Robbie Daughtery, standing, blesses backpacks at the beginning of the school year at Pembina UMC. Photos from Facebook.

Pembina, North Dakota, is just one mile south of the Canadian border. Seven miles to the east is Humboldt, Minnesota. Drayton, North Dakota, is 30 miles south of Pembina. Three United Methodist congregations are continuing their faith communities without a pastor.

"We are active faith communities. Our people want to stay together. We realized we couldn't afford a full-time pastor. So, our lay people are planning worship and are reaching out to the communities. The lay people are making it work here in Drayton, Humboldt, and Pembina," said Robbie Daugherty, a lay speaker who helps to coordinate worship at the three congregations. "We are loosely put together but glued by the Holy Spirit."

Rev. Gary Johnson will turn 85 in November. He has been serving as the pastor for the congregations and will soon transition to leading worship one Sunday a month.

"His service has blessed us," said Robbie. "Starting in November, he will lead worship one Sunday a month. He plans to alternate between Drayton and the two north churches—Humboldt and Pembina. For example, Pastor Gary will be at Drayton for one Sunday in November. He will be at Pembina and Humbolt in December for one Sunday."

Lay leaders coordinate worship

The plan for two Sundays each month is to have lay speakers Robbie Daugherty, lay leader and lay speaker from Pembina UMC, and Dan Twamley, lay leader and lay speaker from Drayton UMC,  fill the pulpit. On the fourth Sunday, there will be a video sermon, with lay people leading the worship at the three congregations' services.

"We've been tapping into Rev. Adam Hamilton out of Church of the Resurrection for our video sermons. The first video sermon topic was the purpose and power of the church. Next time, it will be the purpose and power of baptism, followed by the purpose and power of communion. The Sunday, when Pastor Gary Johnson comes, there is communion. He blesses the communion elements for the other congregations, so each church has communion once a month. People are getting used to a lay speaker and the video sermons," describes Robbie.

In the months when there is a fifth Sunday, the worship service is outreach for service or led by youth and children. At Pembina UMC, they will do Messy Church. 

"There will be six times a year when we don't have the pastor. Those Sundays we have to plan for a lay speaker or a video sermon. When there is a fifth Sunday in the month, at Pembina, will have Messy Church. The adults and Sunday School kids will be together for the lesson and activities. We will also have breakfast," said Robbie.

Robbie Daughtery, blesses graduating senior.

Becoming a lay speaker

At one time, there were seven lay speakers in the area. Now there are only two: Dan and Robbie. Daugherty has been filling the pulpit since 2008. She moved to Pembina, North Dakota, with her husband in 1977. Learn more about Certified Lay Ministry. 

Her husband was raised in The United Methodist Church. She was raised Presbyterian. When they moved to Pembina, they joined the Pembina United Methodist Church. Rev. Debra Ball-Kilbourne, former district superintendent, stirred Robbie's soul to become a lay speaker.

"Deborah Ball-Kilbourne made a statement to our group. She said, 'Your church is only as strong as your lay people.' That motivated me. I thought, my children are all grown. I had little grandchildren at the time. We were like several other rural churches. The numbers were declining," shared Robbie. "Rev. Linda Baldock, the pastor during that time, offered lay speaking classes. There were seven of us who became lay speakers. Now we are down to two."

Rev. Marilyn Spurrell, another former district superintendent, asked Robbie if she would consider being part of a team to serve a four-point charge. "2008, we went together with Drayton, Joliet, Humboldt, and Pembina. Joliet eventually had to close. Four of us would take care of the churches—Dan, Pastor Gary, Pat Mersch, and myself," said Robbie.

Serving their communities

Serving and reaching out to the community is a big part of each faith community. Daugherty states that the congregation collects groceries in Pembina for the backpack program.

Robbie explained, "We're very active in collecting groceries for that. The grocery store owners here in town are members of our church. They have put yellow happy face stickers on all the items that can go into the backpack. Everyone in the community knows that those items are for backpacks. The entire community contributes. Some people buy the groceries and hand them off to the grocery store to keep on a shelf just for the backpack program. Some people just come in and give money to the backpack program. Our church has a lunch bucket for backpack items at the back of our sanctuary."

The congregation supports the county food pantry through a noisy offering one Sunday a month and designating funds in the budget. They also work closely with the local school to provide classroom snacks, money for milk tickets, and extra clothing items—underwear, socks, jogging pants, and winter gear.

Pembina UMC supports Love One Another Now—LOAN in Cavalier, North Dakota, with clothing and financial donations. LOAN is housed in a former Methodist church set up like a department store. Families shop twice a year by making an appointment to select new underwear, socks, outfits, and school supplies.

A member of the congregation coordinates a card ministry. Everyone gets a card for special days—birthdays, anniversaries, baptisms, etc.

There are 19 children who participate in children's and youth ministry at Pembina UMC. Sunday school children have a program called Secret Grandparents. Once a month, from September through May, children send out cards to those who are in care homes, are homebound, etc. 

Gratitude Sunday happens in the fall. Youth and children lead the worship service. "The kids get into it," said Robbie. "They lead the prayers, call to worship, and read the scripture. This year, they are going to help me with the message. I think it will be a lot of fun."

There are 4-5 preschool children that come to Sunday school. Daugherty proudly shares that two high school boys are leading the preschool class. They were former confirmation students. "The kids just love them and get so excited,' she said. "I am so proud of these boys."

Sunday worship happens at 9 a.m. in Humboldt and 10:30 a.m. in Pembina. The Drayton service is at 10 a.m. with a different worship leader. All three congregations are vibrant expressions of rural ministry.

Robbie sums it up this way, "We're small churches with big hearts for Jesus, and that's how we try to approach everything, taking care of one another, taking care of our community. That's what we do."