South Dakota currently has a total of seven UPCI churches in the state, and they are separated by great distances. The Next Town Ministries objective is to close the distance it takes for people to have access to a church with truth by establishing new works in every county.
Last April, Pastor Mark Brown of Next Town Ministries launched a Bible study group in Milbank, South Dakota, a town of 3,300 people. In the process of securing a location to rent and have Bible studies, a lady was stirred by Pastor Brown’s vision and connected him to a historical society that owned a church. The contact allowed Pastor Brown to look at the building, and at the end of the tour, he asked what Pastor Brown thought of it. Pastor Brown responded, “It’s great.” The contact said, “It’s yours.” They gave Next Town Ministries the church building and property title for free!
The building needs some HVAC and electrical updates, but otherwise is a great structure with a sanctuary that can seat approximately 120 people. Next Town Ministries now own a debt-free church building and property in the next town. Pastor Brown calls it the “miracle in Milbank!”
Mark Brown is the pastor of Jesus Church in Watertown, South Dakota, and the superintendent of the UPCI’s South Dakota District. This article first appeared in the October 2022 edition of Pentecostal Life magazine.