The Overnighters

It is no secret that the United States has been facing a time of economic crisis. Many men and women have lost their jobs, their homes and even have trouble feeding their families. But in Williston, North Dakota the oil business is booming, nearly tripling the small town’s population in the past ten years. Unemployment is close to zero and starting pay in the oil fields can easily exceed $100,000. In search of a better life or a quick dollar, thousands of desperate men and women flock to the region looking for work and often arrive with little more than the clothes on their backs or the cars they are driving. Housing in Williston has become scarce and expensive, leaving even those who have found employment without a place to live. These newcomers arrive at Concordia Lutheran Church everyday seeking help, which prompts Pastor Jay Reinke to open the church’s doors to allow the “Overnighters” - as he calls them - to stay for a night, a week or sometimes even longer, sleeping on the floor, in the pews and in their cars in the Church parking lot. Far from home, and their families, they are desperately seeking the American Dream. On some nights, as many as sixty people call the Church home, which creates a vibrant but unruly ad-hoc community.