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