Introducing new ministers in town: Rowenhorsts, Fr. John Short

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By Shiloh Appel

Starting July 1st, many changes happened in Redfield in the ministerial world. Father Tom Anderson, who has pastored St. Bernard’s Catholic Church and All Saints for several years, was reassigned to Yankton. Pastors Tammy Toepke-Floyd and Marty Toepke Floyd moved to Jamestown, North Dakota, where they pastor the First United Methodist Church there. Father John Short has stepped up to pastor St. Bernard’s and All Saints and Pastors Paul and Melissa Rowenhorst have stepped in to fill the space left behind by the Toepke-Floyds at Redfield United Methodist.

The Redfield Press asked the new ministers to introduce themselves. Following is a Q and A with Pastor Paul Rowenhorst, followed by a write-up by Father John Short.

Q and A with Pastor Paul Rowenhorst:

Q: Tell me about yourself and your family...

A: I am married to my wife Melissa. We have been married for 20 years and we have three boys. Stephen, he is 16. Luke, who is 11 and Jonathan, who is 10.  And our boys attend Aberdeen Christian School. We lived in Andover and we just moved into Redfield. We have more boxes than space right now, but we will work on that.

Q: Did you grow up in Andover? Where did you graduate high school, college?

A: We’ve moved quite a bit in ministry and life.

Well, my wife graduated from Munich High School in Munich North Dakota. I graduated from Unity Christian High School in Orange City Iowa and we met at Grace University in Omaha, Nebraska. That is where I was trained and have a Master’s Degree from. We were married in 1999 and lived in Omaha for awhile and we’ve moved quite a bit from there. I’ve been a part of seven or eight different churches now, and ministries.

From Omaha, we went to Sioux Falls, from Sioux Falls we went to Sioux Center, Iowa, and then we went to Huron, where I was state director for CEF for five years- Child Evangelism Fellowship.

Then we moved to Andover, where I took another ministry position for 18 months. Then I stepped down from that and started driving truck and Derek Baum, from Aberdeen First United Methodist introduced me to Roger Spahr, who is the district superintendent, and he connected me with Pastor Mark Tracy in Clark and I started …last July at some rural Methodist Churches. Then in October of last year I was appointed to Doland United Methodist and then they asked if we would consider taking over Redfield and Frankfort.

We have a unique setup for ministry. I am the senior pastor, my wife is the associate pastor. She is here all the time and I am on the road either Sunday or Monday through Friday. So I am here for Saturday and Sunday where we do practices and getting ready for things. Then Sunday I preach in both Frankfort and Redfield.

I have the desire to reach the community of Redfield with the gospel of Jesus Christ and to see him change people’s lives. We believe in a family-oriented type of church where we would like to see kids and adults of all ages come together in worship. We believe in a blended style of worship that incorporates traditional songs and I just like to preach from the Bible and explain what the passages are saying and how it applies to our everyday life today.

Q: When did you feel the call to ministry?

A: I felt the call to ministry probably in 1994-1995. I am a recovering addict. Alcoholic and drug addict. After coming out of treatment in 1994 where I accepted Christ as my Savior, then I went to community college. It was one day when I was driving home from classes that I sensed God really impressing on my heart that my dad is a farmer and he has been given the spiritual gift of “dirt” — is what I call it. He knows how to take care of the land, and when he walks into the field on Sunday afternoons, he prays. That is where his connection with the Lord is. But my spiritual gift is trying to communicate God’s truth to other people and trying to see them come to a relationship with him and grow in that relationship.

That day driving home I just — for lack of a better term, I sensed the call to reach people with the gospel. From there, I went to Bible college and God opened doors and closed windows and we have just been following him ever since as a couple and as a family. We just want to be obedient to him and go where God calls us.

Q: Is trucking a new thing for you? Has it been a good adjustment for your family?

A: Trucking is about a year and a half old. Started January of last year. There are challenges and ups and downs, but yeah, I think so.

Q: When did you start pastoring here in Redfield? Is this your first time in Redfield?

A: July 1st [2020] is when we started.

I have been in Redfield before with CEF. We know a little bit about Redfield, but we want to get to know it better. It seems like the baseball team is doing pretty well this year. …Leo’s Good Food is Leo’s Good Food. We like to have meals there.

Q: What are some of you and your wife Melissa’s hobbies?

A: I like to play guitar and sing. Occasionally, I go out and get one good shot in 18 holes in golf and I think I’m good for awhile. My wife likes to play piano and she does cross stitch and crochet. She makes blankets and stuff. ...It is something that she does out of her heart when she has time. But we are busier now.

Q: Are all of your kids into music?

A: Stephen is a drummer, percussionist and guitar player.

Luke, our middle one, is not all that excited about music, but he will do it when he is told he has to.

And Jonathan seems to like music as well, so, yeah, we are a fairly musical family. It is a neat thing for us to do together.

Q: What are some of your kids’ other hobbies?

A: Like any normal kid, they like playing on technology. Luke likes to be outdoors and playing with the dogs. We have two dogs: Snickers and Nibs.

Jonathan enjoys music and playing with the dogs too. He is just going to get into it. He is hoping to play the French horn and Luke is currently playing trumpet, but he would like to play tuba.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to say to the community of Redfield?

A: We are excited to get to know more people in Redfield and find some friends we just haven’t met yet. And we hope that if people do not have a home church, they can come check us out.

My email is prowenhorst@gmail.com. Phone number is: 472 - 2332 .

Father John Short Biography:

My name is Father John Short.  I am the new pastor of  St. Bernard Parish in Redfield and also the pastor of All Saints in Mellette. I am the youngest of 7 children.  My father was a farmer and my mother was a school teacher.  The farm where we lived was southeast of Brookings.  I graduated from Elkton High School. After high school graduation I worked in Brookings at Coast to Coast Warehouse for 14 years. Sensing the call from God, I began college seminary in Winona, Minnesota in August of 1991 and graduating in the Spring of 1995.  From there I attended Theology at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland and finishing studies there in 1999.  I was ordained a priest of Jesus Christ in June of 1999 at the Cathedral in Sioux Falls.

The last 21 years I have served in various parishes and towns including Watertown, Highmore, Harrold, Mobridge, Clark, Bryant, Henry, Florence, and Mitchell.  I enjoy rural South Dakota very much as I still have some “farm blood” circulating in my veins and I look forward to meeting the people of this area.