WOUNDED KNEE - A new family life center was dedicated on Aug. 24 on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The new facility, on the Church of God grounds, will provide a gathering place for ministry, community events and other services for the Wounded Knee community.

"Nothing new has been built in the community for the last several years," said Stanley Hollow Horn, pastor of the Wounded Knee Church of God. "Our center is something new that can help meet the needs of our people while reaching them for Christ."

The family life center was the vision of Stanley's wife and partner in ministry, Sylvia Hollow Horn, who wanted a facility to make a difference in the lives of those living on the reservation. In 2005, a work group from First Church of God in Murfreesboro, Tenn., began construction of the 2,400-square-foot building. Over the subsequent years, dozens of church groups from across the country donated their time and money to make the vision a reality.

The dedication ceremony was attended by more than 80 people, many from the local community. But others came from as far away as California, Ohio, Tennessee and Indiana to join in the celebration. Leaders from the Church of God's racially diverse Partners in Ministry, representing the National Association of the Church of God, the Hispanic Council, the American Indian Council and Church of God Ministries all participated in the dedication ceremony. Following a biblical tradition from the Old Testament, the assembled leaders anointed the doorposts with oil, dedicating the building to the work of the Lord.

Speaking on the impact the new facility will have on the community, Sam Johnson, first chief of the AIC, said, "It will become a lighthouse for the Wounded Knee community and Pine Ridge Reservation. It will draw people into a place where Stanley Hollow Horn can serve them and spread the love of Christ."