Our
Heritage

Heritage Baptist Church was founded by a single man in Ulm, Montana, in 1980. He had been reading one of John R. Rice's Sword of the Lord publications and was convicted of the importance of becoming a soul-winner. He, along with a few others, was encouraged by the late Pastor Dick Dion of Fairview Baptist Church to begin a local ministry. They held the church's first service on August 2, 1980, in the home of one of the members in Ulm.

On August 12, 1982, Pastor Sheldon Schearer and his family moved to Great Falls, Montana, to become the pastor of Heritage Baptist Church. As the church family grew, Heritage Baptist Church was forced to move its services into one of the buildings used by Treasure State Academy. Eventually, through the faithful giving and sacrificial work of its members, the church was able to purchase its current property, consisting of two large buildings on eight acres of land.

For the next 44 years, Pastor Sheldon Schearer faithfully pastored Heritage Baptist Church, preaching God's Word, leading countless souls to Christ, and helping train men and women for full-time Christian service as pastors, missionaries, and Christian workers around the world. After decades of faithful ministry, Pastor Schearer retired as Pastor of Heritage Baptist Church on August 12, 2026, and was honored with the title of Pastor Emeritus, where he continues to serve our community as Chaplain for the Great Falls Police Department alongside his wife, Carolyn.

Heritage Baptist Church has since welcomed Pastor Rick Komondor as the new pastor of Heritage Baptist Church. Building upon the strong biblical foundation established through the church's history, Pastor Komondor and his wife Charlene continue to lead Heritage Baptist Church with a commitment to preaching the Word of God, reaching souls with the Gospel, and equipping believers to faithfully serve the Lord for generations to come.