What We Believe
We believe the Holy Bible as originally written to be without error, and we regard the Bible as the only standard for the Christian life.
We believe in one God--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe in God the Father, who is the Creator of all things.
We believe that Jesus is the Christ, Son of the Living God, and Savior of the world.
We believe the Holy Spirit indwells every Christian and provides them with power for living, ability to understand spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right.
We believe salvation is by grace through faith and is God's gift to us. We accept this gift by placing our faith in Jesus Christ, repenting of a life that is contrary to God's design, acknowledging that Jesus is our Lord and Savior at all times, and being baptized into Christ.
We believe baptism is by immersion in water and identifies us with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, that we may also be raised to live a new life.
Watertown Christian Church is a fellowship of believers associated with the Restoration Movement of Independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ. Our congregation is self-governing with no denominational headquarters.
Shepherding the Sheep
Our leadership is comprised of people who love, care for, and pray for every single person in the church. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.
Gerald Volk - Pastor
Gerald and Jennifer Volk are the parents of six children and one son-in-law. They are also grandparents of three little boys. Gerald grew up on a farm outside of Logan, Iowa. He attended Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Missouri, and graduated with a degree in ministry. Gerald has served as a prison chaplain as well as in various church roles as a youth pastor, family life pastor, and preaching minister in six states throughout the Midwest. He started his ministry in Watertown in November of 2010, fell in love with Watertown Christian Church and the community very quickly, and looks forward to being here for many more years. Gerald's life verse is Philippians 1:27: "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ."
Steve Brink - Elder
Steve became a Christian in 1980 while living in Germany and has been in leadership roles in several churches around the United States and in England. He is a 24-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He is married to Mavis and has two adult children, a son-in-law, and a daughter-in-law. He also now has a grandson! He enjoys working on projects around his acreage to improve it.
John Maynard - Elder
John is a lifelong member of our congregation who served as a deacon for 25 years before becoming an elder. He is a farmer who enjoys hunting, fishing, and studying Clark County history. He is married to Connie, and they have three adult children, one son-in-law, one daughter-in-law, and five grandchildren.
Marlin Maynard - Elder
Marlin is another lifelong member of this congregation and attended SD School of Mines & Technology as well as Milligan College in Tennessee. He is a farmer who enjoys fishing, and he has done a lot of bowling and hunting. He has been an elder since 1990. He is married to Nancy, and they have three children, two daughters-in-law, and one son-in-law. Ten grandchildren complete the family.
David Smith - Elder
Born to missionary parents in Brazil, David moved to the U.S. at age 16. He attended Dakota Bible College, where he met his wife, Vicky. They have four daughters and four sons-in-law, as well as ten grandchildren. David retired after 25 years working for a local bakery, and he is now caring for physically and/or mentally challenged adults through a local non-profit agency.
Our
History
BEGINNING
Watertown Christian Church began in March of 1890 as a group of Christians meeting in the Beatty Schoolhouse near Elrod in Clark County of northeastern South Dakota. Elrod was a rapidly growing area during this time since it was on the stagecoach route between Clark and Watertown. By 1893, land had been secured and pledges for $450 had been raised to build a little church on the prairie four miles south of Elrod, and this original building remains standing today. The photo above was taken on Children's Day in one of those very early years. Unusual for that period was the plotting of the cemetery next to the church building (most other area graveyards were plotted 30-40 years later). South Elrod Cemetery is still in use. Services continued at South Elrod Christian Church for 73 years until 1966.
MOVING ON
The population of the Elrod area started decreasing with the onslaught of the Great Depression and continued with people moving out of rural areas to cities. The few remaining members of South Elrod Church felt they should move the congregation to Watertown to reach more people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So a vacant building was purchased on South Lake Drive on Lake Kampeska, and South Lake Church of Christ was formed. Over the years, extensive renovations were made on this building, and a house across the road was purchased to serve as a parsonage.
By 1990, members felt they needed a building that looked more like a church, had more room for classes, and was in a more visible location for the town. So the current site off Golf Course Road was purchased, and a new building was constructed on a hill overlooking the airport runway. Since it was no longer located on South Lake Drive, the name was eventually changed to Watertown Christian Church.