Bigfork man returns home to open new church in the Flathead

Luke Taylor is bringing his vision for worshipping God to life in the Flathead Valley.

A 2005 graduate of Bigfork High School, Taylor graduated with his Bachelor of Science from Montana State University in 2011, and later received his Master of Divinity and Master of Theology in preaching from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, before returning to the Flathead Valley with his wife, Caroline, to help found Veneration Church earlier this year.

For Taylor, the return home was unexpected, but a welcome opportunity.

“Coming home, I never really considered it, I guess. I had always assumed that after I left I would never be coming back home to live, but God just kept opening doors for us here and we saw a need that made my wife and I decide to come back,” Taylor said. “Now, we can preach to people we love in a culture that we love. It really is a blessing to be back home. We never expected to be back here, but it is great.”

With services currently being held Sundays at 9:30 a.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn and Conference Center in south Kalispell, Taylor says the Veneration name was something he had in mind for some time, but just needed to find a home for.

“Veneration means a profound reverence or respect, and that really came out of Hebrews 12:28, where it says that we are to be grateful that we have been given a kingdom that cannot be shaken and we are to offer to God worship that is acceptable in reverence and awe,” Taylor said.

Taylor spent much of his youth in Bigfork involved with the Crossroads Christian Fellowship before spending some time with Fresh Life Church after graduating from Montana State. He says it was the lessons learned from those experiences that helped lead to Veneration Church’s three pillars of prayer, the Word and worship.

While the future of his new church is uncertain, Taylor says he and his wife are glad to be in the valley and grateful to have this opportunity.

“It’s God’s church, not mine, so we don’t know what his plans are. Our hope is that the church grows and that we can help people who are lost find Christ and that believers will rally alongside the newer believers as well,” he said. “There are so many great churches in this valley, there really are. Our hope is that we will be able to reach people that aren’t being reached and give them hope. I have a heart for this place and love this place. We grew up here and we are hoping we can make an impact.”

For more information about the Veneration Church, visit their website at www.venerationchurch.com.