Theresa Danley commissioned as new lay pastor for Milk River Churches

Theresa Danley, of the Chinook Presbyterian Church, is now a Commissioned Lay Pastor (CLP). CLPs preach, lead worship services and perform other functions of ordained ministers. For Theresa it was the culmination of seven-plus years of course work, study, teaching, preaching and preparation. She did academic classes through the Dubuque Seminary (Presbyterian) in Iowa. Much of her academic coursework to be a lay pastor was done online with occasional visits to the Iowa campus. The commissioning ceremony was Saturday, February 25 in Great Falls.

Theresa will officially begin her role as a part-time lay pastor for the Milk River Churches on the first Sunday in March. The five congregations that make up the new Milk River Churches (MRC) are: Havre Presbyterian; Chinook Methodist; American Lutheran in Chinook; Chinook Presbyterian and the Harlem Yoked Parish (a combination of a Methodist and Presbyterian Church created years ago). For more than a year representatives of the five congregations have met to discern ways to jointly worship, minister to their communities and share resources while maintaining Sunday worship services at each of the five churches.

Theresa will officially begin her work as a Commissioned Lay Pastor on Sunday, March 5 at a joint monthly worship of the Milk River Churches. The joint service will be held at the Chinook Presbyterian Church (worship service at 11am, fellowship and pot luck to follow). Holy communion will be celebrated at that service with Theresa and Rev. James Johnson officiating. That worship service will be Pastor Johnson's last joint service as he and his wife, Donna, prepare to return to their home in Boise, Idaho. Pastor Johnson has served the five congregations for the past three months and while also helping Theresa prepare for her new leadership role.

Theresa will be leading Sunday worship services at the various Milk River Churches during each month plus a joint service of the five congregations on the first Sunday of each month. The monthly joint service will rotate among the congregations on a set schedule. In addition to leading Sunday worship, Theresa will also provide pastoral care to the five congregations.

Theresa's commissioning was held during the quarterly meeting of the Glacier Presbytery (a group of representatives from the Presbyterian churches in western Montana) at the Sunrise Presbyterian Church in Great Falls. The commissioning was a major milestone in Theresa's preparation to be a lay pastor. A sizeable number of congregants from the various Milk River Churches attended the commissioning as well as Theresa's husband, Brian, and daughters Laura and Abby.

See calendar with dates and churches where Theresa will be preaching near term. You can also find information about the Milk River Churches on their Facebook site.

This is a calendar of where Theresa Danley, the new commissioned lay pastor for the Milk River Churches, will be preaching in March and April and for the upcoming Easter season:

March 5 - Joint Communion-Chinook Presbyterian(all MRC churches together)

March 12 - Chinook Presbyterian/Havre Presbyterian

March 19 - Harlem Yoked Parish Chinook Methodist

March 26 - American Lutheran Church, Chinook

April 2 - Palm Sunday-Joint-Havre Presbyterian (all MRC churches together)

April 9 - Easter - Chinook Presbyterian/Havre Presbyterian (community service)

April 16 - Chinook Presbyterian/Havre Presbyterian

April 23 - Harlem Yoked Parish/ Chinook Methodist

April 30 - American Lutheran, Chinook

• All Wednesday Lenten Soup Suppers will be held at the American Lutheran Church at 6pm with Bible Study to follow supper.

• Maundy Thursday services at each home church, individual times to be announced.

• Community Good Friday Service at Chinook Methodist Church at 3 pm.