Peace Presbyterian Church Yankton South Dakota

Peace Presbyterian Church

206 East 31st Street, Yankton SD, 57078

In 1990 several men and women of Presbyterian and Reformed Church back ground placed an ad in the local paper seeking individuals interested in forming a Presbyterian church in Yankton. They met with the Presbytery of South Dakota and were accepted as a new church development in the Presbytery.

Beginning in July of 1991 the Yankton Presbyterian fellowship began meeting for regular worship at Ray's Funeral Chapel. At the regular October meeting of the Presbytery a task force was appointed to provide direction and assistance to the fellowship. By December, the Church school was organized, a five member steering team was appointed by the congregation and retired Methodist Pastor Wally Gaddis was called to conduct worship and provide once weekly pastoral calling.

In April of 1992 worship services moved to the rented Nazarene Church. In October a committee was formed to locate property for the construction of a church facility. The current site was located and the purchase of the site moved forward along with plans for construction. By November worship services had moved to the Health and Human Services Center Chapel. The Presbyterian Women also formed during this time and began their regular meetings.

By 1994 the first Vacation Bible School was held and the Adult Fellowship group was organized. On April 24, 1994 the first service of worship was conducted in the newly completed church building. Steve Knudsen was hired as a pastoral intern for a period of 12-14 months on June 1, 1994.

In December of 1995 the first Confirmation Class was received into membership during the worship service on the 10th. During that same month Rev. Ken Jones was hired to replace Rev. Gaddis who had resigned. The Presbyterian Youth Group was formed in 1996. On July 6 1997, Rev. John Gallentine conducted his first worship service as the first full time pastor for the Yankton Presbyterian Church. The congregation voted October 12th to change the name of the church to the Peace Presbyterian Church.

Rev. Gallentine resigned in August of 1999 beginning a period of interim pastors while the Mission Design Committee and the Pastoral Nominating Committee completed their work. The result was that on August 26, 2001 Rev. Ken Woodhams began his work as pastor of Peace Presbyterian Church.

On June 5, 2005, the Presbytery of South Dakota chartered Peace Presbyterian Church. We are no longer a new church development but a fully organized congregation of the Presbyterian Church USA.