The Fifth Avenue Christian Church in Havre owes its
beginning to several people who brought the Christian Church heritage with
them when they came to Havre. One of these people was Mrs. L.P. Hatler. She
moved here from Kansas City, Kansas where she had been an active worker in
the Christian Church. After several years she became dissatisfied with
denominationalism and in the fall of 1917, she placed a notice in the local
paper requesting members of the Christian Church to contact her. Those that
responded met together in a home and the local church was born. The charter
members were: Mrs. Cleve Allen, Mrs. Myrtle English, Mrs. Ernest Hatler,
Mrs. Garnet Hatler, Mrs. Lydia Hatler, Mr. Oval Hatler, Mrs. Pearl Hatler,
Mrs. McGuire, Mrs. TJ McKrosky, Mrs. Jeannie Margett, Mrs. S.M. Wigmore, and
Mrs. Mary Jane Williams. Mr. F. Gauthier, an ordained minister employed by the
F.A. Buttrey Company as dry goods manager, agreed to minister to the group
on Sundays. In a short time he was transferred leaving the church without a
leader. Mrs. Wigmore, wife of the late Ernest C. Wigmore,
professor at Eugene Bible University, then living on a homestead south of
Havre came to the rescue of the little band of Disciples. Because of lack of
finances, they were often left to struggle along under their own leadership,
meeting in homes and store buildings. However they continued to break bread
each Lord's Day and to hold Bible School. Both sister Hatler and sister
Wigmore taught Bible classes over long periods of time. Mr. A.M. Hensley and
J. Ira Jones gave major assistance and leadership to the group. Finally the time came when the group united with the
Fort Benton Christian Church in extending a call to C. M. Ridenour. He
started his part time ministry in May 1921, preaching in Havre. Sunday mornings and at the Fort Benton church in the
evening, maintaining his residence in Fort Benton. Later, he resigned from
the Fort Benton Church and he and his family moved to Havre and commenced a
fruitful ministry. The church progressed rapidly under Mr. Ridenhour's
leadership who seized every opportunity to minister to outlying communities.
The church became self-supporting and two lots were purchased on Sixth
Avenue and Sixth Street and a building project was started. In January 1924,
the congregation took the name Sixth Avenue Christian Church and on Easter
Sunday, April 20 of the same year the building was dedicated. The building
was built largely by donated labor for the approximate sum of $6,000. The
membership was over 100. Mr. Ridenour moved to Washington State in August
1924. Records are incomplete for a number of years as a result of a flood in
1938. During these years, many times the church was without a minister,
however, the congregation continued to be active. Much of the credit was due
to the guidance of Mr. Oval S. Hatler who was the senior elder and for many
years board chairman. Ministers who were called during those early years
include the following: *Mr. F.C. Zimmerman for a few months. *Mr. D.D. Dick was then called and remained for a year
and a half. *Mr. Orville F. Mick was the minister for three years.
Teddy Leavitt held a very successful evangelistic meeting during brother
Mick's ministry bringing many souls to Christ. *Mr. H. F. Ritz - this was during the Depression and
he cut his salary, taking only the offering above expenses. He left in the
summer of 1933. Ross Allen, State Secretary, ministered on Sundays for a
while. *William E. Harris served until the fall of 1934. *Mr. A.R.H. Miller arrived during the summer of 1935.
Because of the shortage of housing facilities the board decided to build a
parsonage on the front of the lot which had previously been set aside for a
church building site. Mr. Miller left in the summer of 1936. *Mr. G. F. Heskett was called in March of 1937. He and
his wife served for three and a half years. During this time the church and
parsonage were heavily damaged by floodwaters and extensive repairs and
remodeling were necessary. In January 1941, Joel R. Benton served for one
month but because of ill health had to leave Havre. He moved out to the
coast and died shortly after arriving there. In March 1941, Mr. William E.
Harries, who had previously ministered here in 1934, was called. This time
he brought a wife and family and served until September of 1942. The following February, Mr. R. E. Kingery was called.
During his stay he married Esther Mathwick. Because of ill health he
resigned June l, 1947. It was during this time that the congregation
officially withdrew from the Disciples of Christ to become and independent
Christian Church. During the winter of 1947, Walter E. Stram, president
of Dakota Bible College, held a meeting with the church. He recommended that
a call be extended to Noah E. Hall. Halls moved to Havre June 1, 1948.
Shortly after the coming of Mr. Hall the church began broadcasting "The
Family Altar" and "The Christian Voice of Northern Montana" directly from
the church studio. The second unit of the building was completed and
dedicated January 30, 1949. Under Mr. Hall's ministry 36 members were added
to the church. Mr. Hall held a few meetings in Kremlin, at the Roy Good
home. Mr. Hall's ministry was cut short by his untimely death on September
9, 1950. Harry Buccalstein accepted the call and became the
minister in December of 1950. Mr. Buccalstein was a converted Jew.
Outstanding growth was seen in part due to the radio program and monthly
publication of the "Christian Messenger" with a circulation of 1500. It was
during this time that a summer camping program was started at Bear Paw
Christian Service Camp. The Bible School grew to an attendance of 243 in
1956. For some time two Sunday morning worship services were conducted and
Bible School facilities were cramped. The parsonage which occupied the
corner of Sixth Avenue and Sixth Street was moved across the street. During
the summer of 1956 the construction was started on a new auditorium on the
corner lot. The former auditorium was converted to a chapel seating 90, a
lobby and a new nursery. The new unit with an auditorium seating 200 was
finished for the approximate cost of $50,000. Harry Buccalstein resigned
August 1, 1956. Harold Hamon continued with the radio program and
building construction. The dedication service was held May 5, 1957. Clayton Kent became the new minister in October of
1957. He also served the congregation in Turner and a group at North Star.
He resigned July 26, 1959. Dwaine Dunning was called to be the minister in
December 13, 1959. He resigned in July 1962 for ministries in Nebraska. In August 1962, Jack Rampelberg came to minister at
Sixth Avenue Christian Church. During his ministry, the church celebrated
its 50" Anniversary. In May 1968 Jack took a year of leave of absence and
attended Lincoln Christian Seminary to receive his Master's Degree. Herman Kooy came to Havre on May 14, 1968. During his
ministry the Little Rockies Christian Camp property near Landusky was
developed. It had been given to the Christian Churches of Montana in 1955 by
Mrs. B.D. Phillips, but nothing had been done with it. The mortgage on the
building was burned at the thanksgiving Service in 19679. Mr. Kooy left in January 1970. Sam Taylor, the
associate minister, filled in until the Rampelberg's returned in June. In
the fall of 1970, the congregation held its first Faith Promise Missionary
Rally. The new parsonage was purchased in August 1974 at #2
Lila Drive. The Rampelbergs occupied the home for only a few months and then
moved to Illinois. Harold Hamon served the church until Mr. Kenneth
Houschouer arrived in March of 1975. The 60" anniversary of the congregation
was held November 13, 1977. Hoschouers were active in all phases of the
church program with strong emphasis on Bible studies. The Hoschouers left
Havre in the summer of 1979. Steve Jackson was called to be the minister at Sixth
Avenue on august 24, 1979. Steve's wife, Lynn (daughter of charter members
Oval and Garnet Hatler), complimented his ministry with piano and organ
playing and singing duets with Steve. He was a constant student of the Bible
and will be remembered as a kind, sharing, prayerful minister and friend.
The Jackson left Havre on July 29, 1984 and moved to Alaska. Kermit Owen was called as minister in August 1984.
During Kermit's ministry, the church celebrated its 70th
anniversary. Garnet Owen helped start a Puppet Ministry and junior church.
It was during the Owen's ministry that Wednesday night supper and classes
began. In June 1991, Jack Rampelberg returned for a third ministry, this
time as interim-minister, until another minister could be found. In this
"short-term" capacity, Brother Jack served until the fall of 1996 when
Rowlie Hutton was called as Senior Minister and Jack stepped down to become
Associate Minister. No one would have argued that Fifth Avenue Christian
Church would not be what it is today without the stellar guidance of Jack
Rampelberg. He will forever be remembered for his compassion and his
determination to see projects to an end. He continually searched the
Scriptures and was a true student of the Word. He desired that all might
come to know the saving grace of Jesus. His entire life was dedicated to the
Lord he loved and devoted his entire life to. He is missed by all those who
were touched by his ministry and we gratefully thank our God for leading him
back to Havre not once, nor twice, but for a third time. In October 1993, the General Board formed a resolution
to begin looking for property to relocate. In February 1994 the congregation
accepted the Board's resolution. In May 1994, the church purchase 6.4 acres
from John and Sandra Kinchy. A funding campaign call "Share In the Harvest"
was initiated with $600,000 committed. A series of H.I.S. meetings were held
to find the direction church members, which the building program would take. Rowlie Hutton was called to be the new Senior Minister
in March of 1997. From the beginning, Rowlie shared his vision of reaching
the Hi-Line and wanting to impact 1 out of 5 people from Chester to Malta.
This vision continues to be a major part of the program at Fifth Avenue
Christian Church. Rowlie also has continued to play a major role in the
Christian Church in Turner, Montana, by preaching on Sunday nights averaging
2 times a month. In 1998, the leadership at Sixth Avenue decided to
change the `look' of the Sunday morning assembly. Some of those changes were
to make more of a flow in the service, and to change the music style from a
more traditional feel to a blended feel. Chad Leathermon was hired as associate minister on
September l, 1998 to assist in some of those changes and to work with the
younger families and college age. On March 18, 2001, the first Sunday services were held
in the new facility and dedication services took place on April 22 of the
same year. From 2001 to 2007 can best be summed up in the phrase
"What A Ride!" God has and continues to move in mighty ways. Tom Jund was
the first person to be immersed into Christ in the new building. Add to that
410 others who have been buried with Christ (as of December 2007), and the
angels in heaven have been in `Party Mode'. One of our Big Holy Audacious Goals at Fifth Avenue
Christian Church is to impact one out of five people from Chester to Malta;
Therefore, our building, which is just a tool, is made available for
weddings, funerals, and numbers of community events. Fifth Avenue also continues to bring in high octane
speakers. The list includes: Allan Dunbar, Mark Scott, David Haines,
Emersson Eggrich, Matt Proctor, Milton Jones, Terry Stine, Doug Aldridge Jim
Putman and Rusty Russel. In 2007 the leadership of the church decided that as
we continue to grow larger, we need to find other ways to continue the
discipleship process. So in the spring of 2007, Russell Vaughn was brought
on staff to help with transitioning the congregation into small groups. Russell later moved into the area of college and youth
and helped complete the construction of Fifth Avenue's youth center, The
Bridge.
The Present
Pastoral Ministries
-- Nothing is more important during a crisis than the support from a loving, caring pastoral congregation. At Fifth Avenue Christian, loving, care and support is a daily reality that flows from a caring team of ministers, staff, elders, and congregational members. Daily visits to the hospital and visits to persons experiencing death or other crisis area part of Fifth Avenue Christian's program and ministry.Sunday Morning is central to all that happens at Fifth Avenue Christian. Worship services are held each Sunday at 9:00am and 10:45am with a coffee hour held between services. Inspiring up-beat music and practical down-to-earth sermons help provide strength for confronting the week ahead.
Wednesday Nights are a very busy time at the church. The evening starts with a fellowship supper and then classes are available for all ages from the very young to adults. Many volunteer helpers make this program possible.
Small Groups - In October 2007 Jim Putman and Brandon Guenon from Post Falls, Idaho held a training workshop for Small Group Ministries. In Small Groups an environment is fostered, where people feel part of the community of the group and are given the opportunity to grow and practice Biblical discipleship.
Areas of Service - Throughout the early history of these congregation ladies missionary groups were very active in many areas of service. Some of women's ministries now are: Blankie Blessings, helping with weekly meetings, funeral luncheons, cooking at camp, teaching Sunday School, Bible Studies, helping with Wednesday Nights meals, visiting the sick, providing treats for Vacation bible School and youth activities, visiting the Care Center, receptions, and participating in the Women's-Night-Out meetings.
Missions -
Fifth Avenue Christian Church has a rich history of putting action to the Great Commission. Missions have played a vital role in the life of the Christian Church in Havre. We feel that our focus on missions is one of the main reasons God has blessed the church as He has, and I know that if we continue to grow in the area of missions, the future is limitless of the things we can accomplish.
Even today the men and women, who have left their homes here and have gone to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, continue to do so much to advance the church. . Currently we support the following missions:
Dale Mueller – Philippines
Amy McClenahan - Great Britain
Ken & Linda Smith - Hong Kong
Pinehaven Christian Children’s Ranch
Summit Christian College
Boise Bible College
Little Rockies Christian Service Camp
And since the Short Term Missions program has gotten started a few years back, we have seen so many victories. From people being immersed, to changed lives, to impacting more areas for Christ. Our short term missionaries have literally taken the gospel around the world.
It really does come down to our goal of seeing the whole church, all people of all ages, taking the whole gospel to the whole world, whether across the street or across the ocean. We look forward to what God will do with us in the future.
Building Bridges for the Next Generation
In January of 2007 the renovation started on the old coke warehouse to convert the old building into a youth center. The buildings location could only come from God Himself, it was directly adjacent to the high school and about a block from the church. The new youth center (The Bridge) is a result of the churches Chapter 2 campaign to expand the church in three areas 1. A new large open area, 2. Something for the junior high and senior high and 3. More class room space. When the building came up for sale God affirmed the direction He wanted the church to move right away when the owner dropped the price and an anonymous donor gave $100,000 towards the new youth center. Nearly one year, roughly $200,000 dollars and countless hours of donated labor later we are in the final stages of the project hoping to have The Bridge open by the time school starts again in January to serve the junior high through college age along the Hi-Line.
The Future
Fifth Avenue Christian Church is a place that is covered by God's Grace. It is to be a place where everyone can belong, and then become, and together we learn how to behave.
This congregation looks forward to the future with vision and faith. If the future is what our Father wills for the family in Havre, we must be strong and courageous and do the work for the Lord God is with us. None of us were present when the dreams for the Church in Havre were born, yet we are truly beneficiaries of those dreams.
Now it is our turn to continue to do the work God has set before us to reach out to the people of this community and around the world where so many people need to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
Our roots go deep. The previous generation provided some strong shoulders for us to stand on and the phrase that best describes our 90 year history - ONLY GOD!
Every Generation Connected and Committed To Christ
The Whole Church Taking The Whole Gospel To The Whole World