A Brief History of Our Church
Welcome !

The Rev. Sheldon Jackson, D.D., visited Missoula June 11, 1872, and the next day organized the First Presbyterian Church of Missoula, after conducting a service of worship in the courthouse. There were two members: Mr. W. J. Cunningham, elected and installed an elder for a one year term, and Mrs. M. E. McKee. Dr. Jackson immediately left Missoula and three days later organized a Presbyterian church in Helena. He did not return. Mr. Cunningham, a freighter, reportedly also left town the next day and also did not return. The following year Mrs. Mckee united with a Presbyterian church in California!

No Presbyterian work was firmly established in Missoula until the Rev. James R. Russell, Ph.D., one of several young ministers who had lately come to Montana, organized the present church April 12, 1876, in the home of Mr. Ferd Kennett, who was later ordained an elder. The eight founding members received on that day were: Mr. & Mrs. Ferd Kennett, Mrs. George Baker, Mrs. Eliza Wood, Mrs. Elizabeth Kennedy, Mrs. Weeden, Mr. Sims, and Mrs. Jacob Reinhard. There was no regular minister for over a year.

On May 24, 1877, the Rev. Milton L. Cook arrived in Missoula and was placed in charge of the Presbyterian work in Missoula and the neighboring area of the Bitterroot Valley. He organized a Sunday School in Missoula June 3, with 33 present. Mr. Ferd Kennett was made Superintendent.

Services were first held in the Northern Methodist Church building, but by 1878 Mr. Cook had moved into the old Higgins home, on Higgins Avenue and Main Street. The large front room served as a chapel for Sunday School and worship services. This was the only Protestant Sunday School in Missoula at the time. Some time later a melodian was secured, which was the first musical instrument used in worship in any of the churches in town.

On September 3, 1881, the Session arranged for a meeting of the church members, to study steps toward erecting a sanctuary. In 1884 a frame building was erected near the southeast corner of what are now Pine and Stevens streets. This was later sold to George Pringle, who moved it to the 100 block on West Spruce Street. It was replaced by a beautiful brick building, which was begun in 1888 and dedicated June 23, 1889. The cost of the lots and the new building was $6,084.36.

Due to the growth of the city and its development south of the Clark Fork River, a decision was made in 1915 to move the church to lots located at 201 South Fifth Street West. A magnificent brick sanctuary in Norman style was begun with the laying of the corner stone on September 5, 1915, by Rev. John N. Maclean, D.D., who was later made nationally-known by his son Norman's novella, "A River Runs Through It" (and our church by Robert Redford's 1991 movie by the same title). The sanctuary was completed the following year at a cost of $56,696.18 and is still being used.

Adjoining property was purchased in 1945 for expansion of administrative and educational facilities. On September 27, 1959, a Christian education building was dedicated, and a master plan was developed to provide the administrative space as soon as the Hopkins property could be secured. On December 19, 1972, the sanctuary burned. With great effort and considerable sacrifice, the congregation rallied and rebuilt and improved the sanctuary, which was rededicated on December 19, 1973. That effort, and difficult years that followed economically, caused delay in the completion of the master plan until the present time. Having experienced considerable growth during the 1990's, we are presently involved in a $2,000,000 expansion of our church facilities as well as an expansion of the mission outreach of our church. Our new Fellowship and Administration Building was completed in the Fall of 2002. We invite you to join with us in that effort!

PASTORS James R. Russell, founding pastor 1876 Milton L. Cook 1877-1882 George M. Fisher 1883-1886 Hugh Lamont 1887 - 1892 J. I. Campbell 1893 - 1894 J. H. McJunkin 1894 - 1897 W. P. Craig 1897 - 1898 Walter Hays 1898 - 1904 Ernest Wright 1905 - 1908 John N. Maclean 1908 - 1925 David E. Jackson 1925 - 1940 E. Ray Cameron 1940 - 1955 Richard A. Jones 1956 - 1975 Kent Kinney 1976 - 1989 Jack C. Oates, Senior Pastor 1991 - 2005 Eric O. Jacobsen, Associate Pastor 1996-2004 Dan Cravy, Co-Pastor 2005 - present Brian Marsh, Co-Pastor 2005 - present