WND Synod Receives Grant
Financial Support for Rural & Small-Town Congregations
Western North Dakota Synod is honored to announce that it has been selected as a grant recipient through The CaSTLE Project: The Country and Small Town Lived Ecclesiology Project, a five-year initiative led by Wartburg Theological Seminary to support renewal in small town and rural congregations.
With this grant, Western North Dakota will receive funding to strengthen and support Synod Authorized Ministers (SAMs) and the mentors who walk alongside them. This investment will deepen those relationships while continuing to equip SAMs for the real, on-the-ground work of ministry. Through this grant, we will offer meaningful SAM education in both day-long workshops and retreat-style settings, creating space for learning, reflection, and renewal. In addition, SAM mentors will have opportunities to connect with a coach, helping them grow in confidence, clarity, and skill as they support leaders serving in complex and changing contexts. The project seeks to deepen baptismal identity and cultivate thriving, Spirit-led communities of faith in rural contexts.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Wartburg Theological Seminary and The CaSTLE Project,” said Rev. Brad Dokken, Associate to the Bishop for Call, Candidacy, and Leadership. “This grant will allow us to strengthen our already excellent SAMs in a more unified way across the synod, equipping them for a future rooted in hope and purpose.”
The CaSTLE Project, funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc., aims to renew a baptismal ecclesiology for the long-term flourishing of rural congregational life. Western North Dakota Synod joins a growing cohort of synod grantees, shaped by mutual learning, community building, and innovation.
“We are excited to walk alongside the leaders of Western North Dakota in this journey of renewal,” said Rev. Ramie Bakken, Director of The CaSTLE Project.
For more information about The CaSTLE Project, visit: https://www.wartburgseminary.edu/castle-project and https://www.thecastleproject.org
Local Contact:
Rev Brad Dokken Associate to the Bishop for Call, Candidacy, and Leadership
701-552-5112
