Bigfork Community
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
About Us
At Bigfork Community United Methodist Church
We Believe . . .
-
All people are children of God.
-
God is for us, not against us.
-
In Jesus Christ, God's own Son, whose example of radical love we seek to follow.
-
In the Holy Spirit’s work that is ever-present, guiding and inspiring.
-
In the Bible as the foundation for understanding God's love, grace, and eternal promises.
-
In forgiveness.
-
In the power of prayer.
-
In feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, housing the homeless, mending the broken, and caring for the earth.
-
Our intellect is a great gift from God; we are curious and honest in our discoveries of faith.
-
Every life is a mix of joy and sorrow and we need our family of faith to celebrate and abide with us through those times.
-
Faith is a journey and we are accepted wherever we are.
Our Church Staff
Wendy Ochs
Pastor
406.690.2481
Pastor Wendy was born and raised on a farm in southwest Minnesota. Following her college graduation, she spent two years as a Young Adult Missionary for the UMC. She then moved back to MN to marry her high school sweetheart and continue her work with at-risk families. In 2009, God clearly called Wendy and family back to Montana, where she became the Executive Director for Family Support Network, a non-profit in Billings serving families at risk of abuse and neglect. In 2014, God continued to open doors and provide an opportunity for her to follow her call to ministry. Wendy completed her seminary coursework through St. Paul School of Theology. She was the pastor at Evangelical UMC in Billings for seven years and moved to Bigfork to serve CUMC in July 2021. Wendy and her husband, Chris, have four sons, who range in age from young adulthood to elementary school, and (finally!) a future daughter-in-law. Pastor Wendy is passionate about making the life-changing love and grace of Jesus tangible & meaningful to ALL. She enjoys volunteering with the Bigfork Youth Center, serving on the Bigfork Senior Center board of directors, and being part of the Rotary Club of Bigfork.
Dana Whitney
Church Office Manager
406.837.4547
Dana has been keeping things running in the office since 2017. When she's not working, she's either starting a new knitting project, instead of finishing one of the 5 she's already working on, or enjoying time outside with family and friends. Dana and her husband have been married since 1993 and have 2 grown children who she'd love to brag about if you have a lot of spare time.
Jordan Neiman
Music Director | Church & Community Coordinator
Dr. Jordan Neiman is an active teacher and performer in Kalispell. A graduate of Flathead High School, he received his Bachelor of Music at UNC School of the Arts, Master of Music and Graduate performance Diploma at the Boston Conservatory, and Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Cincinnati College- Conservatory of Music, with a cognate in pedagogy.
At the Boston Conservatory, he was the winner of the H. Wilfred Churchill Piano Competition in 2013 and attended Pianofest in the Hamptons in 2014. Jordan has played concerts and recitals around the South, the Pacific Northwest, New England, New York, Canada, and Switzerland. A former professor at Northern Kentucky University, Jordan keeps busy teaching, performing, and collaborating.
John Brault
Pastoral Care & Missions Coordinator
John Brault serves as the Pastoral Care & Missions Coordinator. He is blessed to have the opportunity to serve others through ministry, fellowship, and care. As the leader of the Missions Committee, John helps connect the church with opportunities to serve and share God’s love throughout the community. He also enjoys visiting church members who are homebound, believing that simply being present, listening, and offering companionship can be a meaningful expression of Christ’s love.
Outside of the church, John is a sixth-grade English Language Arts teacher at Polson Middle School, where he has taught since graduating from the University of Montana in 2021. John sees teaching as another way to serve others, building relationships with students and encouraging them to discover their own voices and gifts.
John is thankful for the opportunity to live out his faith through both his work in education and his ministry at Bigfork United Methodist Church. He believes that God calls us to serve one another with compassion, humility, and joy, and he is grateful for the many ways he is able to be part of that work in his church and community..
Nanci Bain
Kings Ringers Director
Nanci has extensive experience as a singer and bell player! We are happy to welcome her as our new director and appreciate the excitement she has about introducing new music to the congregation through the bells. If you are interested in learning more about the King's Ringers, feel free to contact Nanci.
Morgan Bakken
Communications Coordinator
Morgan was born and raised in Billings, Montana, and went to college at Montana Western. She graduated from Montana Western in 2025 with a degree in Kinesiology.
You’ll often see Morgan running around with a camera, capturing moments and the people who make CUMC special. Outside of work, she loves skiing, spending time outdoors, and hanging out with her dog and her fiancé, James Ochs.