North Dakota Conference of Churches

It is a tradition of the North Dakota Conference of Churches to award an Ecumenical Achievement Award  to a citizen of North Dakota.  The award recognizes the efforts of persons who work  to bring together people of various Christian traditions in an effort to build bridges of understanding, respect and acceptance.

Nominated for the award for the year 2009, by the Rev. Lionel Muthiah, was Pastor Wes Aardahl of Faith Lutheran Church in Bismarck.

Yearly, since 2003 Pastor Wes has been actively involved in fostering, planning and leading joint services with the Church of Saint Anne on a variety of occasions.

Every year since 2006 Pastor Wes has given Faith Lutheran’s 9^th grade Confirmation class opportunity to discover who their many Christian neighbors are by leading them on field trip opportunities to visit a number of other Christian denominations, and to learn about their neighbors from the pastors of those Churches.

Yearly every year since 2003 Pastor Wes has been closely involved with representatives from other Bismarck Churches in the planning and carrying out of  interdenominational worship services during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. 

Pastor Aardahl is indeed a disciple of Christ who energetically, and with a lot of happiness, works diligently to build bridges of understanding, respect and acceptance among the people of God in various traditions.

The award was presented to Pastor Aardahl by the Rev. Reuben Schnaidt, President of the North Dakota Conference of Churches, at Faith Lutheran worship services on January 31, 2010.