Pastor Jerry Stravia told his mother, as a young child, that he wanted to be a priest. He kept hearing these voices. When he headed to Dakotas Wesleyan University, he kept hearing God's voice. It did not make sense to him. He was a practicing Catholic. How could he be called to be a Methodist pastor?

Stravia turned to Rev. Boyd Blumer, retired elder of the Dakotas Conference, who was teaching a religion class at DWU. Together, they affirmed Jerry's call to be a canidate for ministry in the Daktoas Conference of The United Methodist Church.

Today, Stravia serves at First UMC, in Mitchell, South Dakota, as the associate pastor. In July, Pastor Jerry, will become the pastor at the United Methodist Church in Dickinson, North Dakota.