Gospel Change for All of Life

Our History

Just a couple blocks south of the Good Food Store sits a small home on 1605 South 4th Street. Drive by it today and its white trim, lap siding and old trees blend in seamlessly with the rest of the neighborhood. You probably wouldn't give it a second glance. But on May 11, 1968 around a dozen believers gathered for a prayer meeting in the small home. This small gathering was a portion of a larger church, which had just found themselves homeless. They had been members of an Evangelical United Brethren Church on the corner of 10th and Garfield but had opposed the merger with the Methodist Church.

The majority of the EUB churches and church members in Montana refused to merge with the Methodists on account of three specific issues. In their position paper they were stunned that the leaders of the Methodist denomination "should manifest so little agreement with one another...over basic elements such as the authority of Scripture, the trustworthiness of Christ, and the mission of the Church." This body in Missoula stood with 30 of the 33 EUB churches in Montana refusing to join a denomination quickly giving way to universalism and casting aside the inerrancy of Scripture. "Doctrine is an absolute essential to us," was boldly underlined on the type set position paper given to the Montana Assembly.

Despite these concerns, the EUB and the Methodist Church were united and those 30 dissenting Montana churches, including the one which met on 10th and Garfield, had their buildings reclaimed by the denomination. But that night, on May 11th, those men and women voted to continue gathering as a faithful body.

The next day, Sunday May 12th, the small group was joined by several others in the basement of Jack and Jill Nursery and Kindergarten a few blocks east of 1605 4th Street. The pulpit was filled by the chaplain of the National Guard at Fort Missoula, Rev. Elmer Neff, and on that morning the First Evangelical Church conducted its first service.

Here, over fifty years, four locations, four senior pastors, and a few name changes later is Sovereign Hope Church. This church was formed out of doctrinal convictions and a missional zeal to save souls. Today we still have a number of women in our church who made this brave sacrifice in 1968. By God’s grace we continue this legacy of gospel change as we strive to see God glorified in the church and Christ magnified in the city.