First Baptist Churchof Eagle Butte
Dear Friends,
Greetings to all of you from your Christian brothers and sisters in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. My name is Ben Farrar, and I have been the pastor of this church for over a year now. Since many of you have been known friends of our church for some time now, and others are just beginning to get to know us, I thought it would be a good idea to send you this newsletter, giving you an overview of who we are and what we are doing up here.
This is the city- Eagle Butte, South Dakota. What you are looking at here is the business district. This is the largest settlement on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. It is home to the Lakotas-the last Native American tribe that still maintains a measure of its sovereignty. But you know them as the only Native Americans who ever dealt the United States Armed Forces a sound defeat. Remember the Battle of Little Big Horn, where Custer made his last stand? Well, he was fighting these guys.
Also, if you’ve ever seen the film“Dances with Wolves”, you have seen a historical reenactment of how these people once lived. Some of the extras in that film still live right here in Eagle Butte.
This is City Hall, the center of the local government. Sitting in front of it is about one quarter of the local police force. On the right-hand side, you see the Outrider Café, the fanciest restaurant in town. Don’t let its modest exterior fool you: the food is delicious!
Much has changed since the Lakotas first came into contact with white settlers. Unable to follow the buffalo as they once did, they have settled down into small towns that are scattered across the region-Eagle
Butte being the largest of these. The United States government, who tries to help in ways that are not entirely wise, has made a regular practice of giving tribal members enough money to get by-just barely. The Lakotas are not rich by any means, and many of them live in conditions some would consider unlivable. But they nevertheless have just enough to make it from one month to the next-just enough to make many of them dependant on the government for everything, lacking any incentive to improve their lives. In time, despite our rural location many of our people have come to face the same problems felt by residents of an inner city.
Jobs are scarce (many sources cite unemployment between 80-86%), gang violence is high, teen pregnancy is the norm, and alcoholism is everywhere. Above, you can see one the city’s bars. If you own a bar in Eagle Butte, you are a very rich person.
Other drugs ravage the people here, as well. There is not a single person in the entire town who is not either addicted to alcohol or drugs, or has recovered from an addiction, or who is close to someone who has been touched by these substances. No one is unaffected.
The overall effect of these problems is to leave much of the population in a depressed state of mind.Many of them have given up any hope of accomplishing anything significant in their lives. The suicide rate is very high.
This area has a wide variety of churches, but the most common religion is Lakota spiritualism. Those who follow this way pray to the spirits of the sun, the sky, the earth, and the rock, and will often invite the spirits of animals into their homes. Above, you see a Pow-wow, an annual Lakota festival that was once a sacred religious ceremony. As time has passed, its significance has been somewhat forgotten, and most of its attendees just go to enjoy some singing, dancing, and festival food. The drummers, who you see on the right, are still aware that their singing and drumming calls out to the earth spirit.
The most sacred of all Lakota religious ceremonies is the Sundance. Here, the Lakotas will cut themselves with knives and put themselves through terrible feats of pain and endurance as part of this ceremony.
Most of the population is wary of Christianity, for a number of reasons. For one thing, it was brought by white people, and white people brought a lot of bad things. For another, the United States government started a program after the massacre at Wounded Knee, collaborating with the Catholic and Episcopalian churches to educate the Lakotas. As a result, many Lakota children were forcibly removed from their homes and taken to Christian schools hundreds of miles away. There, they were forbidden to speak their native language, and were punished severely for even the smallest offence. For years, these children never saw their families, and some of them never got over the trauma. Some of the older Lakotas still remember attending these schools, and can be very cautious when dealing with Christians.
It is in this environment that First Baptist Church of Eagle Butte was founded, and has persisted for many years. We have had good times and bad, but through the help of the Holy Spirit and the assistance of kindhearted people like yourselves, we have built the church into a healthy, growing body that glorifies our Lord with every opportunity. I can personally testify that it is one of the healthiest churches that I have ever seen. God is doing mighty things here.
So you can imagine how delighted I was to receive a call to Pastor this church. Since that time, I have worked here for over a year, and never regretted a moment. Well, that's not true. I have regretted that I did not arrive here sooner! The people of this church, both Lakota and white, have accepted me as one of their own. They have treated my wife and I as their friends, and they have been friends to us. Here you can see a picture of me delivering a sermon on a typical Sunday morning.
Here I am standing with my lovely wife, Tiffany.She feels called to this area, just as I do. We have shared the adventure of ministry in this church for one year, and the adventure of marriage for three! She has been a source of comfort and support for me whenever life has become difficult, and a sharer of joy when we have felt God's blessing upon us. She also helps with our breakfast ministry, keeps order during children's Sunday School, Helps cook for our Wednesday night potlucks, and many other contributions, too numerous to mention.
Unlike me, Tiffany feels called to the area of education. She teaches sixth grade at the local public school. There, she handles all subjects, with a particular concentration in reading. Here you see her standing in her classroom, where she teaches everything from math to manners. She arranges her classroom in such a way that it actually holds over 5,000 books!
The men and women of First Baptist Church are friendly and kind, and live at peace with each other. What is more, there is a goodly number of them who are not afraid to get their hands dirty to serve the Lord! If you don’t mind, I would like to show you some of the people of this church, and some of the ministries they provide. But no matter what I say, the help they give the church is not limited to the things I list, nor are the people I mention the only ones serving in this church:
This is Amanda Benson.
Although she does not hold the title,“Minister of Music”, she does all the same things that ministers of music do. She also teaches Sunday School for the young children. If the energy of this woman could somehow be harnessed, it would provide power to the entire eastern seaboard. On the left, you can see Amanda leading the music during a typical worship service. Amy Holley, another member of the church, is accompanying her on the piano.
The woman you see on the right Rita Lafferty. She serves on our church finance committee, and also runs our breakfast ministry, one of our focuses at this church. As part of this ministry, we feed breakfast to about thirty hungry local children each Sunday morning, then teach them the Sunday School lesson. It is our belief that, if we get the Lakota children thinking about church and Christianity in a positive context, they will be more receptive to the Gospel. This is a philosophy which has proven true, because during the past year I have baptized two of these children-both of whom accepted Christ one year ago.
The man you see on the left is Glenn Wilkins. He works in our breakfast ministry every Sunday. He almost never uses a car, but walks everywhere- and for this reason the Lakota have given him the Indian name "Walks Fast". When he happens to arrive at church before the door is unlocked-as he often does-he passes the time by picking up trash in our parking lot.
In the center, you can see a typical Sunday morning, with Rita and Glenn feeding the children breakfast (probably the best meal they will get for the entire weekend).
Of course, many of these children have parents who do not attend church, and some of them have no means of getting here whatsoever. This is where our next ministry comes into play.
This man is named Gilbert Lind. As a point of interest, he is a descendant of the Lakota chief Sitting Bull. He, along with Ilhami Konur, Mark Shupick and Clint Holley, operates our bus ministry. Every Sunday morning, Gilbert, Ilhami, Mark and/or Clint take our vans out to the various neighborhoods, and give children a ride to church. After the children are done, these men take them all back home.
Gilbert also assists the church in other ways. When something large and heavy needs to be moved, Gilbert picks it up with one hand and sets it down wherever it needs to be. During the past year, he moved all of my office furniture and about two tons of dirt for the church (using his truck, of course).
These two happy people are Anne and Ilhami Konur.Both of them have retired from their normal working life, and have dedicated their lives to starting Christian schools on Indian reservations. They now find themselves twice as busy as they have ever been before!The building on the right is the school they have founded here: Windswept Academy. Here, Lakota children receive quality education in a Christian environment. The Konurs charge almost nothing for tuition, and operate the school on donations from others.The school turns no profit, and is not meant to. As for the Konurs themselves, they live entirely off of their life savings, taking nothing from the school.
Here we see a typical day in one of the school’s main classrooms. While WindsweptAcademy has no official connection with First Baptist Church, its students are taught sound Christian doctrines, and when they are older they are more likely to become members of First Baptist. Also, both of the school's founders and most of its staff attend this church. So in many ways, the school and the church share the same goals. That is why I am proud to be the chaplain for the school.
These two wonderful people are Clint and Amy Holley. Clint serves as the Headmaster of
Windswept Academy as well as a teacher, while Amy teaches multiple grade levels.
When Amy and Clint first arrived at Windswept academy, the largest number of students the school had ever had was 15. Amy then began praying that God would entrust them with 25 children that year-nearly double their previous record! It was an ambitious prayer, and God would have to do a mighty work to bring it about. But by the time the year began, 27 children were in attendance! Now, one year later, that number has increased to 35. In fact, if the school continues to succeed at its present rate, they will soon reach a point of not being able to fit any more students into the building! It makes me so happy when I see God show off!
Clint and Amy do not limit their service to the confines of the school, however. Being people of selfless hearts, they give of themselves in many areas of the church. Clint teaches adult Sunday School classes, while Amy manages the preschool children. Amy plays the piano during worship, as well. Together, they manage our Off-the-Wall ministry, with considerable success (but more about that in a minute).
These hapy people are Adam and Rachel Cowan. Adam teaches at the school, while Rachel is a secretary there. They have just moved to the area, but they are already distinguishing themselves through acts of service. Rachel has begun helping to teach children's Sunday School, while Adam has volunteered to fill in for me on a Sunday when I will be absent.
This is Darla Shupick, our youth Sunday School teacher.She is also the no-nonsense founder and operator of Noah’s Ark Preschool and Day Care Center. During the summer, this center takes care of children while their parents are at work.But when the fall arrives, Darla actively sets to work-teaching the children their numbers, and their colors, and their letters, and their three bears, and how to get along with other people.When these children arrive in kindergarten, they are one step ahead of the other children because of this extra training.
In addition to traditional preschool topics, children at Noah’s Arkreceive some basic Bible instruction. Like Windswept Academy, Noah’s Ark has no direct affiliation with the church, but certainly works towards some of the same goals.
This is Mark Shupick, Darla's husband. He serves on the church finance committee, works in driving the children to Sunday School, and generally gives the church the benefit of his knowledge about how things work. If there's a problem, he can solve it. If it's broken, he can fix it. And if he can't fix it, he probably knows someone who can.
This woman is Leslie Morrison, who has joined our church during this year. A few months ago, she asked permission to start a "women's talking circle" at the church. The purpose of this ministry was to provide Christian-based group counseling to women who are recovering from addictions. She was frightened at first, since she had done nothing of this nature before. But she soon overcame her fears, and has begun leading this group's meetings every Monday and Thursday night. This provides a much-needed service to local women who want to get their lives back on the right track.
This woman is Jennine Dolphus. During the passt year, she has become our church treasurer. This is a job to which she is particularly well-suited, since she works at the local bank. She has proven as exact and meticulous in her bookkeeping as she is sunny and kind in her disposition.
This man is Randy Slides Off. He is a faithful servant of the Lord, who conducts Bible studies in his own home, in addition to attending church. He also serves as the church custodian. Thankfully, with Randy around, cleanliness in the church is something that I don't have to think about.
This is Darlene Mestes. She is one of the eldest members of the church. And since it is both the Lakota tradition and the Christian tradition to respect the counsel of your elders, it is only appropriate that Darlene also serve on the finance committee. She has been an active member of the church almost since it was founded in the early 1960's, and she will serve in it another 50 years, if the Lord allows.
For those of you who have only been in contact with this church for a short time, this letter should give you a general idea of who we are and what we do. But for those of you who have been friends of ours for a long time, here is a review of how the church has changed during the past year:
For beginners, there is the building. Our building was strong at this time last year, but it was in need of repair. It needed painting, the roof was damaged, the sign out front was inaccurate, and the electrical wiring needed repair in several places. Now, thanks to God's blessings and the generous assistance of you, our brothers and sisters in Christ, our building is now in the best shape it has ever been in. It looks brand new!
This April, I had the great pleasure of conducting my first baptism ever in this church! I performed it for two young boys who gave their hearts to Christ last year, at Vacation Bible School. Baptism is a fairly involved process at First Baptist Church of eagle Butte. Before I will baptize anyone, I put them through a series of classes about what Christianity is and what following Jesus will mean for their lives. Those who are not complete in their commitment to Christ will not attend the classes, so this process tends to inspire a more serious and disciplined conversion. These two young men stuck it out with me all the way to the end. When the classes were complete, I asked them, "Now that you know what it is to be a Christian, do you still want to be one?". They enthusiastically answered yes, and their baptism was conducted with celebration and gladness!
This summer, First Baptist Church experimented with the practice of taking on a summer intern. The girl who offered to be our first intern of all time was Madeline Renee Holman, from Sevier Heights Baptist Church in Tennessee. She gave invaluable help to the church throughout the summer, and quickly handled any task I gave her to do, whether great or small. Here you see her dropping off some local kids at a Christian summer camp in Pierre, SD. She did so well with this assignment that the church has begun to consider bringing in other interns in the future.
Maddie made a video during her time here that not only chronicles what she did, but what magnificent things the Lord did in this church this summer. You can view the video by clicking the link above.
We attempted an outreach effort with the local hospital this summer that proved very effective. We prepared a breakfast for the hospital staff, and had members of our church on hand to thank them for alll they do for the community. Our efforts were met very warmly by the hospital community, and even resulted in some of them coming regularly to our church!
My wife, Tiffany, took the initiative to start a ministry of her own during the past year. Each month, whenever possible, she hosts a ladies' social for the women of our church at our home in Eagle Butte. She does this in recognition of the fact that the women of our church do a great deal of work in the various church ministries, but often have little opportunity to be ministered to themselves. These women's socials were started during the past year so that the women could have an opportunity to relax, eat, talk, and enjoy fellowship with each other. So far, the women have found it delightful, and my wife has been glad for the opportunity to share her hospitality with her sisters in Christ.
One of the biggest innovations of the past year has come in the form of a new ministry, designed to reach the local young people. Normally, the most popular activity for young adults in Eagle Butte is to sit on a wall (conveniently located across the street from our church) and stare at traffic. Drug dealers know to come there to ply their trade, and someone was stabbed there just a few months ago. We wanted to do something about this, but we recognized that all the young people were coming there because they were bored. That was when someone had a brilliant idea.
The result was a ministry called "Off the Wall", an initiative by the church designed to give the young people of Eagle Butte something fun and safe to do on Friday nights. Clint and Amy Holley have headed up this ministry, and other members of our church volunteer to help with the festivities. Each Friday, we set up a movie projector, some board games, a basketball hoop, some crafts, and a meal. Young people come from everywhere, and for a few hours they enjoy themselves in a Christian setting. In time they have come to enjoy being here. Some of them have even surprised us by coming to a Wednesday night meeting. And the popularity of this event now rivals the wall itself, as we routinely get 40 kids a night!
So perhaps you are wondering how
you can become a partner with us in our ministry here in Eagle Butte? If so, then we are happy to tell you, since
we welcome assistance from the body of Christ. Here is what we need the most:
Prayer. It may be true that our church is getting
along very well at the moment, and that God is doing great things here. But it is precisely when a church is being
used by God that Satan does all in his power to destroy it. So please pray, my brothers and sisters. Pray that our leadership will keep their
hearts pure and humble, and that we will live at peace with each other. Pray that we will be protected from the power
of the enemy, and that God’s Holy Spirit will shine through in our lives. Pray that the Lakotas in the community will
come to know the Lord, and that the commitment they make will not be a
superficial group of words, but a real change in their Spirits that will alter
the course of their lives for eternity.
E-mail
addresses. If any of you knows
someone who would like to stay updated on the activities of this church, please
send me their e-mail addresses.
That
way, they can receive monthly newsletters, just like you!
Just send their name and e-mail address to me
at
benfarrar777@hotmail.com, and
I’ll make sure they receive this newsletter as often as you do.
Financial
Assistance. Our church is fortunate
to have members who are generous in their giving. But some of our most generous
members are, nevertheless, very poor. We
have long been blessed with assistance from outside churches, and we try to use
those gifts wisely and well. If any one
of you wishes to bless the church with a financial gift, you may send it to:
First
Baptist Church
of Eagle Butte
P.O. Box 170
Eagle Butte, SD
57625
May God bless you all, and draw you
closer to Himself each and every day.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Ben Farrar
Pastor
First
Baptist Church
of Eagle Butte
I
love Christmas! And I love celebrating
it with my church family! Last
Wednesday, First Baptist Church engaged in our annual Christmas party-by which
I mean that we all shared a meal, then pitched in and put up the Christmas
decorations. The sanctuary was decked
with boughs of holly, a Christmas tree was put together and decorated, many
lights were strung, and a little manger scene carved out of Cottonwood root by
a Native artist was placed down front.
But the newest addition to our Christmas decorations was a beautiful
nativity scene that we arranged in front of the church. Its figures light up at night and are very
visible to everyone passing on Main Street. Most churches here do not put decorations on
the outside of their buildings, for fear of vandals, but we feel that this is a
risk worth taking. Everyone passing in
the street now sees a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas, and that makes
the holiday just a little bit sweeter. This nativity scene, together with our Christmas tree and other related expenses were made possible by a gift from Mineral Springs Baptist Church in Louisiana. God bless you all for your generosity!
Eagle
Butte is a very poor community, and many of its people (particularly its children)
often go without. But our church is
richly blessed by many generous donors who help us to make the winter a little
bit merrier for the people of Eagle Butte.
This year is no exception, as we have received gifts from people all
across the country, from such far-flung places as Virginia and Iowa. There are warm socks, assorted assorted
winter clothing, Beanie Babies, and all kinds of useful Bible study
materials! We will all get to work
immediately, preparing to put these things to work for the people of this
town. A special thank-you to James
Griffith of Charlestown, West Virginia; Christine M. Carver of Brightmoon,
Virginia; Brenda Halls of Douds, Iowa; Burkemont Baptist Church of Morganton,
North Carolina; Bethlehem Baptist Church of Clarkesville, Georgia; Ellen Mustoe
of Washington, Virginia; Ms. Kim Gilkey-Breeden of Amissville, Virginia; the
District N Retired Teachers’ Association of Flint Hill, Virginia; Larry and
Vivian Sutton of Washington, Virginia; The Rappahhannock County Retired Teacher’s
Association of Washington, Virginia; and Frieda Herman of Washington, Virginia,
and all the people who helped them gather all these wonderful gifts to send to
us. May God bless you all.
