When Father Martin Siebold arrived at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Lincoln in July 2023, he asked the community to pray for its future.
The small mission in Washington County has been meeting in a renovated pharmacy storefront since 2018.
“Guys, tell me your dreams. I want to hear everything,” he said, “I said, ‘Guys, I don’t think you want to be in this old pharmacy forever, so we need to start praying. What is going to be next?… Do we want to renovate? Do you want to build new? I need y’all to decide.’”
Five months later, two twins, who are altar servers, approached their pastor.
“Father, our teacher wants to talk to you,” they said.
The teacher, Michelle Hall, was also a Presbyterian minister.
Hall informed Father Siebold in January that the First Presbyterian Church in Lincoln was being decommissioned, and they were looking for a buyer, especially if it could be used for Christian worship.
It was answered prayers for the primarily Hispanic community.
“It’s all the Lord who is setting it up,” the pastor said.
The Presbyterian leadership in Arkansas agreed to sell the 83-year-old church to Sts. Peter and Paul for $90,000.
Father Siebold approached Bishop Anthony B. Taylor with the offer. After the Diocese of Little Rock examined the church, the deal was agreed on.
Hall has one final gift for Sts. Peter and Paul Church. She dropped off a check for $20,000 for the Catholic community from the local Presbyterian members to pay off their loan and begin renovations.
To help pay off the loan and cover the renovations, the bishop decided to pick the Lincoln church as the One Church partner for September 2024 to August 2025. Since 2018, parishes around the diocese have supported one rural or mission church that needs a one-time financial boost to complete a much-needed project. Individuals and churches support One Church through second collections, donations and fundraisers.
The new church, located in the town square, includes pews for 150 to 160 people, bathrooms, a large meeting room, kitchen and seven classrooms, the exact number St. Peter and Paul need for religious education classes for first grade through confirmation.
Sts. Peter and Paul secured a loan through the Diocese of Little Rock to buy the church and begin renovations, which one day will include a new roof, upgraded bathrooms and the addition of a sacristy and confessional. Parishioners have already done new central heating and air units for the building.
Eventually, the seals around the stained-glass windows will need to be repaired, the pastor said. He also wants to see the bell tower restored.
“It is the face of our church. We don’t want the outside to look run-down. We want it to reflect the inside,” Father Siebold said.
Furnishings, including an altar and tabernacle, have been donated.
Catechists have already done a deep cleaning of the classrooms to begin PRE classes after Sunday Mass.
The storefront church, which Sts. Peter and Paul Church owns, has enough seats for 150 to 160 people, but the kitchen is smaller and there is no space for classrooms.
“It is very tiny, very crammed,” the pastor said.
The church had to rent space across the busy street for the American Legion where bingo games are usually played for faith formation classes.
“The children would walk outside and have to go across the square, crossing traffic to go to the bingo center,” Father Siebold said. “Sometimes parents would go and accompany their kids. Sometimes kids would just run over there. Sometimes parents stay for the adult class, which was in the church. My DRE would have the First Communion class in the church. Even though we have six of our classes over there, it’s just one big room. There was no division. It was a lot of noise, not very good for learning…. (Our DRE) is also in charge of safe environment, making sure all of the kids are safe. The education needs are being met now. If we had coffee and donuts after Mass, when it was raining, when the weather was bad, no one would want to trek over to the bingo hall.”
The storefront church will continue to be used by the Catholic community for parish gatherings and will rent it out to community organizations for their events and fundraisers.
“With the One Church funds, we will be paying off the debt without having to worry about it affecting any of the day-to-day or the expenses that occurred from the renovations,” Father Siebold said.
Bishop Taylor will consecrate the new church during a bilingual Mass at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 10.
To support One Church, donate to dolr.org/one-church.
