Plains Alliance Church celebrates 50th anniversary

Long-time congregation member Roger Mallery summed up the 50-year anniversary of his church in a simple phrase.

“The church isn’t a building, the church is the church, the body of Christ,” Mallery told the approximately 80 people who attended the Plains Alliance Church 50th Anniversary celebration Sunday morning.

Mallery, who has been a member for as long as the church has been in Plains, was one of several church members who spoke during an open microphone phase of the Sunday service. His father and mother, Bob and Donna Mallery were the ones who started the church, now in its third location.

“I was 16 when my dad and mom started the church,” Mallery said. “I live here and know a lot of people. My parents were the founding pastors.”

He and others spent time remembering the early days of the church, when it first gathered at the Plains Grange, and then when it occupied the upper floor of the Odd Fellows Hall, which is now the Mangy Moose Mercantile.

From there the church moved in 1978 into its current location, a spacious facility on Fifth Street.

Plains resident Dennis Ovitt remembers those days as well, having attended the church for the past 45 years.

“My wife’s grandpa helped build the church,” Ovitt said. “I remember the first year we owned the land (1976) we planted spuds and sold them to help make a down payment on the place.”

A long-time lumber scaler who worked in mills from Thompson Falls to Pablo before retiring, Ovitt said the church has always been a good fit for him.

“I’ve always felt at home here,” Ovitt said. “There have been changes and some of the people from before have moved away or passed on but I’ve never looked anywhere else.”

The current church has a membership of approximately 130 worshippers, according to Assistant Pastor John Curry. That is more than three times the original membership of 40 and bucks national trends of declining church memberships in many areas.

Curry said attendance has been down about 30% since the COVID-19 virus hit but the numbers remain strong, especially for a small town church.

He pointed out the readily apparent balance of young and older worshippers in attendance for the anniversary service as a key reason for the strong membership count. Curry has been with the church for the past 17 years.

“I was asked if I would consider becoming a pastor and I told them no,” Curry said. “But the chance to serve Jesus and help people changed all that.”

Jonathan Wiggins, a Rocky Mountain District Supervisor with the Montana Alliance Church organization, reminisced about the changes that have occurred in life during the 50 years of the Plains church.

“When this church started, there were no touch dial phones, no email, no HD TV and no pay at the pump gas stations,” Wiggins said. “There have been eight pastors at this church in that time and the church is still going strong.”

Following the congregational testimonials and church service, many of those in attendance stayed for a big potluck dinner and fellowship in the church’s nearby gymnasium.