About Us
Charter Members
Originally formed as Pineview Presyterian Church the charter members were. Marie Crites, M.J. Crites, Frank Davenport, Mrs. Frank Davenport, Grace Garlish, John Garlish Sr., John Garlish Jr., Marjorie Garlish, Alice Godfrey, Horace Godfrey, Ann C. Gray, Marshall Gray, Hiram P. Hackerman, Dwight Hogue, Mickey Hogue, Edna, Lindsey, John Lindsey, Amerson McCormick, Ione McCormick, Fred Ostermyer, Ione Perro, Jessie L.Perro, Lester J. Perro, Doris K. Powell, Luther H. Powell, Paul Rathbun, Geo. W. Roskie, Lina F. Roskie, Bertha M. Sullivan, James T. Sullivan, John R. Torgerson, Donald W. Turner, Ellen Turner, Kyla Torgenson, Billie, Wagenbach, E.E. Wagenbach.
1951 Baptisms:
Ellen Turner
Ione McCormick
Amerson McCormick
Be the Church
Protect the environment
Care for the poor
Forgive often
Reject discrimination
Fight for the powerless
Share earthly and spiritual resources
Embrace diversity
Love God
Enjoy this life.
In 1956 Pineview Presbyterian became the Blackfoot Parish of a yoked church with congregations in Seeley Lake, Ovando and Potomac. There was one pastor and one governing body with two representatives from each parish.
Nearly 40 years later this association was dissolved and the Blackfoot Parish became Mountain Lakes Presbyterian Church, again an independent Presbyterian congregation.
As the oldest church (by a small margin over the Baptists) we have served our community in many capacities, school, community center, meeting place as well as a place of worship. Even sharing the building with the Catholic church for years.
The Beginning
Note: All records and minutes up to 1953 are recopied at the request of the Presbytery of Kalispell, because of the confusion of misplaced and irregularly recorded entries.
All meetings are opened and closed with prayer as to The Order of Worship, but will not be recorded in all meetings for this printing.
Spelling of some names may be incorrect because of unreadable signatures.
BEGINNING
During the week of Sept. 25th.-29-1946, the Rev. W. Harry Bessire, Sunday School Missionary for Butte Presbytery, visited the Seeley Lake Community, making a survey and organizing the Sunday School on Oct. 29th, with an enrollment of 25 members. Mrs. Doug Farmer was chosen Superintendent of the S. S. School. Mrs. Ruth Rathbeen was elected Supt. in 1947.
Bill Loeding assisted with Vacation Bible School and served as Student Pastor for one month. Ken Gregory of Ardmaone, Penn. assisted for two summers in Bible Schools and survey work.
In 1948 the Montana Council of Churches allocated the Seeley Lake Community to the Presbyterian Church for development.
On October 12th. Thirty-eight residents of this community signed a petition to the Presbytery of Kalispell for a church to be built and developed after organization as the Pineview Presbyterian Church of Seeley Lake, Montana.
In 1950, permission was given by the Presbytery to Rev. W. Harry Bessire to organize and develop a church for the Seeley Lake Community.
Rev. E. Ray Cameron and Rev. W. H. Bessire visited the field in May 1950 and selected an acre of land about 1 mile north of the Seeley Lake Post Office, in the John Garlish tract, which was donated by John Garlish Sr. for the church site.
On Sunday October 27, 1950, The Pineview Presbyterian Church was duly organized by Rev. W. Harry Bessire. The meeting was held in the school house. The charter membership list is on page 200.
Three trustees and one Elder were elected. The newly organized congregation approved the erection of a log chapel, 28x40 ft., on the church site. The A.C.M.Company will donate the logs.
The officers elected were:
Geo. Roskie, Elder and Clerk of Session (formally an Elder in the 1 st. Presbyterian Church of Billings, Montana.)
Lester Perro, Trustee for three years. Don Turner, Trustee for two years
E. E. Wagenback Trustee for one year
The Rev. Geo. A. McCleave and the Rev. E. Ray Cameron visited the field with Rev. Bessire in October 1950 and approved the site.