“We look forward to the opportunity to work together to spread the Gospel in all ways,” it reads, “celebrating together every good thing and mourning together every hard thing, thereby allowing the mission of the Gospel to expand in both communities for the benefit of God’s beloved people in each place.”

Christ Church, Yankton, is known as the “Mother Church of the Dakotas,” according to The Rev. Michael Newago, rector, and was the first church built by Bishop Hare. St. Paul’s, Vermillion, began its life as a congregation the same year, although it took several years for the church to be built, according to Jon Robertson, Senior Warden in Vermillion. “So Yankton is the Mother Church, and Vermillion can be called the Father Church of the Dakotas,” he said,

“I think it is one of the best developments for small churches that can happen,” Stephen Yarborough, of St. Paul’s, said. “What I experienced today (in the first joint service) … was a strong sense of being a real body of Christians together, instead of being two small, little places that can barely make it. … This is a wonderful expression of fellowship and a sense of belonging to something bigger than yourself.

“I can’t get over how well people have melded together,” he added. “For some reason, I don’t know why, I felt a sense of belonging just coming in.”

Fr. Newago, who has been rector of Christ Church since July 2021, coined the motto of the new Episcopal Community of Southeast South Dakota: Two locations, one faith community, one family in Christ.

“What a great day this is,” he told the people gathered on Sunday. “Today we become one family. One community. … Look around you. See these people? These are now your sisters and brothers. There is no ‘us’ and ‘them.’ There is just a ‘we.’

“‘Two locations. One faith community. One family in Christ.’ Get used to it, because you’re going to see it everywhere.”

Beginning on Sunday, March 26, Fr. Newago will be at both churches every week, with changes in the service times. Both congregations agreed to compromise on the service times as part of the agreement. For Holy Week, he explained, “we’re doing what family does: We’re going to each other’s home.”

“Don’t be afraid. … If we move forward with faith in God, all things are possible. This is a great adventure we’re on, and what a great gift God has given us,” he said.

“This, my brothers and sisters, this is the beginning of a new story,” The Rt. Rev. Dr. Jonathan H. Folts, Bishop of South Dakota, preached in his sermon.

“This is the beginning of a new chapter of God’s love in this part of the kingdom, right here, right now.”

Jon Robertson, the Senior Warden of St. Paul’s, spoke about his family’s close ties to Christ Church.

“My great-great grandfather and (great-great-) grandmother John and Bridget Stanage were among the first members of this congregation” in Yankton, he said. “My great aunt June and uncle Frank Haas spent their many years in Yankton as members of this congregation. My parents, Ann and Creighton Robertson, were married in this church. I was baptized in this church, by Fr. Monk. My dad was ordained an Episcopal priest in this church and gave his first sermon as such at this very pulpit. For me it is only natural that we join together.”

Robertson added, “This marks a new chapter in the history of these two congregations. I think it fitting that our second reading today tells us, ‘Once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of the light, for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true … Sleeper, Awake!  Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you!’ Both of our congregations have an opportunity to awake and rise from the dead, to take new life as we begin this task of becoming one faith community and one family in Christ. It is appropriate that we are taking this historic step as we prepare for the Easter season.”

The Rev. Dr. Lauren R. Stanley, Canon to the Ordinary, referred to the earliest days of the discussions about the Covenant Partnership in her remarks to the congregation.

 "When I first approached Fr. Mike with this idea, because he was already here, and asked him what he would think if we were to try this idea, he said, ‘Great! Another community in which to spread the Gospel!’’ she said. “And then I was at St. Paul’s, laying out some of their options … one of the options was a Covenant Partnership with Christ Church, and their answer was, ‘Oh, we like that one!’

Canon Stanley emphasized the newness of this kind of arrangement: “You all have entered into this in full faith and courage, and you are the first ones in this country to do it in this way. This is not how we normally put churches together. But through your faith in God and the promise of God to walk with you — which is why this is a Covenant Partnership — you are doing a whole new thing.

“It means that there are a lot of questions that are unanswered, and that’s OK,” she said. “When God called Abram, he said, ‘Go to this place that I will show you.’ That was it. He didn’t give him any GPS. He didn’t say, ‘Go four days east, and then three days south, and then turn right.’ He just said, ‘Go to this place that I will show you.’ And Abram picked up everything and he wandered until God said, ‘Here you go.’ And that’s what you all are doing. You are going to the place the God will show you, in the full faith that God is going to be with you. … God is with you. And nothing is written in stone. So we adapt as we go.”

In his remarks to the congregation before the Covenant Partnership certificates were signed, Bishop Folts said, “I want to express my deep felt thanks and gratitude to everyone who participated in making this possible, the members of your respective vestry and bishop’s committee who have been meeting together. … This (covenant) is being forged in God’s spirit, and that is pretty darned special.”