Who We Are
We exist to see the lost found, and the found anchored in the hope of Jesus.
The story
Anchor Church began with a group of people meeting occasionally in a garage to worship, pray, and grow in spiritual community. To be fair, it was a really nice garage (we called it the Garage Mahal) with a mounted head of a bison to set the mood.
After a couple months of gathering and seeing more and more people joining, our core team of leaders came to the realization that we had a church whether we meant to or not. So, we decided to name ourselves and make the decision to become a legal entity.
Our name, Anchor Church, comes from Hebrews 6:19. “This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.” We chose the name Anchor because we recognized how unstable our souls become when we are not firmly planted in hope. Our Anchor brings stability. Little did we know that only a few months later we were going to begin traversing the most unstable time in our generations history as the COVID-19 pandemic, and all that came with it, suddenly changed our world in so many ways. When we made the decision to plant this church and name it Anchor, we were unaware how much our world, nation, community and our own families would need stability for their souls.
Planting a church in the midst of a pandemic doesn’t seem ideal, and certainly has had its challenges, but the challenge is all a part of the call to help others find hope and stability in an uncertain world.
We exist to see the lost found, and the found anchored in the hope of Jesus.
What We Believe
Check out Anchor Church’s Statement of Faith.
Sunday Gathering
Our Sunday gathering is held at the City Life Community Center Sunday mornings at 10AM, and streamed online. Kids ministry is provided from nursery through 5th grade.
Meet The Staff
Kyle and Dani Smith
Lead Pastor
Hello! We are Missoula natives and high school sweethearts. We have two daughters (Charley and Berkley) and one son (Finley). After serving in full time church ministry in Missoula for nearly 15 years, the opportunity to plant and pastor a church began to take shape. We absolutely love Missoula and hope to die here, just not anytime too soon.
Tucker and Jenna Parman
Tucker - Staff Pastor (Executive and Discipleship)
Jenna - Anchored Path Assistant
Hello! We’re the Parman's!
We both went to college at the University of Montana, but just missed one another during our time there. We first connected when leading a small group together a few years after graduation, and the rest is history!
We have a strong passion and burden to see the people of God grow into healthy, whole disciples of Jesus and are honored to serve this church in the roles we fill.
Spencer Powell
Staff Pastor (Worship & Prayer)
Hey there, I’m Spencer Powell. I grew up in Missoula and love my city. My beautiful wife is Linnea and we have been blessed with three children: Miira, Anaiah, and Zion. We enjoy worshiping Jesus, traveling, and eating yummy food. Good coffee is our love language. His presence is the destination of our lives and we are honored to be able to lead us in worship and prayer each week.
Jess Engellant
Kids Director
Hi all, my name is Jess Moler and I’m the director of Kids Ministry here at Anchor. I just graduated from the University of Montana with my degree in cognitive neuroscience, and I’m pursuing a Master’s in Exercise Science this year while applying to medical school. I grew up in Billings, lived in North Carolina for a few years, and landed happily in Missoula two years ago. I have an equal passion for medicine and kids ministry (and reading, traveling the world and playing with my dog). There’s something so special and inspiring about a child’s faith and I learn something new every single week from my sweet kiddos. I love the opportunity I have to study human behavior, and then apply that knowledge to serving children as they come to know Jesus!
Cate Davick
Anchor Kids Assistant
Hi there, my name is Cate Davick, and I am the Assistant Director of Kids Ministry here at Anchor Church. I am currently pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Broadfield Social Science and Secondary Education from the University of Montana, with plans of becoming a high school social studies teacher. Beyond Anchor, I am also the Community Development Coordinator of Jesse, Turner and Knowles Hall within UM Housing. Originally from Spokane, Washington, I’ve called Missoula home since 2022. When I am not working, I am an avid reader and love getting to explore God’s creation with my yellow lab, Fynn. I am very passionate about helping kids learn and grow in their faith and in life. I have been so blessed with the privilege of watching young hearts discover Jesus and am so grateful that I am able to combine my passion for teaching with my joy for the Lord! I am so excited to partner with volunteers, families and kids to create a FUN and faith-filled environment at Anchor Kids!
Ana Warner
Church Administrator
Hello! My name is Ana Warner and I'm the Church Administrator here at Anchor. My husband, Cody, and I live in Florence with our German Shepherd, Apollo, and are excited to welcome the arrival of our first baby girl in Fall 2024. I've grown up in the Missoula Valley and enjoy hiking, singing, playing at the lake, and cooking yummy food! With my background in nutrition and dietetics, I've spent the last four years running my nutrition coaching business and am now excited to transition my administrative skills into ministering to the calling of our church. I love sorting through the details to accomplish a greater task. So, the opportunity to blend this with my passion for seeing the lost found and the found anchored in the hope of Jesus was just too good to be true!
Drew Engellant
Middle School Director
Hi everyone, my name is Drew Engellant and I’m from Kalispell, MT. I’m a senior here at the University finishing my Bachelors in Human Biology and beginning my Masters of Science in Business Analytics. I love to get outdoors and explore the mountains through hiking, biking, and backcountry skiing. In 2022, I spent the summer working as a camp counselor at my childhood bible camp on Flathead Lake where I led groups of middle and high school kids on multi-day backcountry adventures. I’m looking forward to exploring more of Missoula’s amazing recreation this summer and I’m excited to be joining Anchor’s team.
Jerilyn Wilson
Anchored Groups Director
Hello! My name is Jerilyn Wilson. I grew up here in Missoula and I went to both college and graduate school in Southern California. Afterward I discovered a loving community in Sonoma County and that is where I met my husband Connor. We have a son named Liam and a dog named Rigby (after the Beatles song). I love those three boys more than words can express and they fill my heart with joy every day. My ideal evening would be getting to sit around a fire, drink something warm, and discuss theology or philosophy with a group of friends who love to explore ideas together. Music is a passion for both my husband and I, which makes sense because we met while serving on our church worship team. We think our son Liam is going to be an incredible drummer because everywhere he goes he’s always keeping a beat. I’m still pinching myself that I get to direct small groups for our Anchor church family. Relationships are the most important thing and I’m convinced the church is the absolute best place to build them. Without Jesus, truly loving relationships wouldn’t even be possible and I want to make it our mission to never take that for granted.