A Sacred History Rooted in the Magic City
Just six years after the Battle of the Little Bighorn, the Rev. Benjamin Shuart arrived by horse and buggy in 1882 to a dusty tent city that would become Billings, Montana. Sent by the American Home Missionary Society of New York, Shuart came to establish a Congregational Church in the untamed frontier.
He was warned he would starve trying to build a church among gamblers and drunks. Undeterred, he gathered volunteers and raised a simple 600-square-foot wooden sanctuary in a single day. The story made national headlines, and the town earned its enduring nickname: The Magic City.
Julia Billings, wife of railroad executive Frederick Billings, pledged $10,000 to the fledgling congregation if it could demonstrate staying power. By 1883, a permanent wood and brick church rose at 310 North 27th Street — the very place where Billings First Congregational Church stands today.
From those humble beginnings, the church became a central and compassionate presence in the life of the city — sheltering the sick during the 1918 flu pandemic, hosting Billings’ first Meals on Wheels program and a missional daycare, and giving rise to Big Sky Hospice. In the 1950s, as membership surpassed 2,000, the sanctuary was rebuilt to meet the needs of a growing community.
Throughout its long history, First Church has been a steadfast voice for inclusion, justice, and mercy — from organizing Billings’ second Boy Scout troop in 1916 to standing against hate in 1992 during the “Not In Our Town” movement, which became a national model for community solidarity.
A Building That Holds Our Collective Story
The church’s architecture reflects its enduring legacy of adaptability and resilience. The 1928 “Parish House” wing, designed by the renowned Montana firm McIver & Cohagen, remains a pristine example of Colonial Revival architecture. Plans to rebuild the sanctuary were delayed during the Great Depression, but in the 1950s, the firm of Orr Pickering created a Modernist sanctuary that harmonized beautifully with the older structure.
Together, they form a unique and cohesive whole — a physical expression of faith evolving through generations. The stained-glass Pioneer Window, based on a painting by J.K. Ralston, still casts its vibrant light across the sanctuary. The modern chancel echoes the proportions of the 1883 design, and the narthex rests upon the same foundation as the original church.
Our building stands not only as a piece of architectural heritage, but as a living vessel of community life — one that continues to evolve to meet the moral and spiritual needs of our time.
Why the Resiliency Project Matters
The First Church Resiliency Project is both a preservation effort and a justice initiative. It will make vital improvements to sustain the building and the life-saving ministries it houses:
- Fire Safety & Sprinkler Installation — To meet code and protect those who shelter and serve within our walls.
- New HVAC System — To replace an unreliable and inefficient system, ensuring comfort and sustainability for worshippers, guests, and partner organizations.
- ADA Accessibility Lift — To provide full access to all levels of the building, embodying our commitment to radical welcome.
Our church is not just a place of worship — it is home to unhoused neighbors, to justice-seeking organizations, and to community partners who work for equity, dignity, and hope.
This project ensures that First Church will remain a safe, inclusive, and resilient home for generations to come.
Partners in Justice, Healing, and Community
First Church’s commitment to justice is made visible through the breadth of our partnerships. Our building serves as an active hub for collaboration, community-building, and care. Current and ongoing collaborations include:
- Native American Development Corporation (NADC): Partnering on projects, trainings, and events that empower American Indian communities toward economic and social stability.
- 406 Pride: An independent nonprofit serving Billings and eastern Montana. Who works with diverse populations to build unity, acceptance, and fellowship and to ensure that LGBTQ+ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and throughout our community. The 406 Pride Resource Center is located right here, on our campus.
- 7th Generation Intertribal Center: Formerly housed in our building and still hosted here for meetings and events. Together, we’ve co-hosted Let’s Talk and Let’s Paint — creative programs fostering connection and cultural healing. Rev. Lisa Harmon serves on the Board of Directors.
- Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders (RMTL): Longstanding partnership focused on food justice, sovereignty, addiction recovery, and homelessness.
- Billings City Council: Collaboration on ShelterFirst initiatives, Global Refuge programs, and community conversations around policing.
- Riverstone Health & Yellowstone City-County Public Health: Joint pandemic response for the houseless community, vaccine clinics, and the St. Mary V’s HIV/AIDS Pantry.
- White Eagle Talking Circle: A Wellbriety group offering culturally based healing and recovery, meeting four times per week and hosting monthly community gatherings.
- UnSpoken Words Podcast: A weekly global podcast hosted by Apsáalooke and Nakoda peoples, featuring episodes recorded and produced in our space.
- Dragonfly Recovery: Providing support for substance use and mental health recovery.
- Boy Scout Troop 2: Chartered by First Church since 1916 — Montana’s oldest active troop.
- Montana Conservation Voters, Forward Montana, and Big Sky 55+: Advocacy partners advancing environmental protection, civic engagement, and intergenerational equity.
- Montana Meal Prep: Supplies healthy, affordable meals weekly for our Free Fridge, open to all.
- Yoga with Lisa and Get Limber with Lita: Free, accessible wellness classes hosted weekly in our chapel.
- My Backyard Shelter Program: Providing low-barrier, on-call winter shelter when the Community Crisis Center reaches capacity.
Our spaces also serve as gathering sites for naming ceremonies, weddings, showers, art markets, conferences, round dances, meditation sessions, Indigenous parenting classes, Gamblers Anonymous, and Alcoholics Anonymous. Our Community Courtyard and playground are used daily by downtown daycares.
Despite this remarkable array of activity, several areas of the church remain underutilized or vacant. With the support of the Resiliency Project, we will restore and reimagine these spaces to expand capacity for community life and justice work.
Building Resilience for the Future
Thanks to the National Fund for Sacred Places, we have been awarded a major grant to launch this transformative project. To receive those funds, we must now raise a $500,000 local match — an opportunity for our community to join in preserving this vital downtown landmark and strengthening its mission.
We are ready. We have spent years discerning, planning, and growing — honoring the bold past of this church and envisioning a bright future.
With your support, the First Church Resiliency Project will ensure that this sacred space continues to serve as a beacon of justice, compassion, and community for generations to come.
Join Us
Your investment in this project helps preserve one of Billings’ most historic and active community landmarks — a place where history, faith, and action meet.
Together, we can honor the legacy entrusted to us and build a resilient future for all who seek shelter, peace, and belonging within these walls.
