Justin Trent, a certified lay minister, serves Fairburn UMC. File photo

There are 100 mailboxes in Fairburn, South Dakota, a community of farmers and ranchers. When Justin Trent arrived at the United Methodist Church in Fairburn, there were a handful of women, about five, that attended the first worship service he led. In the following weeks, the numbers in worship averaged between 5-9. Today there is an average of 30 people in worship each week, the congregation has a new building with no debt, and is focused on the mission of loving God and neighbor. 

"The first meeting I had with the church council there was a lot of talk about the building structure," says Trent, who is a certified lay minister that serves Fairburn UMC. "The basement walls were caving in, and there were a lot of issues."

Trent, who serves the church as a quarter-time pastor, spends most of his time hauling truckloads of hay and lives 75 miles from Fairburn. As Pastor Justin traveled to lead worship, a few more people attended each week. Eventually, Fairburn UMC began to see some young families worshipping. A children's ministry flourished. The issues with the building also grew.

"Besides the walls caving, there were water and drainage problems," Trent says. "The old church building had a lot of history and memories. The people of the church made a hard decision to invest and build a new building."

The old Fairburn UMC building had too many issues to feasibly repair. File photo 2013.

The new Fairburn UMC, only 5 feet from the old, former building, is already paid off, and is serving the congregation and community in new ways. Photo courtesy Justin Trent.

The new church building was made possible by all of the faithful members of the congregation. Everyone was involved in decision-making and stewardship.

"The congregation at Fairburn is small. So, everyone is invited and involved in the administrative board meetings," says Trent. "We have a lot of good discussion about giving and tithing. It has become part of who we are."

Members raised funds for a new building through tithing, a Valentine's meal fundraiser, an auction, and turning the focus of an endowment fund from operations to the building fund.

"We had a gentleman, Clyde Smith, who left an endowment to the church. The congregation used the funds from the endowment for church operations. We discussed the need to move away from counting on the endowment money for operations. We needed to cover the costs of operations and use the endowment funds for the new building and mission work," says Pastor Justin.

Pastor Justine Trent leads worship and music in the new building at Fairburn UMC. Facebook photo.

The church spent some time learning and practicing Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. That created a culture of stewardship that led to the new building and a debt-free congregation.

It was the cash that created the new building and the volunteer hours and talent that members contributed. Members reduced costs by putting up walls, sheetrocking, painting, and installing flooring.

"We had teams that volunteered to come and help us. One weekend, Scott Jensen, a former director at Storm Mountain Center, and a member of First UMC in Rapid City, brought a crew out to help us," Trent says. "We have a member, Delia Johnson, who is a talented woodworker; she made cornices for each of the windows and a new altar.

The new church was built five feet away from the old building. The congregation worshipped in the old building throughout 2017 until the new building was ready. The new building is about the same square footage as the old building, 3,000 square feet, but now everything is on one level.

The space is open, one-half is the sanctuary, and one-half is dedicated to fellowship with a kitchen," says Trent. "We have chairs instead of pews, and we can open everything up if needed."

There are some elements of the previous building present in the new building. The cross on the top of the church is the same cross that was on the top of the old building. The offering plates or bowls are made from the previous building floor, and the stained-glass windows were incorporated into the new building.

The new building is not the most significant accomplishment of the congregation. It is their love for God and neighbor, says Trent.

There is new life and excitement at the Fairburn UMC. Here, the congregation celebrates on the chancel of their new sanctuary. Photo courtesy of Justin Trent.

"I grew up in Oelrichs, just a few miles down the road on a ranch. These are faithful people. In late 2017, we moved into this new building. The debt was $86,000. This fall, 2020, we had a ceremony to burn the mortgage. The focus of the congregation is now on mission projects in the local community and beyond," says Pastor Justin.

The congregation has focused on giving their resources, time, money, and talents to reach out and do things like building a new roof for a resident in the community, building a deck for someone, chopping and delivering firewood to people who burn wood for heat.

Trent hopes to continue to lead the congregation on their journey of faithfulness. Sundays invigorate his ministry journey as he makes the 150-mile round-trip to Fairburn with his family. 

"I grew up in the church and served in different ways all my life. Being a certified lay minister has been rewarding. This congregation makes things happen. Each week, on Sundays, we worship, hold meetings, have a potluck, and fellowship. I look forward to each Sunday," says Pastor Justin.