July 27 Today in OPC History

On July 27, 1964, Winner Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Winner, South Dakota was established as a particular congregation with 26 communicant members and 37 non-communicants by the Presbytery of the Dakotas. Preliminary Bible studies had begun five years earlier under the leadership of the Rev. Donald Stanton, pastor of Westminster OPC in Hamill, South Dakota, and continued under the Rev. Abe Ediger, who was called as Winner’s first pastor.

The congregation previously had been able to purchase an old Lutheran building that it had moved from the town of Dallas to Winner. In 1968, the basement of the original building was extended, but walls were not constructed on this foundation until a decade later. By 1982, the building itself was completely renovated, but it wasn’t until 1993 that the inside renovations were finished with the addition of new padded pews.

Throughout that time of steady progress with the building, the congregation was served by those who preached God’s Word in faithfulness. Following Mr. Ediger were pastors Robert Sander (1967–71), Glenn Jerrell (1973–76), Gerald Taylor (1978–82), Lawrence Eyres (1982–88), Arthur Fox (1988–92), Stephen Hart (1993–96), and Terry Thole (1998–2010). Since 2011, the Rev. Brad Irick has served as pastor.

Picture: Glenn Jerrell (leaping), Winner pastor from 1973-1976, and Rick Shaw playing vollyball at the Presbytery of the Dakotas camp.