Rev. Rita Ennen. Photo by jlynn studios.

On Saturday afternoons, Rev. Rita Ennen, Dickinson UMC, travels from Dickinson, North Dakota, to New England, North Dakota, to lead two worship services. There are four to five women who attend the first service. A dozen women participate in the second service. 

"I go to New England on Saturdays. We have two different groups of women who gather for worship. I follow the same order of worship, scripture lesson, and topics as we do on Sundays at Dickinson UMC," said Pastor Rita. "If it is communion Sunday in Dickinson, communion happens in New England." 

The Dakota Women's Correctional Rehab Center (DWCRC), North Dakota's sole facility for female prisoners, can be found on Main Street in New England, North Dakota, population 602. It's 25 miles south of Dickinson, just under two hours' drive west of Bismarck, the state capital, and four and a half hours from Fargo, the state's largest city.

The Dakota Women's Correctional Rehab Center (DWCRC), located in a former Catholic school, was established in 2003 through a contract with the North Dakota Department of Corrections to house female residents for the State of North Dakota.

Ennen has been going to DWCRC to connect women to God since 2005. She first went with an ecumenical team from Dickinson. The number of people in the worship team dwindled, and then the team stopped going during the pandemic. 

"It has always been a ministry in my heart. The whole thing shut down when COVID hit. But it weighed on my heart. It was something I knew that God was calling me to do. When I accepted the call to serve Dickinson, I visited with the leadership team and just knew they would support the ministry at the women's prison," said Pastor Rita. "I hoped to revive the ministry after the pandemic." 

She had to undergo online training and a background check and be granted permission to start the ministry at DWCRC. She held her first worship gathering with one service and a small number of women.

"It took a little while to get things going. I remember the first time I served communion to them. They all told me it had been a long time since any of them had communion," Pastor Rita said. "It was inspiring and life-giving to me to see their response and participation in communion." 

Pastor Rita intentionally shares her experiences at DWCRC with the members of the Dickinson UMC congregation. Worship in New England is a little different. Worship happens around a table; everyone is seated. 

"I share with the people on Sundays that God is doing something for the women. These women are there to pray. If we could all be that excited and inspired by the power of prayer, wouldn't that be something? They pray for each other and for everyone at the institution, including the guards. They pray for their families. They pray for the situation in our world. I have been kind of surprised how much Israel and Gaza have been on their hearts," shared Pastor Rita. "I think people have a certain picture of prison and prisoners. As I sit with these women, I see things happen when Jesus gets a hold of people's hearts. They share compassion and care for more than just themselves." 

The size of the group continues to grow. They leave worship and go back and tell others about worship, praying, and the conversation. 

"They are excited to tell somebody about Jesus. They know that no matter what their past life holds or what they have done, there is grace and love in God. They want to share that and bring somebody else along," said Pastor Rita.

Each week, when the women gather in worship, they share how their prayers have been answered. 

"It is awe-inspiring. We are meant to see God at work in people's lives. It is happening. These women could ask for all kinds of selfish things. That is not what I see. They pray for me and the people at Dickinson UMC," Pastor Rita said. "These are our neighbors, not just because they are in New England right now, but because they're going to be part of the communities where we all live." 

There are about 235 women incarcerated in New England. Among them are mothers/caregivers of more than 400 children. Most of the women are dealing with trauma, substance abuse, or mental health issues. Many come into the Dakota Women's facility in New England pregnant. 

In 2023, the North Dakota Legislature approved $161.2 million to construct a women's prison in Mandan. The state has never built a correctional facility with women in mind. The plan is for the New England facility to shift to a recovery focus.

"We will see where God takes this. I am in a place where God can use me now. I know this is where I belong. At least for this portion of my ministry, a definite window will close at some point. I know that God will use me today and tomorrow," Pastor Rita said.