About

Our Church Family

Arlington Methodist is the oldest church in Arlington, SD. The church and its ministry continue to be a vital part of the community.

It began in 1880 as the Methodist Episcopal Society with the first meetings held in the back of the A.D. Maxwell General Store on Main St.
By 1885, 2 adjacent lots were acquired which would be the locations for a parsonage and church building.

The original church was dismantled and the wood used to build the existing parsonage. On the exact site of the original church, the current brick structure cornerstone was laid Nov. 16, 1919. The new church was completed and dedicated on Sept. 26, 1920--Arlington Methodist Episcopal Church.

In 1968 the denominations of the Methodist Episcopal Church and Evangelical United Brethren Church merged and became the United Methodist Church. This merger created Arlington United Methodist Church.

The church and congregation have seen many changes to the city of Arlington and to the denomination over the decades. In the fall of 2022, Arlington UMC disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church and aligned with the Global Methodist Church on Jan 1, 2023. We are now called Arlington Methodist.

Arlington Methodist has always sought to minister in their community in any way possible.
The congregation’s desire is to not only be the hands and feet of Jesus in Arlington and the surrounding area, but also to be a witness for Jesus Christ around the globe.

Arlington Methodist welcomes all people. We are a Christ-centered community that is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Our desire is that all people know Jesus as their Lord and Savior and become His disciples.

Our Pastor

The pastoral leadership at Arlington Methodist consists of ordained clergy and believers who have confidence and passion to guide our community and reach others with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Rev. Joleen Pietrzak (Pastor Jo) has served Arlington Methodist since 2019 but has participated in pastoral ministry since 2009. She is an ordained elder for the Global Methodist Church and a Presiding Elder for the South Dakota Southeast District. Her passion for teaching, street preaching, and cross-cultural evangelism has led her to Haiti numerous times.

She has one son and is also an adjunct Anthropology/Sociology professor for the University of South Dakota (2008-present).

Pastor Jo's education consists of:
*BS in Anthropology (USD)
*MA in Anthropology, Sociology, and History (USD)
*MDiv (Sioux Falls Seminary)
*Future hopes of pursuing a doctoral degree

Our Misson

Our passion is to make disciples of Jesus Christ who worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly.
We believe the gift of grace is available to all people. Our Father in Heaven is not willing that any should be lost, but that all may come to "know the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4).

Wesley said, "there is no holiness but social." In the Wesleyan tradition, we also believe that social holiness means that the road to holiness is one that we cannot travel by ourselves, but rather involves the community of faith at every step along the way.
Therefore, our longing and hope are that we:

*Remain rooted and grounded in the Scriptures and in the historic teachings of the Christian church and understood through the Wesleyan lens of faith.

*Aspire to introduce all people to Jesus Christ. We are committed to carry out the Great Commission of Jesus in Matthew 28 to go into all the world to make disciples of Jesus Christ, teaching and baptizing in His name.

*Lead all who experience new birth in Jesus to deepen and grow in their relationship with Him, inviting the Holy Spirit to produce spiritual fruit within their lives as they manifest gifts of that Spirit.

*Model the love of God in order to respond to the summons to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.