Cando UMC one of the three congregations served by Pastor Rick Craig. Photos by Rick Craig.

Pastor Rick Craig rises each Sunday morning at about 5 a.m. and travels 80 miles to serve three congregations. He leads three worship services for Cando, Rock Lake, and Rolla United Methodist Churches located in north-central North Dakota. 

"I am an early riser, so the travel each Sunday morning fits me," says Pastor Rick Craig, a licensed local pastor appointed to Cando, Rock Lake, and Rolla. "I am grateful to serve three wonderful congregations each week." 

He begins at Rolla with a service, journeys to Rock Lake for a service, and then onto Cando to lead worship. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he has seen fewer people in-person. Pastor Rick offers a weekly sermon online via Facebook live.

A licensed local pastor, who changed careers in midlife, Pastor Craig has been serving in the three-point charge since 2008. Previously he served at Velva; and Linton / Moffit / Sterling in North Dakota. 

"I entered ministry after spending time in construction and building. I finally got around to answering God's call," says Pastor Rick.

In November, Craig and his wife both contracted COVID. They found it challenging to gain back their strength and get back into the swing of things. "I am doing pretty well," says Craig. "But my wife is struggling a little more." 

The congregations suspended in-person worship last spring, met in-person during the summer, and suspended in-person worship  this fall when the number of people with COVID-19 grew. 

"We are back to having in-person worship, but our numbers are low. I do an online sermon each week, and we are seeing several new people watch the sermon and leave comments online," says Craig.

The first person at Rolla UMC each week is Pastor Craig.

He is the tech person and also the church secretary for each of the congregations. "We are small but mighty. People have a passion for Christ and are hungry to hear the Good News. I don't mind the multiple roles I need to play," he says. 

Craig finds joy in his travels to each congregation by exploring the landscape and beauty around him and taking photographs. He creates a calendar with some of the photos he takes each year and sells calendars to the community members and others to feed the church's mission work. 

"I have been eager to share my love of photography, but photography is not my only or my greatest love. I also get to preach, which I dearly love to do," says Pastor Craig. 

Licensed local pastors

Rick Craig is a licensed local pastor.

Craig is one of the many licensed local pastors. United Methodist elders are declining in number in the U.S., but licensed local pastors are increasing. 

The denomination's General Council on Finance and Administration reports that from 2010 to 2015, the number of ordained elders and provisional member elders serving churches dropped from 15,806 to 14,614.

The Rev. Lovett Weems, director of the Lewis Center, has long followed United Methodist clergy trends. In 1990, there were over five elders for each local pastor; today, there are 1.7 elders for each local pastor. In 2020, there are 12,610 elders and 7,478 local pastors. The result is that since 1990 there are 8,352 fewer elders and 3,627 more local pastors. As elders have declined in numbers by 41 percent since 1990, local pastors have increased in numbers by 90 percent.

Learn more about becoming a licensed local pastor here.