The Rev. Marietta Johnson is pastor of Calvary Episcopal Church — for now.
In about four months, she'll say good-bye to the small flock and move, most likely, to Joliet. Another four months after that, she'll move on to Absarokee, and then, to Laurel.
Johnson is part of a trio of ministers who serve in the Yellowstone Episcopal Ministries (YEM). Johnson and the Rev. Randy Pendergraft are both associate pastors and the Rev. Mike Morrissey is vicar.
Since Johnson lives full-time in Red Lodge, she says it's handy that with the winter snow, her latest assignment is so close to home.
Calvary Episcopal Church has been a mainstay in Red Lodge since 1900. The church regularly serves about 50 people.
"This delightful little white church with the bright red doors is listed on the National Register for Historic Places," Johnson says. "We are a congregation dedicated to worshipping God, carrying his message into the world and serving his people."
Below, Johnson shares a bit about YEM, and a lot more details about Calvary Episcopal Church.
Calvary's first services were held in a log cabin. The Congregational Church was subsequently used, followed by the Methodist Episcopal Church building. An article in the July 4, 1900, issue of the Carbon County Democrat stated that the Episcopal Mission would seek to build a "pretty stone church." Two weeks later it was reported that the contract had been let. By August of that year, the church had been enclosed and ready for plaster. Somehow the stone had become wood, and the building was of a design much like other churches in Red Lodge and throughout Montana.
In 1996, a new parish hall was built. Since then, the exterior of the church has been restored and the original interior parts of the church have been refurbished. Stained glass windows, doors and pews have been repaired, always with the thought in mind of the historical beauty of this little church and how important it is to retain its integrity.
From the Billings Gazette