Rev. Mark Ehrmantraut

"I am an absolute believer that God has a call on every one of our lives," said Rev. Mark Erhmantraut, an ordained elder from the Dakotas Conference who recently started as the community engagement coordinator with The God's Child Project, a non-profit based out of Bismarck, North Dakota. "It might be reading from the pulpit. It might be joining the service team that goes to Guatemala. It might be being a nurse, teacher, or somebody who helps us get from point A to point B by putting the roads together." 

"We are most at peace – we can understand that 'peace that passes understanding'— when we finally start to live into that call."

For Ehrmantraut, that call has been anchored in The Greatest Commandment – to love God and to love neighbor. He has lived out that call as a Dakotas Conference pastor through appointments at North Highland UMC in Aberdeen, S.D., Zion UMC in Beresford, S.D., McCabe UMC in Bismarck, N.D., and Vincent UMC in Minot, N.D. 

Now, answering that call has led Mark, like many other pastors, into extension ministry – ministry beyond the local church that extends the church's witness to the world. 

"In the churches that I served, the people have just really lived into their God-given purpose around what I would call 'Matthew 25' ministries – 'as you've done to the least of these you have done to me,'" said Pastor Mark,  "whether it's preparing a meal every week for people who are unhoused, or the Miracle of Christmas event that brings in 750 people to provide no cost shopping for families who might not otherwise be able to afford it." 

It was this call to minister to "the least of these" that resonated with Mark when he was presented with the opportunity to work with The God's Child Project.  

"Our mission is to break the bitter chains of poverty through education, housing, healthcare, and sustainable development," explained Ehrmantraut. "We have a presence in North Dakota, a large presence in Guatemala, and a school for orphaned girls and young women in India."

In his short time with the non-profit, he has learned of the powerful ways that different interventions can impact multiple outcomes. For example, building simple one-room houses with cement floors rather than dirt floors can reduce child mortality. 

"If you're a little one playing and sleeping on a dirt floor, your chances of getting parasites and infection are skyrocketing," explained Ehrmantraut.  "In third world countries, diarrhea is a killer of children. Having a cement floor reduces diarrhea in children by 50%." 

Even as he sees the ministry's impact on the lives of others, it is also making a powerful impression on him. 

"We have an internationally recognized hospital in Guatemala that works with babies and their mothers who are malnourished," said Pastor Mark. "I've worked with a lot of people in poverty over the years, but until the end of September, I'd never held a baby where I could see and feel every rib. But the good news is that you can break that cycle with the right treatments and intervention." 

The work also allows him to use his pastoral skills as he gives presentations and training for churches and organizations, tells the story of The God's Child Project, and invites others to look beyond themselves and their churches to make an impact in the name of Christ.

"We're at our best, as followers of Jesus, when the church isn't only defined as the physical structure, when we can be unleashed into the community to make a difference," emphasized Pastor Mark.  "Then, whether it's in the building, community, or world, we're engaging in being the hands and feet of Christ."

"Sometimes it's not until we have those experiences that we are truly able to give thanks for God's generosity in our lives in so many ways," added Ehrmantraut.