John Wesley knew a thing or two about traveling. The Circuit Riders of the early Methodist church also knew they would ride great distances on horseback to spread the Good News of the gospel. United Methodist pastors in North Dakota have long known “to accept the things they cannot change”, such as long drives between the congregations they serve.

North Dakota Highway 13, outside of Milnor, North Dakota.

In southeastern North Dakota, there’s a 42 mile stretch of North Dakota Highway 13 that Pastor Tiana Bohn is becoming familiar with, too. That’s how far she drives from her home in Wahpeton, North Dakota to Milnor UMC in Milnor, North Dakota and the congregation she began serving there in July of 2021.

Tiana literally grew up in the United Methodist Church in her central Minnesota hometown. Her Grandma was the church secretary, her Grandpa served on the Trustee committee, and her mom taught years of Sunday school. She spent most of her free time in the church, either with family or at church events. Since money was tight, especially for vacation travel, the most memorable trips of her childhood were mission trips where she saw the world’s needs outside her small hometown.

The prominent cross and flame of Evergreen UMC in Wahpeton, North Dakota was a welcoming sign to Tiana Bohn in a time of need. File photo.

Leaving home for college in Wahpeton, North Dakota– away from home and out of state for the first time, she painfully felt the distance in the first month of her freshman year when her beloved Grandpa died. Tiana remembers feeling lost and aimless for a time in a strange town, and the distance from her family and her home church was evident.

Later that winter in Wahpeton, she discovered the cross and flame on the Evergreen UMC in Wahpeton, and felt a tug to drive up to a church she’d never been in, but had something vital in common with.

“I needed to come back. Back to the church,” said Bohn. “It was Ash Wednesday, and I knew I needed to be there.”

Tiana stayed in Wahpeton and renewed an active faith in the Evergreen congregation. Through the myriad of church ministries she participated in at Evergreen UMC– teaching Sunday school, choir, mission trips, and more, Tiana felt fulfilled as a lay leader.

Pastor Tiana Bohn.

Then, something happened that she’d never experienced. She was asked very simply by her pastor, Rev. Jen Tyler, “Have you ever thought about ministry?” The question was simple enough, but one that doesn’t pop up as often as it should when we see a gift for ministry in someone in our midst. Tiana remembers her reaction.

“I was like, ‘Yeah, I still haven’t finished my spiritual journey, and I have a skillset to offer,’” Tiana thought to herself. “In 2018 I filled out the paperwork to become certified as a licensed local pastor, but still hadn’t given it immediate thought.”

During the pandemic, Tiana’s experience from her career as a training consultant (a position she maintains as a bi-vocational pastor) was a valuable asset to Pastor Jen and the congregation at Evergreen UMC. She helped them utilize video technology to connect her pastor with the congregation in some new ways.

Milnor United Methodist Church, in Milnor, North Dakota. File photo.

Everything changed in the pandemic, and in February of 2021, Rev. Kris Mutzenberger, the Northeast District superintendent, called Tiana to discuss a quarter-time appointment to Milnor UMC, 42 miles west of Wahpeton.

“I didn’t expect that call from Pastor Kris, or that request, but I knew I was ready for that next step,” recalled Tiana. With two adult sons and a grandbaby in town, she knew she needed to maintain her residence in Wahpeton, yet find a way to grow into her ministry.

So began a ministry circuit for Pastor Tiana, who had discerned her calling, and said ‘yes’ when the call came.

A recent Facebook post from Milnor UMC, showing the winter items they collected on their September Mission Sunday, to distribute to children in need in their community and beyond. Photo courtesy Milnor UMC facebook page.

The appointment to Milnor began in July, but knowing the 84-mile round trip would not always be feasible, Tiana worked with the congregation to develop a creative ministry model, as many pastors and congregations have done in the past two years. She now leads worship in-person on the first Sunday of every month, and two other Sundays a lay leader at Milnor UMC begins the service, and her message video is projected on the screen in the sanctuary.

The fourth Sunday of each month is “Mission Sunday,” where the congregation has a selected project and activity– a Backpack Sunday, a Trunk or Treat, and a Thanksgiving meal giveaway. The congregation is thriving and enthusiastically living into this new ministry model.

“The folks in Milnor have been great,” Tiana said. “They’re willing to think outside the box. They were already very mission oriented before I came. Milnor UMC is a place where people are out in the neighborhood and are sharing the grace of God.”

As she grows into her first ministry appointment, Tiana is discerning her next steps, mainly, choosing a path leading toward ordination. As she discerns that path, and the various options of online and in-person theological study and where it may lead her, she’s enjoying the vibrant United Methodist congregation at Milnor UMC, the support and adaptability they are giving her, and the gifts they offer in making disciples together.

Are you wondering if God is calling you to take the next step in your ministry journey? Discernment is the first step toward informing yourself and exploring your calling. The Dakotas Conference is offering a Discernment Retreat on January 8, 2022, and February 5, 2022. Register here.