Former Montessori building to become church

The big red building on North Somers Road is under new ownership.

Last week Aletheia Christian Fellowship, a 7-year-old non-denominational Christian church founded in Kalispell, purchased the facility, which formerly housed the Flathead Valley Montessori Academy.

The church will have its grand opening Sunday, Oct. 31.

Pernell Partners, which had owned the building, put it up for sale in July 2009 and had slashed the price nearly in half in the time it was on the market. The school operated from 2006 through the end of the 2008-2009 school year, when it ceased due to financial strains.

The building on site was constructed around the shell of the former St. Catherine’s Catholic Church, which had been moved from its original home in Bigfork on property now owned by Marina Cay Resort.

“It’s fantastic to see it go back to its original purpose, which was a church,” former owner Jeff Pernell said. “It’s come full circle. I wish them the best.”

Aletheia Christian Fellowship has been holding its services in the Seventh-day Adventist building in Kalispell, though it is not affiliated with that church. In its early days, it moved around a lot, with services held at the conference room at the Outlaw Inn and a variety of other places.

“This is the first time we’ve had our own thing,” Pastor Scott Keller said. “We’re all excited. It’s like being a new homeowner for the first time. The enthusiasm is hard to curb.”

The church of about 100 people had looked at the building early on when it went on the market, but decided the cost was prohibitive. At the time leaders thought it may be too far from its membership base in Kalispell.

With the significant reduction in price, the church recently thought again and welcomed the prospective of serving in a new community.

“There aren’t a lot of churches in that part of the Valley so we’re excited about it really,” Keller said.

After the closing of the Montessori school, the preschool that operated out of the building continued and rented space from the Pernells. It’s run by a non-profit formed by parents called Lakeside Somers Montessori Co-op.

Keller said the church plans to continue the lease to the preschool.

The grand opening of the church Oct. 31 will include prayer at 8 a.m., Sunday school at 9 a.m., church service at 10 a.m. and a potluck at 11:30 a.m. followed later in the day by a  harvest party at 5 p.m. as an alternative to Halloween.

For more information, contact Keller at 249-9419 or pastor@aletheia.us.

Find out more about the church online at www.aletheia.us.