People of Faith support domestic partnerships for same-sex couples. Many clergy in Montana have stepped forward to back the couples in our case and to promote fairness.
More than 65 signed onto an amicus curaie brief to the Montana Supreme Court, supporting our case, Donaldson and Guggenheim v. State of Montana.
Clergy member statement of support
Because of our commitment to justice and compassion, we the undersigned stand in defense of basic human rights for our brothers and sisters who are in committed relationships with their same-sex partners. We are pastors and priests, chaplains and rabbis who live out our vocations throughout Montana. Although we may hold various theological and ethical understandings of sexual orientation, we are unified in our affirmation that all Montanans deserve equal rights and protections under the law. Therefore, it is our conviction that the present lawsuit being brought forward by Donaldson and Guggenheim on behalf of six same-sex couples will serve to deepen and broaden equable treatment for all Montanans.
Clergy members and people of faith from across Montana believe treating people fairly is an important value. Regardless of their religious tradition, they stand together for basic human rights and support fairness for same sex couples.
Rev. Allen Adams, United Church of Christ, Fairfield
Pastor Tyler Amundson, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Helena
Rev. David C. Andersen, United Methodist Church, Helena
Rev. Dee Anna, United Methodist Church, Butte
Rev. Cathy Barker, United Church of Christ, Helena
Rev. Robyn Barnes, Episcopal Church, Helena
Rev. Joel Biggers, United Church of Christ, Miles City
Rabbi Barbara Block, Union for Reform Judaism, Billings
Rev. John C. Board, Episcopal Church, Helena
Rev. Jack R. Bonham, First Christian Church, Hamilton
Rev. Dr. Dennis Breed, Unity Church, Kalispell
Rev. Susan Breed, Unity Church, Kalispell
The Very Rev. Stephen Brehe, Episcopal Church, Helena
The Rt. Rev. C. Franklin Brookhart, Episcopal Church, Helena
The Very Rev. Raymond D. Brown, Episcopal Church, Helena
Rev. Laurie Budlong-Morse, First Christian Church, Helena
Rev. Amy Carter, United Church of Christ, Missoula
Rev. Myrna Chaney, Episcopal Church, Missoula
Rev. Jean G. Collins, Episcopal Church, Lewistown
Rev Yvonne Cottrell, Shining Mountains Center for Spiritual Living, Kalispell
Rev. Kenneth Crouch, United Church of Christ, Billings
Rev Susan K. Debree, United Methodist Church, Helena
Rev. Thomas A. Dooling, Episcopal Church, Helena
Rev. Mickey Dooling, United Church of Christ, Butte
Rev. Dr. Michael J. Fay, Episcopal Church, Glasgow
Rev. Dr. Ruth Fletcher, Disciples of Christ, Great Falls
Rev. Chris Flohr, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Missoula
Rev. Edward H. Folkwein, United Methodist Church, Columbia Falls
Rev. Donna J. Gleaves, Episcopal church, Bozeman
The Rev. Glen Gleaves, Episcopal Church, Livingston
Rev. Steven Gordon, United Church of Christ, Billings
Rev. Joan L. Grant, Christ Church Episcopal, Kalispell
Rev. Ronald C. Greene, Disciples of Christ, Great Falls
Rev. Dr. Nina Grey, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Bozeman
Rev. Terri Grotzinger, Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, Missoula
Rev. David Gunderson, Rector, Episcopal Churches of the Upper Yellowstone, Livingston
Rev. Karen Hall, Episcopal Church, Jeffers
Rev. Lyle Hamilton, United Methodist, Helena
Rev. Gina Hartung, Metropolitan Community Church – Montana, Great Falls
Rev. Bill Hawk, United Church of Christ, Billings
Rev. Chuck Heath, United Methodist Church, Billings
Dr. Thomas W. Henry, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Billings
Rev. Dr. James Herron, United Church of Christ, Billings
Rev. Randy Hyvonen, United Church of Christ, Billings
Rev. Doug Johnson, Presbyterian Church, Billings
Rev. Chad Jones, First Presbyterian Church, Kalispell
Rev. Dana L. Keener, Disciples of Christ, Billings
Pastor Dianne Kimball, United Church of Christ, Butte
Rev. Tom King, Evangelical Covenant Church, Missoula
Rev. Darryl Kistler, United Church of Christ, Kalispell
The Ven. Roxanne P. Klingensmith, Episcopal Church, Bozeman
Rev. Dan Krebill, First Presbyterian Church, Bozeman
Rev. Carl Krusi, United Church of Christ, Power
Rev. Jean Larson, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Bonner
Rev. John S. Lewis, United Methodist Church, Great Falls
Rev. Nell Lindorf, United Church of Christ, Savage
Rev. John Lund, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Missoula
Rev. Les Nelson, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Libby
Rev. Jody McDevitt, First Presbyterian Church, Bozeman
Rev. Mark MacWhorter, Disciples of Christ, Bozeman
Rev. Julia McKay, Glacier Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Kalispell
Rev. Brenda McLellan, Episcopal Church, Helena
Rev. David Merkel, United Methodist Church, Columbia Falls
Rev. Valyn Metropoulos, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Great Falls
Rev. John J. Moran, Episcopal Church, Helena
Rev. Marianne Niesen, United Methodist Church, Helena.
Rev. Steve Oreskovich, Episcopal Church, Stevensville/Hamilton
Rev. Susan Otey, Grace United Methodist Church, Billings
Rev. John Payne, Disciples of Christ, Polson
Rev. Randy Pendergraft, Episcopal Church, Red Lodge
Rev. James Petersen, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Great Falls
Pastor Danielle Rogers, St Paul Community Church, Bozeman
Rev. Denise Rogers, St. Paul Community Church, Bozeman
Rev. Carl Rohr, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Ronan
Rev. Judith Schenk, Episcopal Church, Kalispell
Rev. Deborah Schmidt, United Methodist Church, Whitefish
Rev. Sarah Schumacher, Monarch and Sand Coulee United Methodist Churches, Great Falls.
Rabbi Allen Secher, Congregation Bet Harim, Whitefish
Rev. Carol Shellenberger, Presbyterian Church, Bozeman
Rev. Jane Shipp, Episcopal Church, Dillon
Rev. Gene Simon, United Methodist Church, Retired
The Rev. Canon Clark M. Sherman, Episcopal Church, Bozeman
Rev. Peter Shober, United Church of Christ, Missoula
Rev. John Soderberg, United Methodist Church, Bozeman
Rev. Elton Smith, Episcopal Church, Butte
Rev. Lydia Agnew Speller, Episcopal Church, Missoula
Rev. Janice Springer, University UCC, Missoula
Rev. Gerri Steward, Religious Science Minister, Butte
Rabbi Ed Stafman, Congregation Beth Shalom, Bozeman
Rev. Richard Stone, Unity Church, Billings
Pastor Becky Taylor, Disciples of Christ, Billings
Rev. Bob Thaden, United Church of Christ, Miles City
Rev. Eric Thorson, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Billings
Rev. Terry E. Turner, United Methodist Church, Great Falls
Pastor Rickey Vickery, Metropolitan Community Church – Montana, Great Falls
The Rev. Canon Gary B. Waddingham, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Billings
Rev. Bill Warren, United Methodist Church, Lakeside
Rev. Dr. Susan Watterson, United Church of Christ, Glasgow
Rev. Richard Weaver, United Church of Christ, Helena
Rev. Jennifer Wilson, Evangelical Lutheran Church of American, Bozeman
Rev. Canon Bradley S. Wirth, Rector, All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Whitefish – Columbia Falls
Rev. Kimberly Woeste, United Campus Ministry, Billings
Rev. Joan M. Yetter, Episcopal Church, Red Lodge
Rev. Jacqueline Ann Zeigler, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Bozeman
Rev. Aprille Jordan, Missoula
Rev. Barbara Gulick, United Church of Christ, Billings
The Rev.George and Mrs. Thyrza Zabriskie, Bozeman
Elder Coral Charbonneau, Community of Christ, Great Falls
Rev. Wendy Masick (retired)
Rev. Paul Hanson, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Billings
Rev. Dr. Kenneth Mottram, First Baptist Church, Bozeman
Rev. Gloria Moncrief, Unity Minister, Bozeman
