Zach Bechtold, Lead Pastor Spiritual Imagineering
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rev Zach Bechtold and I have the honor and privilege to be your pastor. My wife, Mikel, and our kids, Zoe, Noah, and Ryann are incredibly excited to be joining you all in ministry and life.
We are excited to be returning to Montana, which became home five years ago when we moved to Choteau to serve three churches in the area. We instantly feel in love with Montana, the people, the beauty, and the way of life. When we moved to Choteau my family had never been north of Denver for any reason. We felt God calling us to a new and unknown adventure in ministry and we have loved every minute of it. Previous to living in Montana, we served United Methodist Churches and Campus Ministries in New Mexico for six years and spent most of our lives in Texas where both Mikel and I grew up and our family still lives.
Montana holds a special place in our hearts, it has been a place of healing, growth, excitement, love, grace, and adventure for my family and we look forward to coming home.
A little bit about our family. We love to be outdoors, hiking, skiing, camping, fishing, kayaking, and exploring. We love adventures and we love recommendations! Zoe, our oldest daughter, will be a Sophomore at Bozeman High and is looking forward to joining the speech and debate team and choir. Noah, our son, will be a 7th grader at Sacajawea and loves to play video games and draw. Ryann, our youngest daughter, will be a 4th grader at Longfellow and loves to be creative and learn about animals. Mikel, my lovely wife, is an avid reader and is ready for adventure. Myself, I am ready to find great running trails and cheer for the Colorado Rockies!
Bearded Theologians is our weekly podcast/vodcast where Rev. Zach and his friend Rev. Matt Franks talk about everything from A-Z sometimes in one episode. Sometimes they get our friends on to talk about their latest projects, passions, or anything else we want to chat about.
You can find the Beardcast on Youtube, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Apple, Spotify, Castbox, Google Podcast, or wherever else you listen to Podcast.
Melinda “Mel” Roberts, Lead Pastor of Spiritual Engagement
Mel will serve half-time with Bozeman UMC and half-time with Living Waters UMC, effective July 1, 2023.
Mari-Emilie Anderson, Lead Pastor of Nurture Care
My name is Mari-Emilie Anderson and I am humbled and honored to be your new Associate Pastor. I am very excited to be working with you and Pastor Zach as we seek to learn more about our awesome God and seek to deepen our relationship with God and with each other.
My husband, Walt, and I hail from Cedaredge, Colorado located on the Western Slope of Colorado and near the base of the Grand Mesa, the largest flattop mountain in the world. I lived in Cedaredge for 13 or so years. After evaluating my life and after much prayer, I answered God’s call to become a minister for the United Methodist Church. I completed Licensing School at Emory’s Candler School of Theology this past September.
In the spring, Walt and our dog Jewel, will be joining me in Montana. We have been married for 1 ½ years. Our grown children are various ages and we have some grandchildren too. We enjoy hiking, discovering new places, and attending local theater and concerts. Walt is retired and enjoys woodworking (he is quite good!) and I am learning to play the harp.