Montana Missional Communities
Loving God by Living Community and Serving the World
About Bozeman
Situated
in southwest Montana, Bozeman is the fastest growing town in the
state, while Gallatin Valley is the fastest growing county.
The town of 35,000 nestled in the Rockies has, in recent years,
appeared on a number of national "best places" lists, including
being named the
best small town in America (less than 50,000 population).
The same study determined the community to be the 11th fastest
growing small town in America. Bozeman has been named one of
the
Best Places to Retire and a
top fly-fishing town. Money Magazine named Bozeman among
the
Best Places to Live in America, and Outdoor Magazine named it
the
5th best college town in America. The town has also been
ranked as being in the Top Ten of small towns in terms of "economic
strength."
Bozeman's status stems in large part from the mountain scenery, trout rivers, ski resorts and proximity to Yellowstone National Park. In addition, for a small rural town, Bozeman has a thriving arts scene and is a university town: Montana State University boasts 11,000 students. Home to a number of technology firms (spurred by the university), Bozeman also is recognized as a leader in technology among small towns in America. It is also recognized as a leading environmentally-conscious town.
Founded in 1867 (by John Bozeman, a gold prospector from Georgia) as a agricultural town to support nearby gold fields, Bozeman today is a strategic town in the American West, a reflection of a New West that is defined by outdoor recreation, tourism, environmentalism, and technology rather than mining and forestry.
But like all towns, Bozeman does face challenges. It is the most expensive place to live in the state: as of 2007, the median cost of a home is $441,000, while the cost of living is 14% above the national average and the jobless rate is a very low 1.5%. Yet a relatively small number of wealthy households skew the statistics: 46% of households earn $35,000 or less annually, a figure that makes home ownership very challenging. As a result, the number of homeowners is much lower than the national average, and the number of renters over twice the national average.
One of the least churched towns in Montana, Bozeman is home to few congregations. Roughly 2/3 of the population claims no religious affiliation (compared to about 50% of the residents of Billings Montana, and 50% nationwide). Catholics (12%) are the only denomination that claim more than 4% of residents, while the second largest group is "Other Christian" (9.5%). The numbers, however, don't tell the whole story, as spirituality is popular despite the low levels of organized religion.
Following is the breakdown of religious affiliation in Bozeman compared to the United States as as whole:
Religion
Bozeman, MT United States
Total
35.40%
50.03%
Catholic
11.74%
21.92%
Protestant
10.18%
19.12%
Latter Day Saints
3.56%
1.57%
Baptist
2.13%
8.16%
Episcopalian 0.62%
8.12%
Pentecostal
1.28%
1.89%
Lutheran
3.39%
2.81%
Methodist
1.37%
3.84%
Presbyterian
1.40%
1.33%
Other Christian
9.57%
4.66%
Jewish
0.07%
2.16%
Eastern
0.04%
0.05%
Islam
0.24%
0.54%
The economic dichotomy in this rapidly growing town poses challenges to the city and area churches. Only within the past year (following the death of a homeless man, from exposure to cold, in the winter of 2006/07) has the city began addressing the issue of homelessness. Currently, there is no homeless shelter, although a small one is now under construction thanks to the efforts of one concerned man. In 2006, several churches joined together and formed Family Promise to temporarily house homeless families in their church buildings. The current national recession and rising food prices have resulted in record numbers of families turning to the Gallatin Valley Food Bank.
In short, Bozeman is a key town in the New West, yet the outward prosperity masks families struggling simply to survive.
Montana Missional Communities seeks to be the presence of Christ by partnering with established community ministries and non-religious service organizations. We believe that if Christ were to walk the streets of Bozeman today, he would likely spend time in the everyday places where folks congregate, rather than church buildings. Our goal is to be like Jesus, rather than any given denomination. We believe in living in community, rather than in isolation.
Montana Missional Communities will be establishing a presence in Bozeman in 2009.
Sources:
Bozeman Statistical Profile
Bozeman Job Demographics
Additional Information and News:
The Bozeman Chronicle (Daily Newspaper)
Bozeman Visitors Bureau (be sure to watch the video!)
Bozeman, Montana: Too Dynamic for a Still Life (Seattle Times)
Montana State University
Yellowstone National Park
Photo of Bozeman obtained from here.
Overview
Bozeman is not only the fastest growing town in Montana, but one of the fastest growing small towns in America. Bozeman is a reflection of the New West, recipient of many "best places" awards and outwardly prosperous. Yet despite the accolades, many families struggle for survival in one of the least churched towns in the state.