About Us
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).
Who we are
Saint Paul’s United Methodist Church in Jamestown, North Dakota was founded in 1883 by a missionary from The Evangelical Association a denomination founded by Americans of German descent. In 1946 St Paul’s became an Evangelical United Brethren Church, and in 1968 it became part oaf the United Methodist Church. Through all of these denominational transitions, St. Paul’s has valued family connections, local and global missions, and sharing the good news about Jesus.
Our Mission, Vision & Values
MISSION STATEMENT
Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
VISION STATEMENT
All generations connected to Jesus through fellowship and mission.
VALUES
- St Paul’s values being multi-generational.
- St Paul’s values fellowship.
- St Paul’s values missions.
Discipleship
Discipleship is a lifelong movement towards Jesus. It involves both growing to know Jesus more and being transformed into his likeness. In the gospels, Jesus often uses agricultural imagery to describe the growth of the kingdom of God: we read parables of the seed being sown, of weeds and wheat growing together, and of the vine and branches.
The three areas of discipleship development are:
Gather: A gathering disciple seeks purpose and belonging, connecting with God and others.
Grow: A growing disciple intentionally develops their faith their whole life as an individual and within a community of faith.
Pastor Jennifer McDonald
Senior Pastor
Pastor Jennifer has been Pastor at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church since July 2020. She received her M.Div. from Asbury Theological Seminary after receiving her M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Prescott College. She served Triple Cross Cowboy Church in Harrodsburg, KY and Vincent United Methodist Church in Minot, ND before coming to Jamestown.
She enjoys spending time with and training her dog, Tux and her two horses, Jackson and Lucky Lil. She also enjoys baking homemade pies and good fiction.
Sandra Bear
Administrative Assistant
Sandra has been working part-time as an Administrative Assistant at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church since August 2023. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social & Behavioral Science from Dickinson State University. Her work background includes customer service and human services. She is also a licensed real estate agent, insurance agent and holds a key gaming license for South Dakota.
In her free time, Sandra enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, Pat, and their dogs, Smiley and Ellen. They also enjoy watching football together. Sandra is passionate about animal rescue and has two cats named Reilly and Alice. She is happy to be back home in ND after spending 12 years in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. They say home is where the heart is and Sandra is very happy to be closer to family and old friends.
Cheryl Dewald
Treasurer
Cheryl is a Jamestown lifelong resident.
Earned a BS in Accounting at Minnesota State University – Moorhead MN.
She worked for 20 years in the banking industry, as an accounting manager and Controller at First Community Credit Union. She worked for about 4 years in the insurance business at Farmers Union Insurance. She then worked for the State of ND for the last 20 plus years with the first 5 years as the Business Manager at ND State Hospital and then another 10 years as the Business Manager at James River Correctional Center then transferred into Human Resources with James River Correctional Center as HR Manager for the last 7 years.
She has three grown daughters, Mallory (Justin) Bear, Megan Dewald and Alyssa (Taylor) Olson and three granddaughters, all of whom live in Jamestown. Cheryl has been a leader/volunteer with the Jamestown Girl Scouts for the last 32 years and I love to scrapbook and travel when I get the chance.