Churches in Indian Country receive renewed support

A historic visit to Flandreau from national leaders of the Presbyterian Church has local officials hopeful about the future of their ministry at First Presbyterian Church and the broader Dakota Presbytery.
Church and mission leaders gathered last week at the states oldest continuously operating house of worship, north of Flandreau, to reconnect with the leadership of 21 regional Dakota churches, all within Indian Country.
It has been a long time since national leaders have had direct contact or shown concern for the growth or sustainability of the Dakota Presbytery, they admit. This disconnect has contributed to the physical, programmatic, and financial decline of many congregations. Today, only 15 of the 21 churches in the Presbytery remain open.
Pastor John Burshiem of First Presbyterian Church in Flandreau, who was ordained just a few years ago, has been a church leader for much of his adult life. Yet, he has not received any financial support from the national church.
I want to offer AA, mens and womens groups, all of that, Burshiem said. But I have a state job, I do ministrywhich Id like to do full-timeand I run these groups. Id have no time for my family. If I had someone to help, we could make long-term changes. A lot of churches are falling apart. They need money to rebuild and restructure so they can even hold services.
Burshiem, his family, and congregation keep the church running through local fundraisers. Not all congregations across the Dakota territorycovering Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Minnesotaare as fortunate.
Rev. Fern Cloud, Clerk for the Presbytery of the Dakota, noted, The communities we serve are at the poverty level compared to the national average, so our congregations cant support us. The little money we get from collections goes to utilities. Theres no money to pay our ministers or fund retirement.
Despite the challenges, no one at last weeks meeting expressed anger over past neglect.
We are a new generation of ministers, but weve inherited this disconnect, said Rev. Dr. Diane Moffett, President and Executive Director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency. What do you do with it? How do you move forward? We just want to do better.
Part of moving forward, she said, involves better listening to the voices of people long silenced, which is a new focus for the national church.
We want to acknowledge, repair, and be part of the healing for things the church has done, Moffett said. We aim to lead by example in addressing reparations for Black, Indigenous, and people of color.
Moffett added that while solutions will take time, the national leadership is committed to change.
We are reconnecting. As we do, the possibilities of what we can achieve together will emerge. We cant fix everything overnight, but were here to explore, partner, and see what can happen, she said.