Page 9 - 021218

Groton Daily Independent
Monday, Feb. 12, 2018 ~ Vol. 25 - No. 214 ~ 9 of 39
News from the
Suspect in double shooting near Pine Ridge pleads not guilty
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — The suspect in a shooting on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation that left two people critically wounded recently pleaded not guilty.
Lester Waters Jr. is charged in federal court with assault resulting in serious bodily injury. U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons says Waters is being detained until trial, which wasn’t immediately scheduled.
Authorities allege Waters shot two men near Pine Ridge on Jan. 25. He could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
South Dakota church merges 3 denominations together By CAITLYNN PEETZ, The Daily Republic
WOONSOCKET, S.D. (AP) — Her best friend had just died, and Anderson was at a loss — she wasn’t angry with God, she was just confused.
What she found in those church pews changed Anderson’s life.
“Nobody ever said anything negative. People knew I was grieving and were welcoming and warm and open-hearted,” Anderson said. “I wanted to go and see if I could nd comfort and understanding, and I really think that’s an important thing a lot of people go through — they don’t care about their faith until something really tragic happens.”
The life-changing experience Anderson had at Spirit of Faith in Woonsocket isn’t uncommon.
But the situation leading to the formation of the church is.
The congregation is made up of three denominations — Evangelical Lutheran, United Methodist and
Bethany Lutheran — that merged approximately one year ago to form the church. Since then, the con- gregation has raised more than $300,000, and it plans to build a new church facility to house their uni ed entity, the Daily Republic reported . Church leaders plan to get the rst sketches of the proposed building in February.
Spirit of Faith Pastor Rhonda Wellsandt-Zell acknowledged the uniqueness of banding three denomina- tions together — a feat she hasn’t seen elsewhere. But for Woonsocket, it has worked well, and she hopes the new church will be the “center point” of the community.
To be that place, though, means ensuring everyone has access.
Much of the decision to build a new sanctuary is attributed to handicap accessibility, or lack thereof, in the current building. People con ned to wheelchairs or with other disabilities are now forced to sit just outside of the worship area, near the door, which is uncomfortable and unsafe, Wellsandt-Zell said. The conditions drove some worshippers away.
Regardless, Spirit of Faith has grown in numbers, seeing anywhere between 40 and 100 people for Sunday services, and there simply isn’t enough space to accommodate the growth.
“When we started changing things to start meeting the needs of the people, that’s when we realized we had potential for so much more,” she said. “We are, as Spirit of Faith, an umbrella, including everybody. We realized we had potential to do more with our lives if we were working collectively together.”
For approximately 40 years, the three Sanborn County churches shared a pastor and services rotated weekly among the churches. Finally, in October 2016, the decision was made to make a permanent home in Woonsocket, in a building along Highway 34.
The change has worked out for the best, Wellsandt-Zell said, making scheduling simpler and consistent. But knowing the former churches will be demolished to make way for the new, Wellsandt-Zell said there has been plenty of change for many patrons, especially for those who had attended one of the churches for their entire lives.
Thankfully, though, the support has been outstanding, she said.