Scott Berg welcomes challenge of leading two parishes By G. Halliday [2-1999]    Two small congregations support- ed by one preacher.    "That's a good situation," said Rev. Scott Berg, pastor of Grafton Baptist Church in Grafton[, ND] and Bethel Baptist Church, Park River[, ND].    Berg has been behind the pulpit of the Grafton church since July 1991, but in Park River he officially took over the first of this year after serving as interim pastor for nine months. Berg's Park River congregation had been without a pastor since Rev. R. Beckstrom retired Nov. 1, 1997.    Berg's first association with Bethel Baptist Church was a year ago when a member of the congre- gation was hospitalized and request- ed a Baptist preacher visit him, and he answered the call.    Berg also con- ducted funeral services for the Park River parish- ioner, and then several weeks later filled in on Sunday mornings in the Park River church.    "I dropped our adult Sunday school in Grafton so I could go to Park River," Berg said.    In the meantime the Park River congregation continued to search for a pastor while Berg jostled his schedule to serve both churches.    Two other pastors were inter- viewed for the Park River position, but in the end the congregation voted to hire Berg on a full-time basis by an overwhelming margin.    At the Grafton Baptist Church, Berg conducts services at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sundays.   Sunday school is held during the 11 a.m. worship.    Berg's only service in the Park River church is at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays.    Berg said there's a difference in the two congregations, Bethel Baptist Church being well established with over 40 active members and Grafton Baptist Church as fairly new.    "At first we met at the Grafton Armory.   We started from scratch. We really had nobody coming," Berg said.    Eventually the attendance number grew and the building housing the former Jim's Apothecary was pur- chased for a place of worship.    The Grafton Baptist Church is considered a mission church, but that will change this Spring.    "This Spring we plan to organize into a congregation.   People attend- ing now will sign an organizational charter.   That will break our ties from our mother church (Bible Baptist Church, Crookston, MN).   We were under their wing.   Now that we are self-sus-                                 taining we can                                 organize.   I'm                                 pleased about                                 that," Berg said.                                    According to                                 Berg, six fami-                                 lies attend                                 Grafton Baptist                                 Church regularly.                                    "And we have                                 bits and pieces of                                 seven or eight                                 families who                                 come," he added.                                    Berg has been spending every Wednesday in the office of the Park River church, but he said he may have to switch to Tuesdays due to other commitments on Wednesdays.   Office hours in Park River are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.    Berg, a native of the Nash area and graduate of Grafton High school, not only preaches on Sundays, but for five minutes every night over radio.    At 9:15 p.m. Monday through Friday, he can be heard over KFBN 88.7 FM.    "It can be heard up and down the valley," he said.   "The signal comes in good in Grafton."    Along with pastoral duties, Berg finds time for "community service."    During the summer months, he's Nash native Scott Berg serves as pastor at Grafton Baptist Church and Bethel Baptist Church of Park River.   (Photo by Larry Biri) busy with baseball, being coach of the American Legion baseball team, as well as coach for 5 and 6-year- olds, 7 and 8 year-olds and the Babe Ruth team.    In the Winter, he is a coach for the Eagles basketball program being in charge of the sixth-grade team.    "I like sports, and my kids are involved," he said.    Berg also has his family involved in a business venture.    "We grow watermelons on three acres.   This is the 18th year we've done that," Berg said.   "It's a good family project.   We sell to both gro- cery stores in Grafton and to the Hugo's chain in Grand Forks."    Berg's family includes his wife, Nadine, and children, Chad, 12; Elissa, 11; and Wade, 9.   Nadine home schools the children in their rural Oakwood home.    Pastor, coach and family man -- that's a combination Berg likes.