the Gospel to expand in both communities for the benefit of God’s beloved people in each place.”

Christ Church, Yankton, is known as the “Mother Church of the Dakotas,” according to The Rev. Michael Newago, rector, and was the first church built by Bishop Hare. St. Paul’s, Vermillion, began its life as a congregation the same year, although it took several years for the church to be built, according to Jon Robertson, Senior Warden in Vermillion. “So Yankton is the Mother Church, and Vermillion can be called the Father Church of the Dakotas,” he said,

“I think it is one of the best developments for small churches that can happen,” Stephen Yarborough, of St. Paul’s, said. “What I experienced today (in the first joint service) … was a strong sense of being a real body of Christians together, instead of being two small, little places that can barely make it. … This is a wonderful expression of fellowship and a sense of belonging to something bigger than yourself.

“I can’t get over how well people have melded together,” he added. “For some reason, I don’t know why, I felt a sense of belonging just coming in.”

Fr. Newago, who has been rector of Christ Church since July 2021, coined the motto of the new Episcopal Community of Southeast South Dakota: Two locations, one faith community, one family in Christ.

“What a great day this is,” he told the people gathered on Sunday. “Today we become one family. One community. … Look around you. See these people? These are now your sisters and brothers. There is no ‘us’ and ‘them.’ There is just a ‘we.’

‘Two locations. One faith community. One family in Christ.’ Get used to it, because you’re going to see it everywhere.”

Beginning on Sunday, March 26, Fr. Newago will be at both churches every week, with changes in the service times. Both congregations agreed to compromise on the service times as part of the agreement. For Holy Week, he explained, “we’re doing what family does: We’re going to each other’s home.”

“Don’t be afraid. … If we move forward with faith in God, all things are possible. This is a great adventure we’re on, and what a great gift God has given us,” he said.

“This, my brothers and sisters, this is the beginning of a new story,” The Rt. Rev. Dr. Jonathan H. Folts, Bishop of South Dakota, preached in his sermon.

“This is the beginning of a new chapter of God’s love in this part of the kingdom, right here, right now.”

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Bishop Folts begins the service, with Jon Robertson serving as his chaplain.

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Fr. Mike Newago: "Do not be afraid.”

Preaching on the story of the man born blind in John’s Gospel, Bishop Folts said, “You all entered into this process with the same prayer (as the man born blind): ‘Lord, help us to see. Lord, help us to see how we might witness, and how we might share and show your unconditional love to all the people in Yankton, and to all the people in Vermillion!’

“You prayed, 'Lord, help us to see! Lord, help us to see how we can open wide the gates of your church and tell everyone and show everyone that they will find a welcome here! That they will find love here! That they will find you … here … staring at them … with your witness, with your love, right in front of their face.”

The bishop commended the people of both congregations for their willingness to enter into the Covenant Partnership. “You stepped out in faith, and those prayers of yours … those prayers of yours kept you working the process.

“It didn’t matter if you didn’t know exactly where it was that you were going,” he preached, “and it didn’t matter when you started to dream some dreams that you have never dreamed before. You opened your eyes in faith, and you are beginning this journey of yours with your eyes of faith wide open … wide open! … wide open to seeing with your hearts all the wonders that God has in store for you.”

Those in attendance in the joint service echoed the bishop’s enthusiasm.

“Let’s do it! Let’s just get it done! It’s exciting,” said Janis Yarborough, a member of St. Paul’s.

Janelle Tacke, of Christ Church, agreed. “I’m really excited about it. Because I think it is going to help our church family really grow and get new people.”

Jane Kopecky, also of Christ Church, was also excited. “I think that bringing us together can only help us do more of God’s work. There’s more we can do, more people who can come in, and we can help them grow. … The people from our sister church are wonderful, very friendly, very nice, and brought some good food. What more could we want?”

“This is an exciting time,” said Shann Doerr, Senior Warden of Christ Church, in her comments to the congregation. “When I was a kid, one of the highlights was when my cousins came to visit. And that’s what this feels like right now, that we are all family, we are all God’s children. The Episcopal Church is here for each and every one of us, and as a big family, we are going to join together now, and be one family, have a great time together, and spread God’s love, and the word of Christ through the community. I am so happy that we have this opportunity to join forces to take the love of Christ through the Yankton and Vermillion vicinity and grow and spread the word of Christ.”

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The Rt. Rev. Dr. Jonathan H. Folts, Bishop of South Diocese, address the congregation: “This is the beginning of a new chapter of God’s love in this part of the kingdom, right here, right now.”

Jon Robertson, the Senior Warden of St. Paul’s, spoke about his family’s close ties to Christ Church.

“My great-great grandfather and (great-great-) grandmother John and Bridget Stanage were among the first members of this congregation” in Yankton, he said. “My great aunt June and uncle Frank Haas spent their many years in Yankton as members of this congregation. My parents, Ann and Creighton Robertson, were married in this church. I was baptized in this church, by Fr. Monk. My dad was ordained an Episcopal priest in this church and gave his first sermon as such at this very pulpit. For me it is only natural that we join together.”

Robertson added, “This marks a new chapter in the history of these two congregations. I think it fitting that our second reading today tells us, ‘Once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of the light, for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true … Sleeper, Awake!  Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you!’ Both of our congregations have an opportunity to awake and rise from the dead, to take new life as we begin this task of becoming one faith community and one family in Christ. It is appropriate that we are taking this historic step as we prepare for the Easter season.”

The Rev. Dr. Lauren R. Stanley, Canon to the Ordinary, referred to the earliest days of the discussions about the Covenant Partnership in her remarks to the congregation.

 "When I first approached Fr. Mike with this idea, because he was already here, and asked him what he would think if we were to try this idea, he said, ‘Great! Another community in which to spread the Gospel!’’ she said. “And then I was at St. Paul’s, laying out some of their options … one of the options was a Covenant Partnership with Christ Church, and their answer was, ‘Oh, we like that one!’

Canon Stanley emphasized the newness of this kind of arrangement: “You all have entered into this in full faith and courage, and you are the first ones in this country to do it in this way. This is not how we normally put churches together. But through your faith in God and the promise of God to walk with you — which is why this is a Covenant Partnership — you are doing a whole new thing.

“It means that there are a lot of questions that are unanswered, and that’s OK,” she said. “When God called Abram, he said, ‘Go to this place that I will show you.’ That was it. He didn’t give him any GPS. He didn’t say, ‘Go four days east, and then three days south, and then turn right.’ He just said, ‘Go to this place that I will show you.’ And Abram picked up everything and he wandered until God said, ‘Here you go.’ And that’s what you all are doing. You are going to the place the God will show you, in the full faith that God is going to be with you. … God is with you. And nothing is written in stone. So we adapt as we go.”

In his remarks to the congregation before the Covenant Partnership certificates were signed, Bishop Folts said, “I want to express my deep felt thanks and gratitude to everyone who participated in making this possible, the members of your respective vestry and bishop’s committee who have been meeting together. … This (covenant) is being forged in God’s spirit, and that is pretty darned special.”

Shann Doerr

Shann Doerr, Senior Warden of Christ Church, speaks of her dreams for the Covenant Partnership. " I am so happy that we have this opportunity to join forces to take the love of Christ through the Yankton and Vermillion vicinity and grow and spread the word of Christ."

The bishop donated the loose offering from the service, which normally goes to his discretionary fund, to the new community, and asked that it be used “to make a difference in the life of anyone who needs that difference to be made. You make it known that that offering is coming (a), because God loves you, and because God loves them, and you label this as a gift from Christ Church, Yankton, and from St. Paul’s, Vermillion, and the Episcopal Community of Southeast South Dakota.”

“Get the name out, let the people know that you are here, and most important, let them know of what you are doing,” he encouraged them.

Fr. Newago already has created a Facebook page for the Episcopal Community of Southeast South Dakota, where announcements for both congregations will be posted.

Robertson encouraged the congregations to remember, “This is not a limiting of services or Fr. Mike’s time, this is an expansion. An opportunity for all of us to share God’s ministry.  As Canon Lauren says, this is an opportunity to come together, as a ‘woke' congregation.  An opportunity to combine our efforts and do as Matthew 25 reminds us, 'Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’  We can be that community.”

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Jon Robertson, Senior Warden of St. Paul's: "Both of our congregations have an opportunity to awake and rise from the dead, to take new life as we begin this task of becoming one faith community and one family in Christ.  It is appropriate that we are taking this historic step as we prepare for the Easter season.”

Certificate

The Covenant Partnership certificate presented to each of the congregations during the service on Sunday, March 19. The congregations committed themselves "to sharing in all their ministries and missions, in order to spread the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ throughout these communities."

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Bishop Folts addressing the congregation.

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Canon Stanley reading the Covenant Partnership certificate.

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Bishop Folts, Jon Robertson, and Fr. Newago celebrating after the service ...

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The celebration continued ...

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And continued ....

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... until finally, they all took a breath!

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Deacon John Keyes reads the Gospel.

Bishop Folts celebrates the Eucharist with Canon Stanley and Fr. Newago.

Bishop Folts celebrates the Eucharist with Canon Stanley and Fr. Newago.