Billings First Church

leadership team

Built in 1882, Billings First Congregational Church (BFCC) is deeply woven into the fabric and history of Billings, Montana. BFCC is a courageous congregation and community with a vision for a just world for all and a mission to reconcile our past, serving others in our community and around the world through positive social action, justice, and love of neighbor, children and creation. 


If you have any questions for any of our staff, feel free to reach out and email them or call our church office to speak with them. You can contact the church office at info@billingsfirstchurch.org

  • Lisa K. Harmon - Senior Pastor

    It’s a call. It’s a practice. It’s remembering who we are in soulful, joyful belonging.

    I am called as Minister of Healing and Transformation of beloved community.


    Through my ministry and works, I have endeavored to embody the example of Christ in my life, in the work that I have done and in the work that I do today in all settings whether at a city council meeting, at the Montana State Legislature, on the streets in downtown Billings, in a hospital setting, or at the font and pulpit. I continue advocate and work on behalf of those experiencing homelessness, with the addicted, with marginalized populations within the native community, and LGBTQI+ community, with the stranger, the immigrant and the refugee, and across the spectrum of community.


    The embodiment of the life and ministry of Jesus has taken many shapes and forms in my life over the years as I taught high school French and German, created a cause-related, award-winning, national company, and served as witness on various community boards and commissions that made compassionate and just gains for the City of Billings and Yellowstone County. I have served and continue to serve on boards like the Native American Coalition, Community Innovations, Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter, the Mayor’s Committee on Homelessness, the YMCA, Billings Cultural Partners, the International Downtown Association among others.


    A 500-hour certified, trauma-informed yoga instructor, I teach 2-3 classes a week. I teach at the Montana Women’s Prison, having started a program there, at Passages, a pre-release center, at Billings First Congregational Church (weekly class), and am a substitute at a private studio.


    In my years of community work, I knew that God’s spirit was working in me; I knew that God was in our midst in the beloved and broken community that I was called to serve.


    I am called by God, called by community, deeper into community. This is who I am, a minister of the United Church of Christ.


    Elisabeth (Lisa) Kopanski Harmon.  Read More

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  • Marcus Frye - Youth Director

    I grew up in Eastern Wyoming and spent lots of time camping, hunting, and fishing with my family and friends. While studying Sociology and Religious Studies at the University of Wyoming, I began to discern a call to ministry in the United Church of Christ. After graduating from the University of Wyoming, I completed a year long service internship at Coral Gables Congregational UCC in Miami, working to serve housing-deprived members of the community with the Miami Rescue Mission. After the internship I decided to officially pursue ordained ministry and was accepted as a Member in Discernment by the Rocky Mountain Conference of the UCC. I am currently enrolled at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities and moved to Billings in March 2022 with my partner, Nathan. We both look forward to participating in this community. 

    Learn more about Billings First Church Youth Program

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  • Morgan satterfield - Exec. Administrative Assistant

    Growing up, I never imagined I would one day be working in a church.   After being on staff for almost 6 years, It's hard to imagine doing anything else. Working at Billings First Congregational Church is such a gift, not only because of the people I get to call colleagues, but because of the people we serve, community and congregation, on the daily. I love learning new things, and over the years I've learned that it's not that I can't do something, it's that I just don't know how to do it yet.  This job and call uses all my skill sets from administrative and audio/visiual to marketing and outreach to management, and sometimes, they even let me use my carpentry and mechanicing skills as well!  Every day is different and full and I wouldn't want it any other way.  

    In my spare time you can usually find me in my garage working on my car or pickup, riding my harley or trying to fix or build something or another! 

    I'm also a mom to my son, Riley, whose personality is as big as his heart.  He loves our church and its people, too.  And they love him right back.  Both he and I have learned what God intends for us all in life and in community here at BFCC.  It's pretty great over here!


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  • BARBARA gULICK - sPIRITUAL dIRECTOR

    Barbara Gulick received a Diploma in the Art of Spiritual Direction from San Francisco Theological Seminary and was commissioned as a Minister of Spiritual Direction-at-Large in the United Church of Christ, both in 2008. In 2010 she was commissioned as Spiritual Director-in-Residence at Billings First Congregational United Church of Christ. She is now a member of First Church staff as Spiritual Director and a Member-in-Discernment (MID) for ordination to authorized ministry in the United Church of Christ. 


    Barbara’s office hours at the church are Tuesday and Thursday mornings, 9:00 a.m. – 12 noon, and she is available for Spiritual Direction either in her church or home office by appointment. 


    You can find her contact info below to schedule an appointment to see if spiritual direction is right for you.  

    Learn more.

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  • sTEVE pLAGGEMEYER - Music Director

    To fine out more, or to get involved in our music program click here.

  • Nathan Sonnenschein - Accompanist and Historian

    Nathan has served as the Choir Accompanist & Substitute Organist since 2022. He is grateful for the opportunity to learn from First Church's music director and choir, and for the privilege to play the church's 44-rank Holtkamp pipe organ. A lifelong believer in God's call to make a joyful noise, he has played piano/organ for various UCC and Lutheran churches since 2009.

    Drawing from his experience as an academic librarian, Nathan maintains the church's Records Collection, which includes materials dating back to the church's founding. As the city's first faith community and the oldest congregation in the conference, First Church has many stories. Nathan seeks to draw these threads together to better understand the many interweaved aspects—both joyful and complicated—of the church's legacy.


    Click here to view Billings First Congregational Church's Wikipedia page.

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