First United Methodist Church, above, and St. Mary’s Catholic Parish recently announced big changes for their members.

A shrinking population has had a negative effect on many establishments in rural America. Faribault County and its churches are not immune to the situation.

Recently, two churches in Winnebago, First United Methodist Church and St. Mary’s Catholic Parish, have announced major changes for their congregations.

For First United Methodist, it was a decision to close. The congregation had their last Sunday service on July 10. And when September rolls around, St. Mary’s will no longer have regular Sunday services, though technically, they will not close.

Here is a look at what is happening with each church and a short history of each congregation.

First United Methodist

The current Methodist Church building, which sits on Cleveland Avenue in Winnebago, is the third church building where the congregation has gathered to worship.

“Our congregation was dwindling in size,” Jaclyn Rynearson, a member of the congregation, says. “There was a shortage of children and we could not get a minister.”

The church building was actually sold in June of 2020.

“Garth Carlson, a fellow member of the congregation, purchased the building,” Danny Rynearson, Jaclyn’s husband, explains. “He allowed us to continue to use the church for free and will still allow funerals and weddings to take place in the church.”

But, finally the decision was made and the congregation, whose original members heard their first Methodist sermon in the fall of 1856 in a log tavern, had their final official service.

Three different church buildings have been home to the congregation with the first building being erected in the early 1870s.

“It was located northeast of the old elementary school,” Jaclyn comments. “The second structure was dedicated on January 12, 1908.”

The congregation’s history book states the second structure was a brick veneer and more up to date. It was calculated to meet the needs of the community for many years.

Unfortunately, that structure would last less than 20 years.

On Feb. 4, 1923, with a temperature of 24 degrees below zero outside, a fire completely destroyed the church.

The fire actually started during a regular Sunday service.

An article in the Fairmont Daily Sentinel, dated Feb. 5, 1923, gives this account.

The building was crowded when Pastor E.H. Knehans smelled smoke and sent the janitor to the basement to investigate. The entire basement was found to be in flames.

The janitor returned and secretly motioned to the pastor to dismiss the congregation.

“Put on our coats and go out calmly,” Knehans told the people. “The church is on fire. Each section take its own door and there will be no danger. Do not crowd but go as quickly as possible.”

The seats in the church were in three sections with a door for each. One door was cut off by fire.

The choir, under the leadership of Mrs. J.H. Sherin at the pipe organ, continued to sing until the building was empty, at which time the flames had burst through the floor in front of the pulpit, where there was a large register.

The loss is estimated at $30,000, with $15,000 insurance. The fire was believed to have started from an overheated furnace pushed to capacity to heat the church during the cold wave.

Church history says the only things saved were the collection plates which the pastor picked up as he left the pulpit.

Nobody was injured in the fire and the evening of that very eventful day all the members of the Official Board and other members of the church met with the pastor in the parsonage.

After prayers of thanksgiving, it was reported the people enthusiastically and unanimously voted to build a bigger and better church to meet the needs of folks in a modern day.

“It was built at a time when Parker Oaks College was in Winnebago and part of the church was constructed so the college choir would have a place to sing,” the Rynearsons explained. “But the college closed one year later.”

The current church was dedicated in 1924, a little over a year after the prior building had burned down.

Now, just short of 100 years since it was constructed, the remaining members of the Methodist congregation will have to find a different place to worship.

“It is sad,” Jaclyn notes. “The members are our church family.”

St. Mary’s Catholic Parish

A few blocks away from the First United Methodist Church sits the house of worship for members of St. Mary’s Catholic Parish, where another congregation is going through change.

“Emotions run from angry to disappointed,” Lola Baxter, a member of the congregation and a church historian, says. “It is a grieving process – many of us have been born and raised here.”

Baxter’s words are spoken as she reflects on the time in September when St. Mary’s will become an oratory, and regular weekend services will no longer be held at the church.

However, it will still be a place of prayer. Occasional masses can still be held at the church along with funerals and weddings. The basement may still be used for meals and annual celebrations may be held at the church.

The reason for the change is not because of a shortage of people who attend St. Mary’s. The change is occurring because of a shortage of priests available to serve congregations.

“St. Mary’s has been in a cluster of churches which includes St. Peter and Paul’s Catholic Church in Blue Earth, St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Fairmont and Holy Family Catholic Church in East Chain,” Father Andrew Beerman, who, along with Father Greg Parrott, serves the four parishes, comments. “Just like schools have had to join together, congregations have also found it necessary to combine.”

Founded in 1893, St. Mary’s celebrated their 125th anniversary in 2018.

Their current church building was constructed in 1938 when the church they had been in, which was built in 1892, became too small for the growing congregation.

“In the beginning the people were served by a circuit rider,” Baxter explains. “He would travel by horse to serve the people.”

The opening service of the congregation was held in November of 1892 but the Dedication Service was not held until 1893.

According to the church history book, services were held once each month in the winter and twice each month in the summer by Father Hughes of Blue Earth.

The original church building, which measured 36 feet by 70 feet, was constructed at a cost of $3,000.

The church, which had been built on the northeast corner of the city, was moved west four blocks in 1905 at a cost of $150.

In 1912, Father William Colbert was appointed Winnebago’s first resident priest.

“When the new church building was constructed in 1938, the cost was $30,000 which in 2018 would have been $514,000,” Baxter shares. “Remember, this was at a time when the country was beginning to come out of the depression.”

The congregation paid off the loan in just over five years after the new building was completed.

In November of 1939, having moved into their new church building, the congregation decided to have the original little frame church taken down.

St. Mary’s Catechetical School was constructed to the east of the church in 1964. During the first few years after it was built, summer school classes were held for two weeks after the public school year was finished.

The education building is currently being rented out to Tri-Valley Head Start.

With the changes which are occurring, St. Peter and Paul’s will become the receiving church for the members of St. Mary’s.

Another result of the change will be a reduction in the number of church services the priests will preside over each weekend.

“We were holding a total of six services each weekend,” Beerman says. “Now we will have three. Services in Fairmont will be at 5 p.m. on Saturday night and at 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning. The third service will be at 10:30 a.m. at Blue Earth.”

Beerman is also the principal of the St. John Vianney Parochial School.

And that raises another concern.

“The priests are being asked to do a lot,” Baxter comments. “The goal of the diocese is to keep the priests healthy.”

But, it still does not make things any easier.

“You reach a certain age and it is hard to change,” Jerome Behnke, another member of St. Mary’s, says. “You just don’t like it.”

“Six generations of my family have worshipped here,” Baxter adds. “I am thankful funerals will still be able to be held here.”

The fact the building will be open for prayer brings some relief to Baxter and Behnke.

“In some ways consolidating our resources will help and we can concentrate on evangelizing,” Beerman states. “Still, no pastor wants to do this, to merge churches. That is not why I joined the priesthood.”