Where It All Started
2000s:
Rev. Keith Mills begins his ministry in North Dakota, becoming a pivotal figure in community development.
2003:
Bill Patrie conducts interviews with 100 individuals in poverty, leading to the publication of 100 Stories of Hope (2005).
2005:
Northwest Venture Communities initiative is launched to support low-income families, administered by the Souris Basin Planning Council.
2010s:
While pastoring in Grand Forks, Rev, Mills sells church property to the local Muslim community and merges his congregation with the Family of God ELCA Church.
2018:
Rev. Mills reconnects with Bill Patrie, who is now leading the Common Enterprise Development Corporation, to explore forming an organization focused on attracting new residents to rural areas.
2020:
Rev. Mills proposes CATCH to the Essential Conference Minister’s Fund and transitions to virtual meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting focus to economic strategies and refugee resettlement.
February 1, 2021:
Rev. Mills passes away; Rev. Deborah Blood becomes acting conference minister and continues the steering committee’s work.
April 2022:
An in-person meeting in Carrington, ND, facilitated by Megan Laudenschlager, leads to the formal incorporation of CATCH.
November 2022:
CATCH is awarded a grant through Strengthen ND.
2023:
Bottineau becomes the first community partner, supporting Ukrainian families.
June 2023:
Rev. David Jenkins is hired as executive director but resigns in December. Bill Patrie serves as interim director.
June 2024:
Derrick Gross is appointed as the new executive director. New board members join, and CATCH secures a grant from the Department of Legal Immigration.
