JWC is committed to the authority of God’s Word, the Bible, as the source-book for our lives. We read it, study it and try to learn from it as we seek to find answers for life’s tough questions. It is the foundation for everything we do, both personally and corporately.
As a result of all these things, we believe God has given us the mission of sharing His love with those around us. We are seeking to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the people of Carbon County, and by extension, to the world. It is our greatest desire to help each person come to know Jesus Christ as a personal friend and learn to follow Him.
So when we say “You’ve got a friend here,” we mean that both as it relates to the people at JWC, and as it relates to the greatest friend of all time. We invite you to get to know both better.
OUR HISTORY
Joliet Wesleyan Church began
as a dream in an elk hunting camp where a group of hunters began talking about their desire for a strong evangelical church in their part of Carbon County, Montana. That discussion led to a series of home Bible studies which developed into weekend services.
The congregation met in Boyd
for several years and was served by a series of traveling ministers. Pastors from Billings and surrounding areas often braved blizzards and other challenges to share God’s Word with the fledgling church. Without a place to call home, they began to meet in various buildings around Joliet.
They eventually built
their own meeting place at the current location in Joliet. JWC and its facilities have been an asset to the community in a variety of ways through the years. It has been the church home for scores of people who have sacrificed to bring that original vision farther along its journey.
OUR BELIEFS
At Joliet Wesleyan Church we believe in one God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the Savior of all who put their faith in Him alone for eternal life. We believe that those who receive new life in Christ are called to be holy in character and conduct and can only live this way by being filled with the Lord’s Spirit. We believe in the Bible and seek to establish our faith and actions on its teaching. We believe God wills for people everywhere to know Him and that the purpose of the Church is to tell the world about Christ through its worship, witness and loving deeds.
OUR STAFF
Samuel Smith
Pastor
After pastoring for over 20 years in various parts of this great country, Samuel and Dianne Smith, along with their two children, found their home in Carbon County, MT, in the late 90s. They found Joliet to be a fantastic place for their son and daughter to make friends, enjoy their teenage years and deepen their relationship with Christ. Their kids now have families of their own and are serving churches in other parts of the Northwest District of the Wesleyan Church.
Samuel and Dianne are involved in many aspects of community life and love the wonderful spirit of cooperation found here. They enjoy gardening, yard work, hunting, fishing, almost anything involving a four-wheeler or snowmobile, and all things ranching.
Above all, they are deeply committed to the belief that God loves people more than anything else, and that He desperately wants a personal relationship with each one of us.
Tisha Harry
Counseling Pastor
Tisha is a military spouse (retired), who has worked in mental health, in multiple states, since 2002. She has worked in various capacities including community mental health, human subjects research, and mental health facility investigations. After her husband retired, she and her family moved back to her beloved Montana where she currently serves as the owner and operator of Potter’s Hand Counseling Services.
Currently, Tisha is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) who is an active member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. She has great admiration for attachment theory and therapies related to it, as these provide avenues of healing through safe relationships. Tisha has a gentle, person-centered approach, with level 1 training in Emotionally Focused Therapy and is also trained in EMDR through EMDRIA, with advanced training on integration of Christian Biblical concepts. In addition to these specializations, Tisha is trained in Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP) and Interpersonal Social Rhythms Therapy (IPSRT), to treat bipolar and other mood disordered populations. For couples’ work, Tisha uses Emotional Focused Couples Therapy, SYMBIS, PREPARE/ENRICH, and other attachment-based approaches.
She is certified in nutritional and integrative medicine for mental health professionals and continues her studies in obsessive compulsive disorders and neuroscience.
